By Staff Writer
The Minister of Agriculture and FAST party chairman, La’auli Leuatea Schmidt, heated up the morning debate in Parliament on Tuesday with claims of a conspiracy by the previous Government to remove him as an MP last year.
The allegations came during the House Committee Privileges Committee report recommending the ‘indefinite suspension’ of the HRPP opposition leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and Secretary Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.
La’auli did not appreciate the challenging tone by the Safata Opposition MP Leaana Ronnie Posini of the report and interjected with his conspiracy allegations.
Leaana was at the time concerned by how the report put too much emphasis on the law and not on the Christian values and cultural respect as other key qualities of decision-making in Parliament.
The FAST Chairman did not take well to the points raised by the MP in protest against the suspension recommendation.
He accused the Safata MP of being one of the previous Gov. members who conspired to have him removed from Parliament.
He included the opposition deputy MP Fonotoe Lauofo Meti amongst all the other members from the previous Govt. in his conspiracy claims.
Safata MP Leaana retaliated by scoffing at the claims by La’auli as lies and cannot be compared to what has to do with the House Committee report and its recommendation.
The HRP deputy leader Fonotoe also rubbished the same claims of any conspiracy against the FAST Chairman and untrue.
PM quickly interjected to cool the House temperature down and called for the debate on the House Committee report to continue.
This was after and angry La’auli had called for the vote on the report to be called immediately.
Parliament debate on the report turned hot and cold all day with members left to wonder about the duration of the ‘indefinite suspension’.
Others appealed for settling the matter the normal way based on Christian values of forgiveness and in the culture of respect in keeping with traditional leadership.
The House voted in the end to stay with the ‘ indefinite suspension ‘ recommendation against the HRPP leaders, throwing the unity of the country into more disarray.