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NFP President tells Speaker: It is time FFP stopped playing the RACE CARD and Education Minister Reddy deserved to be put in his place!

3/6/2016

8 Comments

 
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"We broke for morning tea and the AG joked to me while I was in line for lemon tea - about why did we get so riled up about being referred to as ‘non toppers’ and that instead of the words used I could have used the word ‘obtuse’. I also shared a brief light moment with Minister Reddy on the way back to the House from the break.That is where we could have left the matter M/S, but no… the AG and his government want to play the race card in bringing these shoddy charges." - Tupou Draunidalo

HON. Tupou Draunidalo's RESPONSE ON THE REPORT THAT CALLS FOR SUSPENDING HER FROM PARLIAMENT FOR THE REST OF HER TERM.

Madam Speaker

It is sad that the Attorney - General has seen fit to create this big drama from his and his government’s racist and insecure perspective of everything.

We in my party know only too well that this government loves the race card. Their very existence and survival depends on it.

Their movement began in December 2006 after successfully painting the SDL government as a racist government and it did not help that prominent leaders of the non-indigenous communities at the time fell for that spin and joined the then Commodore’s bandwagon.

They have since fallen out of course because those leaders saw the error of what they had joined and are now back in a large grouping of multicultural opposition parties who are opposed to the race/card playing government that sits on the other side.

This government wants everything to be about race because it suits their agenda of divide and rule.

It is sad, very sad for Fiji. A country that has had political upheavals for thirty years because politicians have played the race card – which gives the military the key to carry out their military coups.

The military coup culture that I have railed against in this House and outside, day in day out.

And really Madam speaker, that is what this government objects to. They want me and my party out of here by any means because we do not subscribe to their race relations disaster views nor do we subscribe to their pro coup culture views. We detest both and say so in their face – and they just can’t handle that.

Now to address what transpired on the day in question- it is clear to us from the video and audio that the Hon Minister for Education was insulting us, taunting us and denigrating us – all of us on the opposition benches.
The Minister was pointing at the Leader of the Opposition and Members. Nodding his head and to us – it mirrored the racist ape gesture of the AG or darth vader in this House.

And all the while telling us that no one on our side including the Hon Prem Singh was a topper, he was implying that we were intellectually inferior.

This is not the first time that the Minister has behaved in this way. He always finds a way to insult Members of the Opposition. It’s a sport for him and he visibly enjoys himself while at it. He loves to dish out the insults.
But he can’t take any retort.

Back to the relevant time - the Hon Prem Singh by the way M/S is a fourth generation native of this country. Just in case that little fact was lost on the government.

Carrying on, Hansard does not record that I referred to the Minister as a fool. It is the AG who complained that I called the Minister a fool.

The Hansard does not pick up all of the free flowing discussion, interjections and words spoken at the time. But if you listen to the audio, it clearly is different from what the Hansard records.

And this is not the first time we have had issues with Hansard or Verbatim, M/S. It has happened before in committee and it led to the suspension of an important standing orders committee meeting (with you as chair) so that the verbatim could be corrected.

Back to the recording, I got up at the relevant time to reply to the AG’s complaint and I said ‘And he implied worse in his speech…’

then I asked ‘calling us dumb natives?’

before I said ‘You Idiot!’.

At the same time, the recording picks up an Hon Member near me asking the Minister ‘Are you calling us fools?’
Let me say something else about that exchange M/S – the Minister was calling himself a ‘topper’ back in the day but this term has only become part of a government policy over the last two years? Not when the Minister was qualifying for tertiary studies. It is therefore fair to say he was misleading parliament.

If he did not mean it in a literal sense then he was implying that he was an elite matriculating student while no one on the opposition bench was including the Hon Singh.

He was implying that we were intellectually inferior, dumb or idiots.

If he can dish it out M/S and you allow it- he should expect it back. And if that was his intention M/S – to denigrate all of us on this side in that way then he was a fool and an idiot for doing so.

And let me remind this government again, the Hon. Prem Singh is a fourth generation native. We don’t and did not see race. Only the government does because it suits their political agenda to carve up the country on race, gender and whatever else they can.

