APIA: Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi has made one “final offer” to New Zealand journalist John Campbell for an interview in Apia about the millions in tsunami aid.
The offer is made in Tuilaepa’s latest letter, dated 19 November, addressed to Pip Keane, executive producer of Campbell Live.
The Prime Minister was responding to Keane’s letter asking for Campbell to interview Tuilaepa in Auckland, next week.
The Prime Minister declined.
“You want to interview me on the Tsunami Relief Funds on a time I am available,” Tuilaepa writes (see letter in full below):
“Twice you asked, twice I agree, and twice you cancelled the interview and behave as if you are doing us a favour. This is after Mr. Campbell had deliberately badmouthed all our efforts and indirectly badmouthed NZAid, AusAid, World Bank and other donors.
"This is incredible!
“This second time you declined, your excuse was that the interview will not be aired until January. So what is the rush for?
“I shall make time available again for the 3rd and final time on January 25th 2011 at 2pm for your Mr. Campbell.”
Tuilaepa accused Keane of being unprofessional.
“You as a professional journalist ought to think professionally,” he says.
“I have tried to communicate with you in your English language and you did not seem to understand the principles behind my responses. English is a foreign language to me and if you continue to miss my message, then I will communicate with you in Samoan, and hope then you will understand.”
Here are copies of the letters from Keane and Tuilaepa:
Dear Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi,
Thank you for your letter to my producer Claudine dated 15 November 2010.
I would like to reiterate my request for you to appear on our programme in New Zealand when you are here in two weeks. You could come to our studio for a live 10 minute interview with John. You wouldn’t have to worry about finding your own television crew to film it because it would be live and unedited.
This is the third time I have requested an interview with you. The first time was on October 28 when I sent an email to your New Zealand lawyer Andy Nicholls offering to fly you to New Zealand to speak to John.
John has already travelled to Samoa four times since the tsunami. December 16 is December 17 New Zealand time. That is Campbell Live’s last day on air for the year. If John was to come back, we wouldn’t be able to put the interview to air until January next year which is too late for us.
It makes much more sense for you to answer our questions while you are in New Zealand. I can’t understand why you only have ten minutes for an interview but you want to spend two weeks taking John in his walking shoes on a tour of the island. John does not have time to spend two weeks walking around the island.
Where is the itemised and audited report on where the tsunami relief money has gone? Can you please bring this with you when you come to New Zealand?
John came to Samoa last Christmas. We produced our whole show from Lalomanu beach and it was beautiful. Christmas in Samoa is lovely.
John is not interested in being famous, or seeking the limelight. He is simply seeking the truth.
I look forward to meeting you in two weeks time and welcoming you to our television studio on December 1 or 2.
Wishing you good health.
Pip Keane
PIP KEANE | EXECUTIVE PRODUCER | CAMPBELL LIVE | TV3 | TVWORKS | (09) 928 9055 | 021 772 252 | www.3news.co.nz/campbelllive
Tuilaepa’s response:
19 November 2010
Pip Keane
Executive Producer
Campbell Live
Pip, I refer to your latest email received today advising that December 16th was not appropriate for your Mr. Campbell to interview me.
I have tried to communicate with you in your English language and you did not seem to understand the principles behind my responses. English is a foreign language to me and if you continue to miss my message, then I will communicate with you in Samoan, and hope then you will understand. You as a professional journalist ought to think professionally.
You want to interview me on the Tsunami Relief Funds on a time I am available. Twice you asked, twice I agree, and twice you cancelled the interview and behave as if you are doing us a favour. This is after Mr. Campbell had deliberately badmouthed all our efforts and indirectly badmouthed NzAid, AusAid, World Bank and other donors. This is incredible!
This second time you declined, your excuse was that the interview will not be aired until January. So what is the rush for? I shall make time available again for the 3rd and final time on January 25th 2011 at 2pm for your Mr. Campbell.
The Reconstruction Period, for your information again and again, is 4 years and Mr. Campbell will have plenty updates on the projects’ implementation phase. It will be a very humid time in Samoa for which I am not responsible. It means Mr Campbell should bring some very light clothing. Note all other conditions I had advised you before remain.
Mr. Campbell is the only journalist whom I am determined to lay down the ground rules for the proposed interview and he ought to be proud that he is my first interviewer to give me advanced questions before the interview.
This is an ancient practice occasionally resorted to by some of the interviewees on special issues that require in-depth answers.
Why? All the ridiculous questions John asked in his first interview have been answered already in the Progress Report my Deputy had given him in Sept 2010! His questions subsequently were therefore unnecessary. If Campbell continues to insist on questions which have already been answered in the Report in front of his very big nose.
I will conclude then that your Mr Campbell may require some urgent and highly specialized help! My professional requirements should consequently be readily understood by any genuine professionals Mr. Campbell has definitely ignored the explanatory details printed, and I am left with no alternative but to stipulate that I take him for a simple walk to practically show to him (in my presence) what we have been doing with the relief funds.
He did not accept the written word and he cheated my Deputy by deliberately projecting him in the worst possible light in not presenting his genuine answers to his questions – and that shows that John would never accept the spoken word too.
I now turn to your questions. Why do I give you only 10 minutes interview? Very simple. John interviewed my Deputy for close to one hour.
He was granted barely 30 seconds in John’s programme. And all the interviews I have taken by a number of TV Teams from New Zealand took up to one hour of my precious time and all I got on the screen during News Time was a few seconds.
Many forget that we also follow up. So why waste time? Even a 3 minutes interview with your Campbell would be too long for a few seconds appearance for me, and a whole hour for Mr. Campbell!!!
On the Audit of projects, it may interest you to know that every organization (TV, Governments, and Companies) operate on fiscal periods of 12 months. These are referred to as Fiscal or Financial Years. Why? Organisations have perpetual life span.
So the life of an oranisation needs to be cut up into 12 months periods to facilitate a periodical review to ensure whether it is progressing or back – sliding and for Management to take the appropriate course of action.
At the expiry of 12 months, Financial Statements are drawn up. When completed, the Financial Statements are submitted to the External Auditors to Audit. These processes take several months. The Samoa Governments Fiscal year, runs from July 1st to June 30 every year. We have 7 more months to the end of our current financial year. Even your TV3 has also its own financial year – Check up.
Pip I do not normally write extensively on extremely simple and easily understood matters except on rare occasions when I suspect that some people need urgent help. Once again my time in New Zealand is fully booked. Believe me Pip. When this episode comes to an end, my friend Mr. Campbell will emerge a much better Journalist. His uncontrolled ego has blinded his judgement up to now.
For all that John Campbell cares about is John Campbell’s upbeat image!
Pass on my season’s greetings to John and the rest of your team. May the rest of you all in your programme enjoy the Peace of Christmas and may you also receive the sacrament of love. I have also forgiven all of you for your non professionalism but cherished the memory of your names for the duration of the Reconstruction Period.
My extra, extra warmest regards,
(Tuilaepa Soli’ai Sailele Malielegaoi)
PRIME MINISTER OF THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA
- Samoa Observer/Pacific Media Watch
Article: PM Makes "Final Offer"
Pacific Media Watch
