Speaker boots Palusalue out of parliament

The Speaker of Parliament, La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polata’ivao, ordered the leader of the Opposition Party, Palusalue Fa’apo II, out of Parliament last night.

The decision followed clashes between Palusalue and Speaker La’auli over the handling the government’s response to the Officers of Parliament Committee (O.P.C) The last straw for the Speaker, however, snapped after Palusalue took the floor to object to a comment made by fellow Safata M.P and Minister of Works, Manu’alesagalala Enokati Posala. report

Manu’alesagalala had apologised to the constituency of Safata, Speaker La’auli and Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi for Palusalue’s behavior.

But this upset Palusalue.

“You don’t need to apologise on my behalf,” Palusalue told Man’ualesagalala.

“I have already apologised to the Speaker.”

“(What Manu’a is doing) is that he is making it sound like I did the wrong thing.”

Palusalue insisted that the clashes with the Speaker and Prime Minister Tuilaepa are part and parcel of his role as the leader of the Opposition.

“I am merely doing my job,” he said.

The Speaker did not allow Palusalue to object.

“Palu I have told you too many times to sit down and you still have not,” said La’auli. “Sit down Palu.”

But Palusalue continued to speak over the Speaker. It was at that point when La’auli made the decision.

“Now we are heading down a path I did not want to take,” La’auli told Palusalue. “I was forgiving earlier on but not anymore.”

“Stand up. Senior Sergeant, take the Leader of the Opposition outside.”

La’auli added that he will decide later on what to do to the Opposition Leader.

When the deputy Leader of Opposition, A’eau Peniamina Leavaise’eta stood to speak, La’auli, stopped him.

“No, I will not allow it,” he said.

Outside Parliament, Palusalue accused Manu’alesagalala of attempting to score political points within the constituency.

“When I stood earlier on in Parliament to object to the government’s response, I stood as the leader of the Opposition,” said Palusalue.

“He (Manu’a) was trying to give the wrong impression to my constituency.”

Palusalue added that he was merely performing his role as the leader of the Opposition to ask questions of the government.

Addressing his constituency, Palusalue apologised if he harmed anyone’s feelings.

“I am the leader of the Opposition Party and it is my responsibility to question the government’s response. This is a report that led to the resignation of a government Minister.

The country has been waiting for this and it has now been passed without a debate.”

Palusalue left Parliament before it finished.

Back inside, Speaker La’auli told the House he would decide what to do later. Before 7pm, Prime Minister Tuilaepa moved a motion to extend Parliament’s session until their work is finished.

Parliament ended after 9pm. It has been adjourned until 17 February 2015.