The debate surrounding the minister’s work travel has drawn attention after the LAR commission issued its advice on the requests regarding Minister Gerlien Croes’s trip. The process, which formally began on July 10, brought clarity regarding a minister’s duty to account to Parliament.
According to MEP faction leader Evelyn Wever-Croes, the LAR’s advice was clear and firm, indicating that the objections expressed by colleague Tjon and myself were well-founded and fundamentally based. The commission advised the minister to answer the questions that had been asked. The central point of this development is that a minister must account for their actions, a principle that applies to every member of the government without exception. This stands out especially given that the minister stated on several occasions that she does not account to a commission or to a specific parliamentarian, which is now contradicted by the LAR’s advice.
Although the advice was shared with the press for public publication, the minister’s response to the August 28 decision brought a contradiction to light. The minister declared the objections unfounded and maintained her original decision, denying the parliamentarians’ original request. However, even though the request was not honored, the minister still chose to answer part of the questions.
Out of the seven questions presented, only one was answered completely, another partially, while the remaining questions went unanswered. This lack of a complete answer is seen as a factor providing more serious information, bringing even more serious consequences for the official involved.