Tuu'u told to resign

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, yesterday challenged the Associate Minister of Education, Sports and Culture, Tu’u’u Anasi’i Leota, to resign from the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P).

The challenge was made in Parliament during the discussion of the National Provident Fund Amendment Bill 2014.

The Tautua Samoa Party Whip, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, was asking questions about some of the death benefits offered by Bill when Tu’u’u took the floor to raise a point.

This did not go down well with Tuilaepa who retaliated by calling the point raised by Tuu’u as “stupid thoughts” and “stupid questions.”

It was then Tuilaepa challenged the M.P that he should just resign from the ruling H.R.P.P.

“Mr. Speaker, Tuilaepa said, “I’m being very direct with the member (Lealailepule). But I’m being interrupted by the Member (Tu’u’u) with his stupid thoughts. He raises stupid questions.”

Tuilaepa said he has been trying to make Tu'u’u understand the issues but it seems that he cannot because he hadn’t done his homework and read the Bill.

Tu’u’u was obviously not impressed.

“The Prime Minister is saying my comments are stupid but I stood up to ask questions because I wanted to understand (the Bill),” Tu'u’u responded. “But these kind of comments (from the Prime Minister) really saddens me.”

By now, Prime Minister Tuilaepa is visibly upset.

He returned to the floor with his voice raised.

He reminded the House that he was addressing the concerns raised by Lealailepule, not Tuu’u.

“Tuivalea is not here,” he said.

“You don’t correct someone that is making a correction. “You have been a Minister for a long time and you’re still in the dark about these things.”

Tuilaepa then claimed that Tu'u’u has distanced himself from the values of the H.R.P.P.

“Why don’t you just resign?”

he asked. Speaker of the House, La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao, interrupted to calm the members. But Tuu’u would not be persuaded. “I feel sad this morning about the comments made,” said Tu’u’u. “I was being direct, asking questions to the member but…” Tuilaepa again cut in.

“Mr. Speaker, it is clear from my remarks that I wasn't responding to the member (Tu'u’u).”

The Prime Minister then accused Tu'u’u of stirring trouble. He reminded him that he “had just entered the House yesterday” and he was well aware about his intentions.

When Tu'u’u attempted to respond, he was stopped by the Speaker.

La’auli then instructed Lealailepule to move a different topic.

But Leala had other ideas.

He joked that his point was about “death benefits” raised in the Bill and now we have members of the H.R.P.P warring about “the death of the party.” Outside Parliament, Tu'u’u told the Samoa Observer that he would eventually resign from the H.R.P.P if he is continually unhappy about how things are done.

“But not right now,” he said. “I don’t resign just because (he says) to resign because I have others that are supporting me.”

Who are the members you are referring to?

“The twenty Members who signed the letter (for Faumuina Tiatia Liuga to resign).

“I am still an H.R.P.P member but there are some Bills and matters that I don’t support. It is not that I am against the H.R.P.P but there are things that are happening that is affecting the leadership (of the party).”

Tu'u’u and another H.R.P.P Associate Minister, Papali’i Niko Lee Hang have both been extremely critical of the government’s handling of allegations of corruption in some government bodies.

The N.P.F Amendment Bill seeks to simplify and improve services for Contributors and Retired Servants.

The services include increasing contribution percentages, reducing entitlement to death benefits, applications for loans and overall improve employee savings.

The bill also is for contributors to only be entitled to the death benefit if they had actively contributed to the N.P.F for 2 years or more.

The bill was on its second reading and has been referred to the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

Parliament continues today.