Cook Islands Parliament hosted a one-day training for government agencies boosting their knowledge on how they can produce high-quality Cabinet submissions.

Clerk of Parliament Tangata Vainerere says Parliament is responsible for the preparation of Cabinet submissions on behalf of ministers and all the other Members of Parliament who are travelling either overseas or to the Pa Enua for official business. 

Vainerere explained that all travel is to be paid by Parliamentary Services on behalf of the MPs or to the MPs, and the Cabinet has to approve it.

“And for that to happen, the staff of those people need to prepare a submission to request for approval of the travel and the allowances that go with it.”

Vainerere said they held a similar training in the past, but because of staff changes and new staff members in government ministries or support offices of the minister, they held another one.

“We had to repeat the training so that they can learn how to produce high-quality Cabinet submissions and also make sure that the agreed costing for each person travelling is in accordance with the entitlements of the Ministers and the MPs according to the Remuneration Tribunal Order.”

He says the training is important to avoid mistakes during these travels, as any errors could result in either exceeding the allocated budget or underfunding the MPs’ entitlements

At the training yesterday, the Deputy Clerk and a Senior Finance Officer worked with the staff members to make sure that they weren't making mistakes about the agreed cost of the travel for each MP or Minister. 

Vainerere said the training served a dual purpose – staff development or specialist training for his team.

He delegated conducting the briefings and training to the Deputy Clerk and Senior Finance Officer, allowing them to upskill themselves in presentation and facilitation