The Speaker of the Niue Assembly, Hima Douglas, has asserted that Cabinet ministers should not participate in Parliament committees, as this undermines the principle of holding the government accountable. During a roundtable discussion at the pre-summit of the 7th Pacific Media Summit in Niue, Douglas emphasized the importance of committees, such as the public accounts committee, which are tasked with reviewing government accounts and budgets.
Douglas recounted his experience as a new speaker witnessing two Cabinet ministers present within the committee. He acknowledged that he initially struggled to convey the message that such participation contradicts the committee’s purpose of accountability. He made it clear that ministers should not be involved in these committees, stating, “You as ministers cannot be sitting under the same committee.”
He has since communicated that Parliament committees exist to hold the government accountable, and Cabinet members should not be involved. Douglas strongly argued that allowing ministers to sit on these committees would lead to them judging their own actions, which he believes is unacceptable.