By Staff Writer
Parliament session started off with a fiery huff and puff when it opened for session at the beginning of the week last Tuesday, it left proceedings in a wobble all day.
Speaker Papali’i Masepa’u, however, managed to smooth out any lingering ruffled feather before the day’s close of session with an apology to members and to the anxious listening country.
The opposition leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, also admitted regret with the uproar at the start of the session and took responsibility for any role he played in it.
“But what happens in Parliament stays in Parliament,” he consoled.
He tried to tone done the scorching flare of tempers as normal in heated House debates.
“We don’t coat our words in nice smelling oil when we come here, at times we simply say it the way it is.”
The resounding uproar of angry voices in Parliament were sparked by the Speaker announcing the complaint by the deputy PM Tuala Ponifasio is before the House Privileges and Ethics Committee for review.
Both the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) opposition party leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and party Secretary, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, are named in the complaint.
The decision by Speaker Papali’i Taeau Masepa’u’ to forward the complaint to the House Privileges and Ethics Committee sparked an uproar on the floor, that left him briefly helpless to control.
The pair, however, has countered with a complaint of their own against the deputy leader.
A heated screaming exchange ensued when Tuilaepa challenged the Speaker’s neutrality and fairness, when he did not voice out their complaint against the Deputy PM.
The Speaker was left briefly helpless to control the outburst when more volume was added by MP Lealailepule who complained that the Speaker’s announced decision was already made public the night before on local television.
The Minister of Agriculture and FAST Party Chairman, La’auli Fosi Schmidt, was accused of boasting about the Speakers decision before it was delivered in the morning.
The allegations brought the Minister to his feet to accuse the opposition side of disrespecting the authority of the Speaker.
It was unclear from the uproar of shouting voices if he did deny revealing the decision before the Speaker did.
Vaimauga No. 1 opposition MP Sulamanaia Tauiliili Tuivasa, roared against the Minister for disrespecting the Speaker and it offended the Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa.
The PM’s hasty motion to remove MP Sulamanaia from the House was upheld sending off the Vaimauga No.1 member into a 24-hour suspension from Parliament.
Speaker Papali’i managed to bring the opposition temperatures down when he explained that their letter of complaint is with him but there was no copy for the Deputy PM that should also come through his office.
Calm and composure was finally restored in the House and the session continued where it left off with the labour workers legislation debate.
Public fears that the Deputy Prime Minister will throw the country back into the same political upheavals of post-general elections with his contempt of court complaint, proved frighteningly true at the level of heat it generated in Parliament.