Mr. Speaker, Honorable Prime Minister, Honorable Leader of the Opposition, and Honorable Members of this House:

I rise today not just with pride, but with purpose.

The honor of returning to Cabinet as Minister for Information is not lost on me. It comes with humility, with reflection, and with an unshakable commitment to serve.

If I speak with more clarity today, it is because I have learned what it means to be misinterpreted.

If I seem more determined, it is because I now know what it means to be given a second chance—not just by the Prime Minister, but by the people.

Let me get this out of the way early.

What happened last year was personal. It became public. It was not political, but its consequences were. I do not hide from it. But I do not carry it like a wound. I carry it like a lesson, a lesson in humility, in boundaries, and in what it means to hold public trust. That lesson now guides everything I do.

Mr. Speaker,

This portfolio may not build roads or hospitals. But it builds something just as essential, public trust. We don’t cut ribbons.

We connect citizens to what those ribbons stand for. We are the Ministry that makes sure the people of Fiji know what their government is doing, why it matters, and how to be part of it.

Now, I’ve read the jokes on social media.

“Oh, so you’re the Minister for Facebook posts now?” Or my favorite: “Minister for Likes and Shares.”

And to that, I say: Yes. And proud of it.

Because the post you scroll past may be the one that tells you your daughter’s school is reopening, or where the nearest health clinic is, or how to get disaster relief. If it takes TikTok to get that message across, we’ll dance. We’ll do the work, we’ll eat plans AND we’ll make sure people know about it.

 

Why Information Is Democracy’s Lifeblood

Information is the lifeblood of a healthy democracy. As we’ve seen at the FMA town halls in Savusavu and Labasa, through it, people hold us accountable.

Through it, they participate meaningfully in the life of the nation. When information flows freely, democracy deepens. When it is delayed or distorted, democracy suffers.

That’s why I begin my tenure with a simple, powerful commitment:

This Ministry will champion truth. And we will do so plainly, promptly, and persistently.

 

My Vision: Clarity Over Complexity

People don’t want white papers. They want straight answers.

They want to know:

●     When the next water cut will be,

●     Where the cyclone shelters are,

●     What the government budget means for their families.

They want that in simple English, in iTaukei, in Hindi, and if we must, in diagrams drawn in the sand.

This Ministry will speak like people speak. We will not try to impress. We will try to inform.

 

A New Culture of Communication

To my fellow Ministers: your Media Liaison Officers are not afterthoughts. They’re front-liners. They understand your process and priorities. For the Ministry of Information, they are our extended support system. We will invite them into our meetings. We will let them help us shape your narrative before the public mis-shapes it for you.

Starting this quarter, we will ask every Ministry to submit a one-page communication plan. What are you doing? Who needs to know? How will you tell them?

We are also building a central digital dashboard, a real-time calendar that tracks government announcements, prevents overlaps, and coordinates messaging. Because yes, sometimes it does feel like every Ministry picked the same Friday to make an announcement. We will coordinate. We will plan. And we will respect the audience’s short attention span.

 

fiji.gov.fj – Reborn

By January 2026, we will relaunch our government’s website, not as a static archive, but as a live platform for policy, programs, services, and feedback. It will be mobile-friendly. It will be accessible for persons with disabilities. It will speak all three official languages. And it will be updated regularly—because information is a living thing.

It’s time we stopped expecting Fijians to hunt down government updates like their friends from high school. They should find what they need in seconds, not search through PDFs from 2018.

 

Crisis Communication Is Life-Saving Work

We’ve seen what happens when there’s silence during disaster. Or worse, confusion. To this day I’m not to sure why everyone ran for toilet paper during Covid.

This Ministry will introduce a National Crisis Communications Protocol. This will outline, Who speaks? On what platform? In which language? How quickly?

We will train for it. We will drill it. And when the time comes, we will deliver calm through clarity.

Our people should never be left wondering why the siren is wailing and there is a government official talking about seismic shocks on tv and before the realization of what’s happening hits them… the tsunami does.

They should be told Plainly, Promptly, and Persistently.

 

Digitizing Our Memory

The National Archives of Fiji must not be a warehouse of dust. It must be a library of living memory.

By December 2025, we will complete the digitization of the Indian Indenture Records. By the end of 2026, we will digitize up to 50% of our national historical collections, making them available to students, researchers, and every curious citizen, whether they live in Tonga Rewa or Tonga Mata ni siga.

I want a child in Taveuni to be able to search for their great-great-grandfather’s immigration record from a phone. I want a university student in Lautoka to write a thesis without flying to Suva. That is how we build on the foundations of history, by connecting people with their ancestors and not having to die doing so.

 

Strategic Policy That Speaks to the People

Let me tie my vision to the Ministry’s Strategic Plan and the NDP:

●     Nation-building: Launch a Civic Media Fellowship to train 50 young journalists and digital creators by 2026.

●     Equitable access: Deploy Digital Information Kiosks in all government service centers.

●     Responsive information: Pilot AI-powered SMS alerts for rural and maritime areas.

●     Partnerships: Institutionalize MLO Forums, co-chaired with civil society and media leaders.

●     Records access: Build regional archive centers in Lautoka and Labasa.

●     Knowledge society: Launch an Open Government Portal with raw datasets and policy reports by July 2026.

These aren’t buzzwords. These are blueprints.

 

Reclaiming the Public Broadcaster

Public funds come with public responsibility. Every Public Service Broadcast grant will now be tied to measurable public outcomes. We will require:

●     Weekly civic education programs,

●     Local language youth debates,

●     Balanced rural coverage,

●     And transparent reporting on viewer and listener reach.

We are not funding fluff. We are funding facts, fairness, and Fiji.

The People’s Language, Always

Let me say this again, because it matters:

If you go to the market in Savusavu and ask someone what they think of Hon Bimans new tax reform, they don’t say,

“I believe this aligns with our macroeconomic recalibration strategy.”

They say,

“how does it help me to pay my dinau at the store?”

That is the language we must use. That is the clarity we must aim for.

 

Fighting Disinformation

This Ministry will launch a Rapid Response Unit to tackle misinformation, especially during elections, disasters, and health emergencies.

We will run media literacy programs in secondary schools. Not just for students, but for teachers, parents, and the curious citizen. Because an informed public is a nation’s best defense against chaos.

 

A Ministry That Listens

Next month, I begin a nationwide listening tour. We will hold town halls in every province. Because communication is not a megaphone. It’s a conversation.

You will see me in village halls. At the bus stand. Behind the tanoa. Not to give speeches, but to listen. And I hope you’ll speak freely.
 

A Personal Note

I know what it feels like to be judged. I know what it means to fall. But I also know what it means to stand back up, not because you forget what happened, but because you remember why you serve.

This is not about rewriting reputations. It’s about writing better futures.

Let me earn your trust not with apologies, but with action. Let me serve with more humility and less ego. Let me prove that redemption in public service is not only possible, it can be powerful.

 

My Final Word: Truth Builds Nations

Let this Ministry be known not for managing narratives, but for telling the truth.

Let our broadcasts carry facts. Let our press releases reflect reality. Let our websites answer questions. Let our communities feel heard.

And let every Fijian, from the farmer in Bua to the student in Nadi, be able to say:

“My government spoke to me. Clearly. Honestly. In my language. Without spin.”

That is the Ministry I will build. That is the promise I make. And that is the work I now begin.

Vinaka vakalevu. God bless Fiji.