Parliament walk-out threat

The leader of the Opposition party, Palusalue Fa’apo II, threatened to walk out of Parliament yesterday.

The threat was made during a shouting match with Speaker, La’auli Leuatea Polata’ivao, over Palusalue’s frustrations about how Parliament was being run.

“We’re going to go home now,” Palusalue said. Speaker La’auli retaliated, saying: “It’s up to you if you want to go home.

That’s your right; it’s your right. Here I am trying to calm and explain things, look at Section 44* of the Standing Orders…” Minutes into yesterday’s session, Palusalue could not hold back.

“I feel so sad,” he said.

“We’ve given questions (about issues affecting the country).

“These are not questions from an individual; these are questions from our party, in accordance with Standing Orders Clauses 58* and 59*, which are very clear.”

According to Palusalue, Parliament hardly has time to address these questions, when the section of the Standing Orders he had quoted clearly stipulates they should be discussed.

“The Standing Orders dictate that with new things affecting the country, we have a right to submit questions,” he said.

“This Parliament sitting is three years (old) now and yet our meetings never reach Thursday. Where is the transparency and accountability that we keep singing about?

“Where is good governance, transparent governance and yet when we have submitted our questions they are not part of the Order Paper, as it should be in accordance with Standing Orders?

“Mr. Speaker, this party is full of disappointment when we think about Standing Orders and Parliamentary democratic processes.”Speaker La’auli did not waste time.

“Palusalue sit down,” he ordered. He argued that he has asked Parliament to pardon “how our session is being run and rearranged because of the events happening around us.”

Pointing out that Parliament has 70 reports to get through during this session, the Speaker said that Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi has “made a commitment that this session will only end when all these reports are covered.”

But unforeseen circumstances cannot be avoided, the Speaker said. “We all see what’s happening,” he said.

“We’ve had to rearrange our programme because of what’s happening.

“The first problem is the virus (pink eye), which has impacted on the quorum. Just this morning, about three members of your side came and asked to be excused because of sickness.

“Secondly, the leader of the government is sick. Thirdly, look at the Cabinet seats, how many seats are empty?

How many?

So we have to rearrange where appropriate.”

Speaker La’auli told Parliament that section 44 of the Standing Order gives the Speaker the discretion to rearrange the order of work.“I’ve seen your questions,” he told Palusalue.

“All your questions will be answered when we go through the reports. So what I’m saying is that we have to make changes where appropriate. As I’ve said yesterday, this is not the first Thursday nor will this be the last Thursday.”

Acting Prime Minister, Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo, spoke up in support of the Speaker. He said La’auli was absolutely correct, looking at clause 2 of Section 44 of the Standing Orders. Palusalue, however, was far from impressed. “Don't protect something that’s wrong,” he told the Speaker. “What’s the wrong thing, Palusaue?”

La’auli fired back. As the exchange heated up, Fonotoe rose to speak in support of the Speaker. But Palusalue was not to be outdone. Said he: “The wrong thing is stopping questions from the Opposition. The questions are timely for the government…”

The Speaker immediately ordered Palusalue to: “Sit down, sit down…” That’s when Palusalue snapped. “We’re going to go home,” he threatened. “It’s up to you if you want to go home,” La’auli responded.

“That’s your right; it’s your right. Here I am trying to calm and explain things, look at Section 44 of the Standing Orders…”

Palusalue responded: “So what do you think, this is the first Thursday which the meeting has reached and we’ve submitted our questions a long time ago…”

“Our session reached Thursday last week,” La’auli said. “So where are our questions?”

The Speaker responded: “They are with the appropriate officials. We should prioritise what should be prioritised. Sit down, sit down…” Still Palusalue wouldn't budge.

“The only thing that should be prioritised is the main financial statement, that should be the only priority.”

Which statement he was referring to, he did not say. But the Speaker ordered Palusalue to sit down.

“Don't be rude, we are trying to proceed with our work,” he said.

