Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang and Labour chief Lim Swee Say from People's Action Party (PAP) locked horns during the final day of the 12th Parliament's first meeting on Friday.
As the last speaker to speak from the opposition bench, Low -- the MP for Aljunied GRC
-- took aim at Minister Lim Swee Say’s oft-repeated slogan of “cheaper,
better, faster” and said that “perhaps we will start to see better,
faster ministers at work and perhaps cheaper (ones) after the
ministerial salary review is completed”.
He also urged the
government to ask itself why Singaporeans commonly perceived the
government to be "more concerned with paying its ministers well than
about the welfare of the people."
In reply, Lim – who is the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office as well as chief of the NTUC labour movement —said that his “cheaper, better, faster” slogan was referring to products and services and that comparisons were unfair.
“There’s
a fundamental difference,” he said in his speech. “What the NTUC and
the tripartite partners and pursuing are cheaper, better, faster
products and services, and a cheaper, better, faster economy, not a
cheaper, better, faster workforce.”
The East Coast GRC MP also
said he was at a loss for words when Low said he felt that ministers
served out of self-interest, accusing opposition MPs of taking credit
for "the good things" that the government has done since the May General Election by saying that the presence of opposition MPs have brought about policy changes.
Separately,
Low also urged the People’s Action Party to refrain from using “doom
and gloom” scenarios when debating health care and welfare policy
trade-offs.
“I urge the PAP to step out of the shadow of doom
and gloom of certain pitfalls of Western liberal democracy and work
towards a First World Parliament in our own way,” he said.
Low was defending Non-Constituency MPs Gerald Giam and Yee Jenn Jong's earlier calls for the government to spend on affordable and adequate health care, housing and retirement financing.
Both NMPs were then reminded by Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development, Lee Yi Shyan, of the pitfalls of a welfare state, citing the example of a debt-ridden Greece and its welfare system.
In
rebuttal, Low said "it is high time the PAP MPs refrain from using this
as a red herring to kill debate on alternative solutions and mechanisms
to those proposed by the government."
Low added that the
government had used the term "policy trade-offs" to defend decisions
that benefited them instead of the people. Low gave the example of the
decision to build the integrated resorts with casinos and the government
"highlighted the benefits to our society over the related gaming and
social ills -- never mind the trade-offs," said Low.
Low however
did commend the PAP for its "resilience in response to ground reaction"
and added that it was not the opposition MPs, but rather the voters
that should really claim the credit for recent changes as they had voted
more opposition in and that the result is that the PAP takes a serious
look at what is happening.
Both Lim and Low also eventually agreed that national interest would remain above their own partisan ones.
Yahoo!. Now with Friends.
Discover news, videos and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.
To get started, first
Low: Better, faster and perhaps cheaper ministers?
By Fann Sim | Yahoo! Newsroom – Sat, Oct 22, 2011
Low Thia Khiang and Lim Swee Say locked horns during a parliamentary debate. (AFP file photos)
More about the story
- WP has not let the people down: Low Thia Khiang
- ‘Singapore’s opposition facing the reality of politics’
- Thailand approves charter amendment bills
- Does Singapore need NMPs?
- Romania prime minister resigns, spy chief takes over
- Spanish minister defends labour reforms
- How will you vote if a by-election is held in Hougang?
- Greek parliament debates key austerity package
- PAP’s Desmond Choo on Hougang by-election: I’ll be ready to answer any …
- EDITORIAL: A debate that is eagerly awaited
How do you feel about this article?
Loading...
903 comments