Aso Tofi 4 Iulai, 2024
(10:00am)
Le paia ma le Mamalu o Malo Faaaloalogia
Ma le mamalu ua sasao nei,
Ou te faatalofa atu i le maualuga o lenei Sauniga Faapitoa, auā le molimauina o se tasi o matatia taua ua ausia i le Tala Faasolopito o le Palemene o le Malo Tutoatasi o Samoa – o le Sauniga o le Amatalia Aloaia ai o Galuega mo le Ofisa Fou o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono.
O lenei Sauniga, o le faailoga vaaia lea o le faaauau ai pea o faiga paaga i le va o le Malo o Samoa ma le Malo o Ausetalia e pei ona ua leva ona faagasolo mai. I lea tulaga, ou te fia faaleoina le agaga o le faafetai i le sao tāua o le Malo o Ausetalia i taumafaiga mo le ausia o sini mo le Atinae o Samoa.
O taumafaiga faaauau i lalo o nei sootaga, e faamautinoa ai le faagasologa lelei ma le siitia pea o avanoa e maua e tagata Samoa mo Taualumaga faa-Palemene e lagolagoina ai fuafuaga faataatitia o Pulega o Faiga Malo lelei a Samoa ma Ausetalia.
O le siitia o pulega o faiga malo lelei, o se mataupu o loo faamamafa i le Faiga Paaga o Atinae a Samoa ma Ausetalia ma o se tasi o sini a Ausetalia i lalo o ana fuafuaga fesoasoani e faapea –
O le “Fuafuaga Lelei tau Fesoasoani” o loo faamamafa ai le tāua o le siitia o le lagolago mo tulaga tau Taitaiga, sosaiete o tagata lautele ma faiga malo faatemokarasi i taumafaiga uma mo le siitia o pulega o faiga malo lelei.”
O le Fuafuaga Autu mo le Toe Fausiaina o le Maota o le Palemene, na amata i le tausaga 2012 i feutagaiga ma faatalanoaga mo le tuuina i lalo o le Ofisa tuai o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono i le tausaga 2015. O se tulaga e taua tele, ua mafai ona faataunuu lenei sauniga i luga o le tulaga Maota tuai o le Ofisa o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono ina ua amata faaleagaina i aafiaga malolosi o le suiga o le tau.
O le Maota tuai sa iai, sa avea ma nofoaga e iloga ai lenei itu o le talafatai o Apia talu mai le tausaga 1972. I le tausaga 2019, ina ua maea le tatalaina aloaia o le Maota Fono o le Palemene, na faailoa ai e le Malo o Ausetalia, o le a o latou faatupeina le poloketi mo le toe fausiaina o le Ofisa o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono i Mulinuu nei. O se tulaga faagaeetia ia te a’u lo’u tulai atu ma toe tomanatu i le telē o le aoga ma le tāua o lenei nofoaga i le atinaeina o le tamaoaiga o le atunuu talu mai le 62 tausaga talu ai, i le anoanoai o faafitauli ma luitau ma mala faalenatura sa o tatou feagai ai.
E ui o lenei Poloketi na faatupeina e fua i faiga faataatitia a le Malo o Ausetalia, ae taua tele le sootaga vava lalata o le Kamupani (Alexander and Lloyd), o le Vaega o le Pulega o le Poloketi, Tagata Tomai Faapitoa i le Faafoeina o le Fausiaina o le galuega ma le Ofisa o le Failautusi o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono i le faatinoga o faatalanoaga o le ata atoa, faatasi ai ma lona faatinoga.
O le faagasologa o feutagaiga o le ata mo le Ofisa Fou o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono, sa umi lava se taimi na tau fetuunai ai. O le Ofisa fou o le a fausia, o se fausaga ua faapena ona fetuunai e fua i taiala autu o Ata e Faatumauina ai Siosiomaga lelei e aofia ai ma tagata o faaaogaina. O le a iai i se siosiomaga e soifua maloloina lelei, talafeagai mo vaega uma ma saogalemu mo galuega faatino a le Aufaigaluega a le Ofisa o le Fono Faitulafono, ina ia mautinoa, o loo mafai ona tuuina atu auaunaga aupito i sili ona lelei ma auaunaga lagolago e talafeagai ma le taimi, e tusa ai ma manaoga o Sui Usufono o le Palemene, i le faagasologa o taualumaga a le Palemene ma le Fono Aoao Faitulafono, e pei ona faatonuina ai e Tulafono ma Tulafono Tumau o le Palemene o Samoa.
