By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
Puzzling to see any good and noble intentions behind the relentless pursuits by the Minister of Justice to encroach into the independence of the Land and Titles Court.
She tried it with the swearing in of the Electoral Commissioner Faimalomatumua and failed.
Now she has taken the unprecedented move to close down the proceedings of the Court when it re-starts for the year on Monday.
Caught up in the middle is the public service staff of the Ministry of Justice, vulnerable to threats of dismissal if they failed to follow ministerial directives.
Is the Minister the one who has an unhealthy fixation on the LTC or are her Cabinet colleagues pushing her on?
Are noses still out of joint because the Electoral Commissioner slipped the noose they were to dangle him from, for all the shame and shambles they blamed on him?
The interpretation by LTC President Fepulea’i of the new Constitutional and Land and Titles Acts, makes it obvious that the Minister’s legal advisers were given a mission to dig and find legal loopholes to trash the new laws.
A special Parliamentary committee has now become involved. Their role is to look at why the Head of State signed the wrong documents to make the new law changes official.
What is the big deal? If His Highness signed the wrong documents what is so difficult about giving him the right papers this time – end of story.
Why set up a special committee for such a simple administrative error that is easily remedied?
Simply crunch up the wrong documents and loop them into the rubbish bin. Tell whoever has the wrong documents to pick up the corrected ones.
Is it possible that all the fanfare is akin to turning a molehill into a mountain?
What is this Parliament committee really checking on? Is it a simple paper trail left behind by the signing of the wrong documents or poking around for loopholes to takeout the new law changes?
The Minister of Justice has done that already with her legal advisers and it has thrown the work of the LTC into disarray.
The question now is why is this FAST Government making such a big thing out of changes in the Constitution the HRPP made?
Surely it is more than to bully around the LTC President and Vice President to show who has more power.
Is it to win sweet revenge over the HRPP and prove they are a legitimate political force not to mess with but to be respected as equals?
Dear Lord lets hope it is not. The vindictive, immature logic behind all that is seriously juvenile.
There were a lot of positive undertones at the session of Parliament last week from both sides to move forward and let bygones be bygones.
The former Prime Minister and opposition leader Tuilaepa has already made that call with a maturity of leadership that the young leaders in the new Government are yet to show.
Deputy PM Tuala Ponifasio did display an underlying maturity that reached across to the political divide, when he tabled the controversial new tax amendment bill to free up the ‘faifeau’ from paying income taxes.
The support he received from the majority of the House carried a lot of positives that he proudly acknowledged at the close of debate,
It is that kind of positive connection that this new Government should build on if they do really want to move forward and win the trust and belief of the country in their leadership.
Simmering job insecurities for many of the CEOs in Government ministries and state enterprises popped up again these past few days in the Ministry of Education and the Samoa Tourism Authority.
When a powerful Cabinet Minister called on the CEO of a Ministry not under his portfolio to resign without even bothering to find out what happened, that is abuse of power.
When a Minister makes public confidential staff complaints against a CEO that could jeopardise his chances of retaining his management contract that is diabolical.
When CEO applications are turned down for contract variations to extend their services until a final decision to stay on or be replaced is made that is as good as saying your contract is terminated. So cut throat.
Where is the show of gratitude and appreciation for the many years of service?
Is the purging of CEOs and all other public servants this Government boasted about before taking up office still on?
When and where does it end? Whatever the hang-ups, if any, it is not going to do anyone any good to allow them to linger.
For the Minister of Justice who believes she is on a crusade, give it a rest.