Prussian’s Otto Von Bismarck who oversaw the unification of Germany in 1870 once said that “Politics is the art of the possible.”

Von Bismarck's statement may mean a different thing to different people and I don’t think he was thinking about us Samoans when he coined his famous quote because, at the time, he was trying to unify Germany. What the FAST Government is doing is destroy and splitting the country through misinformation and disinformation they are spreading among our diaspora throughout New Zealand, Australia and the United States, some of them have not returned since they left the country.

Let’s be honest. The country is in a mess and we need our leaders to be here to tell us what is happening and answer our questions. Instead, they are out of the country fundraising for their Party or spending time on schemes that are more beneficial to them. I don’t blame people for asking about what this Government have achieved; or what major projects have they started and completed since they came to power. Sure, they have been photographed cutting ribbons for major road work projects completed but most of these were started by the previous government.

We should not blame voters for asking: Is this government working for the people and the country or for just the FAST Party?

The Prime Minster herself is never here. And she rarely gives press conferences when she is, to let the country know what she or her Government is up to. Press conferences provide the government with opportunities to communicate important information to the media and subsequently the public who have a right to know. Moreover, it is a transparent way for the government to clarify its position, answer questions and correct any misconception or misinformation that may be circulating amongst the public.

People are still asking what has happened to the 400 acres at Togitogina (Government) Farm that the Minister of Agriculture reportedly sold to the American Samoan Government without Cabinet Approval and, where has the money for that transaction gone. Or how is it that the so-called pleasure boat, the Kite-Runner entered Samoa in My 2023 without proper authorisation that Prime Minister Fiamē told the media that “border security should have seized it?"

On 2 December 2024, this newspaper reported that our Speaker of Parliament, Papali’i Li’o Masipa’u and the Minister of Justice Matamua Semanu Vasati Pulufana and two other passengers “were detained at Auckland International Airport for by-passing security screening in Apia”. According to the newspaper, the Speaker and the Minister claimed “they were screened, before boarding but the other two passengers admitted they had not gone through security checks in Apia” which raises the question about the credibility of both the Speaker and the Minister. The other two passengers incidentally were foreign staff of the International Monetary Fund and they were telling the truth.

Correspondence seen by the Samoa Observer says, “It would appear that the Speaker of the House and The Minister of Justice were not truthful.” Throughout the history of our country, no Speaker has been accused of being “untruthful” (Samoa Observer Monday 2 Dec. 2024)

Two questions:

1. By bypassing security screening at the airport, did the Speaker and the Minister of Justice who most likely dragged two IMF personnel with them think they were above the law?

2. What do Air New Zealand staff, Civil Aviation Authority people and the New Zealand public who have read about this incident think about us electing people who lack credibility into Parliament and giving them such important offices?

New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority could have easily refused Air New Zealand flight NZ 933 landing by sending them back to Samoa for the four people to undergo security screening thereby inconveniencing 250 other passengers. All because of the inconsiderate attitude of the Speaker and the Minister.

They were detained at Auckland International Airport, no doubt, despite the Speaker and the Minister trying to dispute it. Once you are stopped for questioning by the Civil Aviation Authority for breaching aviation rules, you are detained as this newspaper editorial of 5th December 2024 correctly says.

And what Samoa Airport Authority should have done, if it is within their authority is to impose a fine on both the Speaker and the Minister.

In July 2014, NZ’s Minister of Transport, Gerry Brownlee was found to have avoided a Christchurch Airport security check thereby breaching security rules. He was fined by the Civil Aviation Authority for $2,000 and the two associates accompanying him were issued warnings. He offered to resign from Cabinet but Prime Minister John Key turned it down.

That is what politicians with integrity do.

This, and many other mismanagement and questionable decisions by our Government is fast eroding the international respect we once enjoyed.