“There is only one person who dictates our work and that’s what we are trying to do… be considerate as we are also being considerate.

“There have been many times where you’ve been rude and you are still being given the opportunity.

“I’ve already explained why we’ve had to rearrange things but don't say I’m wrong.

Read the Standing Orders. In Section 44 there is a clause allowing the Speaker to arrange the programme to suit the circumstances.

“So who is going to answer and yet the leader of the government is not here?

Are you asking which Minister to answer to the reports when none of them is here? What do you think?”

La’auli said he thought Palusalue “would reconsider his position in accordance with good relations and mutual respect (ava fatafata ma le va nonofo).”

At that point, veteran M.P. and former Speaker, Le’aupepe Tole’afoa Fa’afisi took the floor to tell La’auli that Parliament can see “you’ve made the right decision.”

“Whatever laws are in the Standing Orders, the running of our work is all dependent on you,” Le’aupepe said.

“We want to get through the 70 reports we planned to discuss, that’s our goal.” Turning to Palusalue, Le’aupepe said the country is keeping records.

“The leader of the opposition shouldn't be like that. We don't want to tell you how to do your job (as the opposition leader) but you need to stay calm. We didn't come to answer your questions; we are here to finish our reports.” Le’aupepe’s comments attracted a response from another veteran M.P., who is also a former Speaker, opposition member, Aeau Peniamina Leavai.

“This matter is very simple,” he said. “The only thing this side was worried about is for the House to hear our questions because the opportunity is very rare.”

Aeau said Parliament should have given an opportunity for their questions to be heard. “We know they wouldn't be answered right now… it would be answered later through writing, so (voicing these questions) wouldn't take a minute,” he said.

“Our Standing Orders are clear, everybody can read it and understand it. The only thing is that they should be followed… that's all.”

Palusalue backed his deputy leader. “Mr. Speaker, I’ve just read Section 44,” he said.

“However I will not argue about this matter anymore. The only thing your honour is that with regards to these questions, they are questions that are relevant now in terms of what’s happening in the country.

“If we defer them, then they become useless that’s why now that we’ve got this chance, we are trying….” The Speaker again intervened.

“I get what you’re saying,” he told Palusalue. “If we all go and look at the Standing Orders, we’ll all have different interpretations.

This is not about whose right or wrong, rather it’s about what’s needed to keep the peace and for our work to progress…” The Speaker pointed out that this is the first time Parliament sessions have reached Thursdays.

“Why? It’s because of a request I made to the government to give an opportunity for Parliament to complete its work,” said La’auli.

“This is only the second week and you (Palusalue) are already saying that your questions have been ignored. How can they be ignored when the Clerk of the House is listening, all your questions are here.

“There isn’t a single issue I haven’t considered but things will happen at the appropriate time.”

The Speaker assured that all the Tautua Party’s questions, including the ones about the Chief Auditor and the Officers of Parliament Report, will be answered by the end of this session. When Palusalue returned to the floor, he was calm. “Mr. Speaker, the country is listening and yet you’ve said that I’m rude,” he said.

“I apologise. It is merely an attempt to perform our duty in this House. If I have said something wrong, in our desperation to do what’s right and be transparent, I offer my sincere apologies to you, Mr. Speaker.

“The most important thing is that your side is listening, the country is listening and they can be the judge of what happened this morning.” Prior to the session which started two weeks ago, the government had promised to debate the Chief Auditor’s Report as well as the Officers of Parliament Committee report, which confirmed instances of “corrupt practises” within some government bodies during the session. Since Tuesday last week, not one part of the reports has been mentioned.

A day into the current session, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Maliegaoi was hospitalised for an infected toe nail injury. He has since left for New Zealand with an entourage – including the Minister of Health, Tuitama Dr. Leao Tuitama – for a further check and to recover.

He is expected to return next week. Meanwhile, Parliament has been adjourned until Monday 14 April 2014.