O le ata faaiu na taunuu iai feutagaiga, o lona fua faatatau, o lona foliga vaaia ma lona tulaga, o loo amanaia ai le tāua tele o se vaaiga faale-aganuu agai i le faafesootaiga o le tulaga o lea Ofisa ma le tautuaina o le Maota Fono. Ua iai le fuafuaga e tatau ona faamaea lenei galuega ia Aperila o le tausaga 2026 a o le’i aulia le isi Faiga Palota Aoao.
A o tatou toe to manatu i fatia ua sola ma le folauga talu mai le 62 tausaga e manatua galuega sa faatino ma le loto faafetai, ma tuu atu pea le faamalosiau mo le Afioga i le Fofoga Fetalai aemaise le Ofisa o le Failautusi o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono, ina ia faaauau pea ona vaai taulai mo le lumanai faatasi ma le tatalo i le Atua ina ia faaiuina ma le manuia lenei galuega mo le Ofisa fou o le Fono Aoao Faitulafono.
E momoli atu le agaga faafetai i le mamalu ua potopoto mai e molimauina lenei sauniga taua ma le aoga.
Faamanuia le Atua.
Soifua ma ia Manuia.
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour and privilege to welcome you all to this special gathering commemorating yet another milestone in the history of the Parliament of the Independent State of Samoa – the Groundbreaking ceremony for the new Legislative Assembly office.
This occasion demonstrates the close and longstanding partnership between Samoa and Australia. I acknowledge with gratitude the immense contribution by Australia to Samoa’s development goals including ensuring ongoing and improved access for the people of Samoa to robust parliamentary processes which support good governance strategies.
Improved governance is a priority in the Samoa-Australia Partnership for Development and a strategic goal of Australia as outlined in Australia’s aid strategy and I quote:
“The “Effective Aid” strategy highlights the importance of increased support for leadership, civil society and democracy in efforts to improve governance.
The Master Plan for the Redevelopment of the Parliament complex formulated in 2012 considered the demolition of the old Legislative Assembly Offices in 2015. It is fitting that we are holding today’s event on the footprint of the former Legislative Assembly when it succumbed to the inevitable impacts of climate change.
The former building had been an indelible part of the Apia landscape since 1972. In 2019, following the opening of the Parliament House, the Government of Australia announced that it would fund a significant infrastructure project to rebuild the Legislative Assembly office here in Mulinu’u.
As I stand here today, I am reminded of how this site is an integral part of Samoa’s cultural and political heritage, and development over the last 62 years, having experienced the profound challenges and natural threats that we face as a small island nation.
Although the project is funded and implemented using Government of Australia systems, the collaboration between Alexander and Lloyd, the Project Management Team, a Construction Management Specialist and the Office of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly in its design and implementation considerations, was significant.
The design process for the Legislative Assembly Office was extensive and rigorous. The new office is a facility that is mostly inspired by Environmentally Sustainable Design principles and social inclusiveness. It will provide a healthy, functional and sustainable occupational environment for the staff of the Office of the Legislative Assembly to ensure provision of quality service and timely support to the ongoing needs of the Members of Parliament in its operations and the Legislative Assembly as prescribed by Law and Standing Orders of Parliament.
The scale, form and positioning of the design respectfully acknowledges the iconic significance, cultural and connected functional relationship with the Maota Fono.
It is estimated that the new Office will be completed in April 2026, before the next General Elections.
Indeed, even as we look back and appreciate how far we have come over the last 62 years, the Office of the Clerk Legislative Assembly must continue to remain forward-looking. We pray for God’s mercies and blessings on the successful completion of the New Legislative Assembly office.
I thank you once again for participating in this momentous ceremony.
Thank you.
Photo by Government of Samoa (Leaosa Faaifo Faaifo)
