Acting Opposition leader, A’eau Dr. Peniamina Leavaiseeta, yesterday coined a new term in the political vocabulary in rejecting an insult from Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi.
Told by Tuilaepa to stick to being a dentist, A’eau retaliated: “Worry about your political cavity first.”
Asked to elaborate, he said:
“Imagine the Prime Minister and all this rigmarole going on under his supervision for years. If he wasn’t aware of it, then who is suppose to?
“In my career, for 50 years I haven’t had a complaint (against me), but him? He needs to think about all those political cavities that is affecting the nation.”
The two were trading verbal blows in the wake of the resignation of Finance Minister, Faumunia Tiatia Liuga, and Tuilaepa appointing himself as his replacement.
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Last week, Tuilaepa scoffed at A’eau for criticising his decision to take over the Minister of Finance portfolio while he is a Prime Minister.
“A dentist should speak about what he does and what he understands. He should leave the money side to those who were schooled for it,” said Tuilaepa.
But A’eau laughed at the “distraction” from the Prime Minister.
“He talks about me and my work as a dentist but the industry is doing well and my work is fine,” he said.
“He shouldn’t worry about my work, he has more to worry about with his leadership affecting the nation.”
Tuilaepa during a media conference last week said A’eau was wrong about his claims that Samoa was the only country in the world to have a Prime Minister also act as Finance minister.
Tuilaepa was seen by some as sidestepping the comparison, referring to his own history, rather than that of the country.
“I think he (A’eau) has forgotten that in 1998 when I was the Prime Minister, I was also the responsible Minister for Finance,” said the Prime Minister.
“It wasn’t until 2001 when that portfolio was passed on to Misa (Telefoni).”
Further, Tuilaepa reiterated that his decision to take over the Finance portfolio following the resignation of Faumuina “is not new”.
A’eau and other opposition members had also criticized a failure by government to proceed with the long delayed debate on the Audit report, and its equally critical review by the select committee.
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