By Savea Sano Malifa

APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, June 13, 2011) – The Dateline Bill now before Parliament represents yet again another brilliant idea in the mind of our Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele.

Although his expressed intention is for Samoa to be on the same side of the international dateline with its perennial partners New Zealand and Australia, so as to improve trade, travel and cultural exchanges among the three, his real interest is undoubtedly Asia, and at this point, particularly the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).

And that should not be difficult at all to figure out. After all, China has been more than accommodating to the Samoan government over the last twenty years or so, by willingly extending to it everything it has been seeking including soft-term loans and aid, lots of it.

So that this time around, it is arguable that what seems to be a spur of the moment’s quid pro quo brainstorm on Tuilaepa’s part, is in fact a desire inspired by what he believes is the Chinese leadership’s genuine commitment to helping Samoa.

And with such a bond firmly established, how can a man of Tuilaepa’s unwavering belief in friendship desist from changing Samoa’s dateline so that he can then move his country closer to China? After all, China is such a huge country it is just impossible for anyone – Tuilaepa included – to move it even an inch from where it’s squatting like a giant Buddha in Asia.

The point is that whether or not anybody likes, the Dateline Change for Samoa is a done deal, even if Parliament has yet to pass it into law.

Who cares about what Parliament thinks anyway? The only person whose opinion is worth listening to and thinking about in that House is Prime Minister Tuilaepa. And that’s no joke.

Oh wait. Guess there’s another one we should listen to and take seriously. He’s Deputy Prime Minister Fonotoe Pierre Meredith, of course.

The second top man. Already he has told Parliament – and therefore the public – that the Dateline Bill, or Dateline Law if you will, would become effective on the strike of midnight, 29 December 2011. (Sunday Samoan, 5 June 2011.)

Now that’s mighty efficiency if you asked our opinion! Unbelievable! Which means if they can plan these things ahead without bothering what the rest of Parliament thinks, why then do we need a parliament? Why are they wasting time and public resources drafting legislation when all they should do is pass them into laws, and let’s get on with life!

That way the government does not need to justify anything; therefore there’s no debate, no argument, no criticism, no democracy, wonderful!

Now listen. When the Dateline Change becomes effective on 12 pm, Thursday, says Fonotoe, "Samoa jumps to 1 am Saturday, 31 December 201i. (Which means) Friday is the hole that’s left on the calendar.

"But then, so what?" Fonotoe argues. "Workers will still get paid for that full week."

Question is? How about the non-workers, or the unemployed as they’re also known, do they also get paid?

In any case, what does that mean to the rest? Nothing much really. Samoa will still be Samoa, and the only difference is that there will be a time-warp glob invisible to the naked eye, however it will be dangling up there still for the world to sneer at. In any case, this is how Tuilaepa sees this controversial Dateline Change: "(It) changes standard convention where the sun will rise in the West and set in the East," he explains.

"Yes, the sun will rise in Samoa (West) and sets in Samoa (East)."

Confusing?

Now his advice: "(….when the sun rises ….) count the hours heading west until the sun sets in Tutuila."

So don’t panic, he cautions, the only change "will be a difference in time."

it’s more confusing. But never mind. The man is a politician and right now he’s talking politics. So let him think what he wants to think anyway.

If he wants the sun to stop rising from the eastern horizon as it has always been, and imagine it popping out in the west somewhere along the Falealupo horizon, let him want that.

If he wants Samoa to detach itself from Planet Earth as it’s rotating on its axis so that it can be forced to make a 180 degree-turn in the direction he wants the sun to rise, and later in the evening set, let him want that.

In any case, that’s the reason he just cannot understand why people are still unable to grasp what’s really behind this Dateline brainstorm of his anyway.

Well, they’ll soon find out. This week a man from China is arriving to talk about the big hotel now in its planning stages, and then they will know. (See front page story.)

It’s a big hotel project by the way; it’s so big and tall it will certainly appear as if it’s "touching the sky" if you’re looking up at it from here on the ground.

And there will be a Casino too. Be warned though that no local people are going to be allowed to gamble in that Casino; only foreigners will be. Now that’s the rule.

In any case, that’s how huge this project is going to be; which is also what our Prime Minister dearly wants.

In his mind he sees it as the solution to all his worries as it will provide, without a doubt, the necessary boost to the national economy, bring about the eradication of this despicable poverty that’s giving him such a hard time, make it possible for all children to get an education instead of hawking things around town, so that in the end, everyone is happy.

Now that’s what our PM is thinking about all the time; he’s all for total, uninhibited happiness.

Apart from that he is also determined that whatever he wants to achieve in this life, it is achieved without fail, because as far as he’s concerned, that is all that matters, at this point in his life anyway.

Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless.

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