Divisive.
In any case M/S - you made a clear ruling after that exchange *Speaker made Ruling “Quote”

*And the House continued with its business

*We broke for morning tea and the AG joked to me while I was in line for lemon tea - about why did we get so riled up about being referred to as ‘non toppers’ and that instead of the words used I could have used the word ‘obtuse’.

I also shared a brief light moment with Minister Reddy on the way back to the House from the break.

That is where we could have left the matter M/S, but no… the AG and his government want to play the race card in bringing these shoddy charges.

Again, when I asked the Minister if he was ‘referring to us as dumb natives?’ that included the Hon Prem Singh (fourth generation native) who was sitting next to me and was certainly subjected to the Minister’s derogatory conduct.

And yes, I thought he was an idiot for doing so, behaving in such derogatory manner.

Especially when he has shifty ground to stand on- his ministry is a shambles, M/S. Children never get their materials, textbooks and learning on time.

There is mounting pressure on teachers and students. Especially regarding content and exams. 85,000 students are still under sheds and yet the Minister wants to spend his time in parliament acting in the way that he does.

So this is all a distraction from his problems, we know. And now the AG wants the distraction to last a little longer.

They should both take a leaf out of their PM’s book who made concessions in his speech yesterday instead of distractions, distractions, distractions to take attention away from the real issues of post Winston lack of finances and lack of recovery.

As for the charges of inciting ill will in the community- that is a joke coming from this divisive government that hangs on to the race card.

This government - that runs roughshod over indigenous cultural institutions- GCC, NLTB – and doing its best to tear up the social fabric or ‘solesolevali’ part of the indigenous culture… With ministers who make racist, derogatory comments whenever they feel the need…and insulting all races while they’re at it. Then they bring these shady charges to add salt to the wound.

Just yesterday, the AG implied that the Hon. Prem Singh was just a cane farmer who had no business discussing passport laws. You asked him to withdraw and he did after I intervened on behalf of the Hon Singh. Because I found his comments denigrating to cane farmers or those in cane farming in general.

I say again MS, please consider the context that I have put to you. You have the powers under S/O to put an end to all of this now without it going to a vote.

Everything that occurs here largely reflects back on you as you have the ultimate power to stop it.

And when you contemplate all of the context M/S, let me humanize this issue a bit more by telling the House (in case it needed telling) – that I come from a proud line of leaders who gave their lives to the service of racial harmony in this country.

My stepfather in 1987 and mother in the 1990s. Both removed from office (PM and DPM respectively) at gun point by soldiers with a racist and bigoted cause. My father suffered the same fate in 2006 and he had more close friends and namesakes in the other communities than the rest of us put together.
I followed both of the former into what was then predominantly parties for communities other than the indigenous community.

We could have all joined the predominantly indigenous parties and thrived, led there too in due course but we were and are about a beautiful vision for Fiji – a multicultural one where all cultures can be celebrated without offending another and where indigenous rights thrived simultaneously.

None of us could achieve any of that if we were all lumped on one side of the political divide. We needed to bridge the gap.

I am now president of the NFP, a party of fifty years plus that has always idealized multicultural harmony and peace. And by its many actions put that into practice. Working with the Alliance and later SVT governments to find common ground between the two big communities. Give and take and that is what we have preached to this divisive government day in day out… to be inclusive and to stop promoting feelings of ill will between the large communities…

As I said, others before me have given lifetimes of service to those ideals. I do and will continue to.
And all of these interruptions placed in our way are temporary in nature. History has shown – the interruptions and injustices augur well for us in the long run, history judges us very kindly.

So as PM Winston Churchill once told the fascists and Nazis of Europe - ‘Do your worst and we will do our best’. Thank you M/S.
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Fiji First MPs pushing that Hon Tupou Draunidalo be sanctioned as in accordance with the report from members of the "Privileges Committee" - which consisted of Fiji First MPs. A recommendation is that Hon Draunidalo "be suspended for the remainder of the term of Parliament, with immediate effect from 03 June 2016."

