8 Jan 2008

Some former Solomon ministers return cars

4:11 pm on 8 January 2008

A number of former Solomon Islands government ministers have returned their official cars to the new government.

12 former ministers, who are now members of the parliamentary opposition, refused to give back the vehicles so they could be re-assigned to the new ministers.

But now seven of them have returned a car each, but two still hold on to their second car.

An opposition MP who has returned his car, Peter Boyers, says it's irresponsible to keep it.

"I thought it was wrong that new vehicles, recently purchased by a government should then be acquired by a government that had fallen on the floor of parliament. That puts pressure on next year's budget through purchase of vehicles again instead of going into service delivery. I reckon that they [former ministers] should give them back. I think that's what they should be doing."

Peter Boyers says when the former government came into power it had also asked previous government ministers to return their cars.

The new opposition had threatened to take the new government to court over the issue.