Transcript
TEVITA MOTULALO: I think it was more the proximity of events happening now also, might have factored in. A lot of the points in the motion have been there for a while and so far the administration has managed or tried to manage those situations better. But there is a looming national event of the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, and other issues.
DON WISEMAN: The nobles made a lot of heavy claims about 'Akilisi Pohiva and his management, and management style - accused him of nepotism, of straining international relations, particularly with Indonesia. 'Akilisi Pohiva has over the past week and answered many of those, do you think that the nobles managed to make those charges stick at all?
TM: Well we saw the outcome. This would have almost been settled last week but it is to the Speaker's understanding of the process. Whether they would have made a better job of making those charges stick, we will never know and throughout the whole time they had limited support.
DW: They had limited support from the public?
TM: Yes, they had limited engagement even on their part. They didn't put it out there for public discussion on it. It was discussed by the public but from on their side. They didn't take the initiative to them, and so we see this outcome today. The other thing about it is it's a lot less disruptive than last time. We managed to have this done in the span of a week and then decision making today. It is a lot less disruptive and in the end both sides congratulated the other in the spirit of working together and working for the country.
DW: This reliance on votes of no confidence has become a very, very common thing and a very disruptive thing in terms of the democracies across the Pacific. Were the nobles here just trying it on? They have this ability to brings this vote of no confidence so they just brought it for the hell of it, did they?
TM: There is, I wouldn't say antagonism, but there is a lot of scrutiny on one side or the other. Traditionally or historically the stance on various issues, from reforms and all that. Yes, it is a part of all that, for convenience sake and politicians they will try it on. But I think there were convinced that there were some integrity issues with the decision making and the leadership and so it's a little bit of both - a little bit of everything. In the context of the region we are starting up this process and if we continue in this way looks good, it's not really disruptive and no side is over-grudged over the results and we hope it stays that way.
DW: Lord Ma'afu is in the Pohiva government, the only noble who's there, all the other nobles decided to get together and ostracise him, will that stand?
TM: I've heard Lord Ma'afu from 2010 [that] his position is to allow more roles in government for representatives. It looks like he stays on the same task. Whether he was ostracised or he was absent by process of the campaign for changing leadership, I'm not sure. I've heard about it. I haven't confirmed it with him.
