The Government will today move to withdraw three high-profile governance bills from Parliament, a significant reversal for pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening public sector ethics, transparency and oversight. Minister for Justice and Acting Attorney‑General Siromi Turaga is listed to move a motion under Standing Order 90 for the formal withdrawal of the Code of Conduct Bill 2025, the Access to Information Bill 2025, and the Accountability and Transparency Commission Bill 2025, according to the parliamentary schedule.
The motion appears under Schedule 2 — Motions for which notice has been given — in Parliament’s agenda for today. If MPs approve the motion, the three bills will be formally removed from the legislative agenda, ending their current progress through the parliamentary process. Standing Order 90 permits the government to withdraw legislation that has already been introduced.
Each bill targeted a different aspect of governance reform. The Code of Conduct Bill 2025 was drafted to establish standards of conduct for public office holders; the Access to Information Bill 2025 sought to create a legal framework for public access to government-held information; and the Accountability and Transparency Commission Bill 2025 proposed a new commission to strengthen oversight and remedies for misuse of public office. Together, the measures were widely seen as central to the Government’s announced commitments to improve integrity and transparency in public life.
The planned withdrawal follows questions from Opposition MP Premila Kumar earlier this week about the fate of two of the bills. Kumar told Parliament that the Code of Conduct Bill and the Accountability and Transparency Commission Bill had been referred to the Standing Committee and then sent back to the Office of the Solicitor‑General for amendments, but had not returned to Parliament. “Last year, we were told that the Code of Conduct Bill 2025 and the Accountability and Transparency Commission Bill 2025 would be progressed,” she said, adding that the bills had since “simply disappeared.”
Kumar used her questions to press why the Government had not reintroduced the amended bills, suggesting the delay and now the withdrawal raise doubts about the administration’s commitment to its stated reform agenda. She questioned whether the strength of proposed accountability measures — including conflict‑of‑interest rules and possible new consequences for abuse of office — may be politically inconvenient for some members of Parliament. “Is it because a proper Code of Conduct would expose conflicts of interest? Is it because an Accountability and Transparency Commission would finally impose real consequences for abuse of office?” she asked.
The Government’s decision to table a withdrawal motion marks the latest development in a contentious file on governance reform. The three bills have been prominent in public discussion since being introduced, and their removal from the parliamentary programme will renew focus on whether and how elements of the proposed reforms might be reworked or reintroduced in future sittings. The motion will be debated as part of today’s sitting.
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