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8 Comments
Alby
3/6/2016 03:31:10 am

There's enough energy exerted into back-pedalling by some that if we could harness it we could supply the entire power grid in Fiji !

Reply
Rajend Naidu
3/6/2016 04:01:01 am

Editor,
Neutralising Opponents
We read in Reuter's 2/6 that a Cambodian opposition leader has been holed up in his party headquarters for seven days to avoid arrest on charges - procuring a prostitute - he says are trumped up as PM Hun Sen looks to neutralise his opponents ahead of a 2018 election.
The opposition says Hun Sen is using the judiciary to weaken it and avoid a repeat of a close run 2013 election that nearly cost him the premiership .
The European Union has called for a halt to " judicial harassment". And, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said " the Secretary General Ban Ki moon remains concerned about reports of widespread intimidation, harassment and arrests of members of civil society organisations, the media, members of the opposition and the National Election Committee".
But this clearly anti- democratic situation did not stop the Australian State from cutting a refugee detention deal with Cambodia.
Is anyone likely to pay any attention to the predicament of the opposition in Fiji?
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Rui Sivia
3/6/2016 04:52:54 am

This really makes my blood boil. The suspension of MPs (now 2) means that the voters who voted for them are no longer represented. The Dictatorial Duo imposed a constitution without any consent from the people, then when all of the power they held in their hands before the election delivered them an electoral win they think the voters have endorsed the dictatorship.

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Fools of Paradise
3/6/2016 05:05:07 am

Mate : opposition is too weak to. this is not democracy , even the MP fools of FFP are lamusona of ASK. She will be executed. Fools of Fiji have voted a Totalitarianism government.Blinded by Free Bees and enjoying Free from Fiji F*%$ Party. What is the point of a parliament when the votes are always stacked against you.This is the reality.

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Caption for the photo used in story link
3/6/2016 05:50:25 am

Standing is the speaker for govt struggling with his qouvis scripted and Aiyaaz proof read speech. Sitting on his right is the current time dictator and mind controller. Behind them are other spineless members who are so shameful of their act that they cannot hold their head up. Far right is the Minister of Women checking if her manicured fingers look good enough to attract Aiyaaz's attention. Well voted, people of Fiji. Your next 4 generations will curse you and suffer for your deeds.

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Maro Pito
3/6/2016 06:16:55 am

OMG, the rumor mongers and false prophets are at work again. Did you even care to listen to the audio of what reddy said before putting this up editor. If not, do visit Fiji village or Fiji tv website and the audio recordings are abundantly clear that the word dumb natives was never used nor implied. Reddy used the word "the other side of the house". FYI, the other side of the house has two Indo-Fijians as well so how can the comment relate to one particular. This was very low and shallow of tupou and she deserves to be dished out. She has tried to inflame the situation by using the race card. Hardly expected of someone with her credentials but than not much can be expected from a group that have nothing better to contribute. Editor, do justice to your credentials by posting the audio of what reddy said. Truth is out there but some has chosen to ignore it as they are so deep rooted in the hatred that all they can see/hear/smell and taste is only tatti. Instead of bending the truth, bend your ego and hatred Victor..

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Rustam
3/6/2016 09:30:11 am

The debate on ‘free education’ went thus: Minister Reddy was calling himself a ‘Topper’ and Hon. Draunidalo calling him a ‘Fool’. Outcome: no free education (without the debate) and Hon. Draunodalo gets suspended.

Enlightened were the minds of those Buddhists who scribed hundreds of years ago;

“The fool who knows his folly
Becomes wise by that fact.
But the fool who thinks he's wise -
He's called 'a fool' indeed!”
[Anon.,The Dhammapada]

Reply
Dan
3/6/2016 11:44:20 am

The expulsion of Draunidalo is not because she said Khaiyum was an idiot. The explusion is because she attacked Indonesia and Bai and kai - 3o pieces of silver. No one attacks a muslim nation and escape the wrath of Khaiyum. He waits for an opportunity, and pounces. So he did on Draunidalo.

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