In a recent issue of Cook Islands News, the government’s travel expenditure for the last financial year was published and I for one really appreciated the opportunity to see the particular details of this, writes Michael Tavioni BEM.

We, the people, assume things and as a result we usually imagine the worst scenario, so thank you to those responsible for publishing this document.

One of the duties of government is to create a national budget for the new financial year. In this national budget there is always an allocation for government personnel to travel. Every department has to consider their own travel requirements, including those sponsored by other countries or overseas agencies, and each department’s proposed budget for its own overseas travel requirements is incorporated into the total national budget.

The figure reported for last year’s travel expenditure was $659,000. For comparison, the total national budget proposed for our current financial year is $328 million.

Government travel budgets are supposed to cover all the costs incurred when government personnel travel on government business. This covers the Prime Minister’s travel and related expenses, as well as those of the Cabinet Ministers and ordinary Members of Parliament, including those of the Leader of the Opposition and other Opposition members.

There are also travel costs incurred for ordinary public servants who need to travel for meetings, workshops and further training in the specialised jobs that they do.

I am an ex-public servant and as such I also had my share of overseas travel as someone who worked for government. There are multiple reasons for government personnel to travel and over our many years of self-government many concerned people have always questioned the need or benefits of these travels.

Is there a real need to travel? Was anything achieved for the country or for the government personnel’s workplace or department? Many people have wondered whether some of the Prime Minister’s overseas trips were really warranted or were they a waste of time.

The truth is that it is not that easy to know whether a trip is worthwhile or not. This applies whether the trip is in-country or outside of the country. But the hope is that those who go on these travels will be able to gain something worthwhile for the country and the people.

I for one do not oppose overseas trips for government personnel. The fact is that when a public servant is required to travel, they go because they are required to go. Every trip has its own merit, purposes and assumed benefits for the nation, and many of these overseas trips have benefitted our country and our people.

Sometimes however, whatever was supposed to have been achieved was never put to any use or implemented for the benefit of the country. Many go on these trips because it’s there to be used, so it then becomes merely a holiday.

After each trip the person who went on the trip is required to present a report and a record of expenditures to his or her boss. I may say also that writing this kind of report can be done honestly but at the same time it can be fabricated. Regardless, the life of a government goes on. But the people will always be questioning the ability of any government to serve its people with integrity.

Again, as an ex-public servant I wish to say that many (not all) overseas trips by our Prime Minister, his Ministers, Opposition members and our public servants as well are warranted and beneficial to this nation.

I speak my mind about national issues that bother me and as a result I know some people assume that I am anti-government. That is not exactly correct because I do appreciate the great things government does or tries to do.

In the public service there are those who go to work not only for the money but also for the opportunity to serve their people. Unfortunately, from experience, I have observed some who work for government because they get paid and for them it does not matter whether they perform or not.

I am also proud to say that I have a good friend in our government. His name is Prime Minister Honourable Mark Brown. The other day we had coffee again like many times before. He wanted to talk about New Caledonia, its indigenous people and their sovereignty. It highlighted for me the statement by a Pacific leader that goes something like this this: ‘We the Pacific nations are the custodians of this huge ocean and our indigenous sovereignty is not negotiable’. As a friend I want to say to the Prime Minister, ‘Good on you, but walk the talk’.

Secondly, Mark told me that his government, our government, has decided to bring the best of our ex-policemen to help him look at the Police Department’s present status. He wanted those who have the expertise to help government upgrade the department so it can do its job effectively. This is one of the best moves that my friend has come up with and this time Mark has given me a reason to be happy with him. I want him to do the same with all the other departments.

This is a good way to govern – a wise government should consult those who have been through the mill before because they know more than the younger ones who are now in government (public service). Our ex-public servants have more practical experience and knowledge in their respective careers and using them will bring government closer to its people – closer to the BOSS. As a reminder, those who work for government are called public servants because they are exactly that – servants of the people.

So next coffee on me mate but I still refuse to pay TWICE for the water from the valleys of which I am a part landowner.

• Mitaera Ngatae Teatuakaro Michael Tavioni BEM is a Cook Islands artist and writer. The views expressed in this article are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.