Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has publicly reprimanded SODELPA Whip, Lynda Tabuya for breaching Parliamentary Standing Orders 29 A, Clause 2.
Ratu Epeli has also put Tabuya on notice that any further repetition of the breach will result in more severe penalty, including suspension from Parliament under Standing Orders 75 and 76, as well as being cited for contempt of Parliament.
This ruling was made by Ratu Epeli after a point of order was raised by the Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum against Tabuya‘s post on social media during the parliament sitting last night.
Tabuya had said last night that she is not doing these posts as she has people doing it for her.
Meanwhile the Speaker has said that having perused the uncorrected hansard report for yesterday’s sitting, he can conclude that Lynda Tabuya’s point of order does not require a ruling, but a ruling will be done on the point of order raised by the Attorney General.
Ratu Epeli says the order and decorum in Parliament must be maintained and upheld at all times.
The Speaker says he has duly perused the social media posts by Lynda Tabuya and the time of the post and he is satisfied that it was made whilst Parliament was in session last night. Ratu Epeli says this did not take place during the Parliament break.
Insert: Speaker on point of order
He says Tabuya was wrong to say that her people posted the post in question as it was a post from her personal facebook account.
The Speaker says he has no reason to doubt that the government’s social media team is posting on the Fijian Government’s official page and on the official accounts of cabinet members.
He says many of these postings are just shares of posts or videos posted on the Fijian Government page.
Ratu Epeli says whilst in parliament, Tabuya’s team can cover the Parliamentary debate but what is not permitted is for her team to be selectively commenting on her personal page.
He says the post was not on Tabuya’s official page but on her personal page.
Ratu Epeli says Standing Order 29A clause (2) clearly states that a member must not make any social media posting or media releases in relation to any Parliamentary business during the sitting of Parliament or any Parliamentary Committee.
He says Lynda Tabuya has clearly breached Standing Order 29A clause (2) and this must not be permitted to go on.
The Speaker also calls on all members of parliament that any breach of Standing Orders, including in particular, Standing Order 29A(2) will be subject to such disciplinary processes as prescribed under the Standing Orders and established Parliamentary practices and procedures.
