As often happens, the Fiji Times has played catch-up with the Fiji Sun today in reporting Lynda Tabuya’s first formal public comment on her drug-fuelled sexcapade 10 months ago with fellow minister Aseri Radrodro in Room 233 of the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne.
In the Fiji Times version of the story, the embattled Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection doesn’t specifically “deny” what happened but casts them as “allegations” when her own party, including the Prime Minister, has accepted them as fact (see previous story).
But what is really causing angst among women who know what actually happened is Lynda Tabuya’s claim that she has been targeted because she is a woman. No, she is being targeted because she is a lying, manipulative, amoral human being who demonstrably failed to live up to the standards required of her as a minister.
As one of Grubsheet’s female correspondents in a senior position puts it: “Her removal as deputy leader of the People’s Alliance had nothing to do with her being a woman or gender discrimination but her deliberate violations of public integrity and morality. These directly contravened the constitution of the People’s Alliance and brought the party into severe disrepute”.
In her public comments, Lynda Tabuya specifically draws a distinction between what happened to her at the hands of the PAP – a disciplinary inquiry followed by her sacking as deputy leader – and the fact that SODELPA did nothing to punish her sexual plaything, Aseri Radrodro, the Minister for Education and now the lame-duck SODELPA leader. Yet that merely serves to underline the fact that the People’s Alliance is a party with some standards – however low – and SODELPA is a party with no standards at all.
In fact, it is incredible given Aseri Radrodro’s conduct in Room 233, his history as a domestic violence abuser and the fresh information Grubsheet published yesterday from the head of the Public Services Commission, Luke Rokovada, about Radrodro’s nepotism as Education Minister that he survives in any capacity in public life. But that doesn’t absolve Lynda Tabuya from being held responsible for her own conduct.
As our correspondent puts it: “The Prime Minister could have initiated a proper government inquiry into both ministers – Aseri Radrodro and Lynda Tabuya – but he chose not to and very cunningly worked out a way to protect and keep both of them in ministerial positions. The sad thing is that he is exploiting public resources and violating public trust”.
Yet as we reported yesterday, the pressure is again on the Prime Minister to explain his handling of the affair and especially his lack of candour over having played a personal role in sacking Lynda Tabuya as PAP deputy leader but keeping her as a minister. And he can thank the “lady” herself for having turned the spotlight on him again so soon after her recent astonishing attack on the NFP leader, Biman Prasad, in which she branded the Deputy Prime Minister a liar and accused him of disloyalty to the Coalition.
Sitiveni Rabuka wouldn’t be human if despite their previous close relationship, he isn’t furious and frustrated by the loose cannon now careening across the deck of the ship of state just when he desperately needs to project an aura of calm to a public utterly fed up with the Coalition’s shenanigans.
Lynda Tabuya’s decision to say anything at all publicly after 10 months about her affair with Aseri Radrodro is astonishing in itself. For a start, the whole of Fiji now knows the nickname Grubsheet gave her – the Minister for Bonking and Weed. It is she who has given it currency, an own goal in itself. But more seriously for the Prime Minister and the government as a whole, it has revived a scandal that it was desperately hoping would go away. And again, it has been Lynda Tabuya who has given it fresh legs at the worst possible time.
Why on earth did she say anything at all, let alone pronounce herself as the Minister for Bonking and Weed? Was it a flash of madness in the moment? Something that tripped off her tongue in front of what she thought was a receptive and sympathetic audience at a parliamentary gathering specifically on the empowerment of women and the challenge they have in making their way in politics? Partly but Lynda Tabuya is far too conniving for that.
No, the Queen of Tarts knows that when the Prime Minister says there is a “strong possibility” of being able to forge a government of national unity with the FijiFirst MPs who will be independents after June 28 that a cabinet reshuffle is in the offing ( see today’s Fiji Sun editorial below). She also knows that she is an obvious target for the chop. No-one of any consequence is even prepared to be photographed with her – apart from her new “bestie”, the Chinese Ambassador – and she gets nothing like the attention the local media once gave her. She is, in short, a gross political liability for a government currently struggling to recapture any public credibility at all.
So what does she do? She launches a pre-emptive strike. She tells the Fijian people through a credulous media that the “allegations” of her affair with Aseri Radrodro aren’t rooted in her own immoral conduct and lack of judgment but are entirely due to her being a woman. She has done it before and she is doing it again, flashing the gender card to protect her own position and save her political skin.
The Queen of Tarts thinks she is holding a Royal Flush – the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of a suit that is the unbeatable hand in any game of cards. Yet it is high time for the Prime Minister to call her bluff and bring this whole sorry game to an end.
Lynda Tabuya’s deliberate revival of memories of her affair with Aseri Radrodro is the final straw off the back of chairing the Emoluments Committee that has triggered a public furore over the huge increases it recommended in the salaries and benefits of the nation’s MPs and her subsequent public brawling with Biman Prasad for daring to vote against her package.
She is totally bereft of judgment and the Prime Minister must sack her from the ministry as soon as possible. For his sake, the government’s sake and above all, the nation’s sake. Because the women and children of Fiji – and those of our vulnerable citizens who need social protection most of all – deserve a lot better.
As a heterosexual male, I DO NOT find Lynda physically or sexually attractive.
Each to his or her own. Was that entirely necessary?
Well, I think whoever bonks her or wants to bonk her is blind, drunk, high on some sh*t, desperate, has bad taste or just plain dumb. Or all of the above.
And yes, it is necessary to point it out.
OK but it is about her conduct as a minister, not her bonkability. These people came to power promising better standards of conduct. Instead they are far worse than FijiFirst.
This is Fiji, yaar. These behaviours are very high Fiji Standards. You cannot compare them to the vulagi standards. It is chalk and cheese. You have seen the standard of contributors to this forum and elsewhere. They have no idea that they are idiots. So how can anyone improve if they are totally unaware and oblivious?
Fiji and Fijians are not capable of going past “their standards” unless you cede Fiji and its people to Australia, I guess.
Just look at the standard of all the parliamentarians, and the people in the judiciary, you expect them to have any other standards led by a top notch and well established dickhead, elected by more dickheads, 37 years after he came out as a dickhead? Common on yaar.
GD
The word bonkability.
I laughed so loud that my cat took off.
Yes.
Not at all necessary 😁
You’re a slack, maan.
Yes. That is right. Australia should make Fiji a territory. And all Fiji citizens should be Australian citizens.
According to Div Damodar the youth of Fiji look up at LT.
Makes one wonder why would Div say that knowing too well what is happening. What is he gaining or gained?
Allegations that she never denied she didn’t have.
She never said she didn’t have an affair with Radrodro.
Fiji Media, wake up.
The media has brutally let this country down. They have become the laughing joke for journalists in the Pacific. So much for media freedom.
Lynda does not appear to grasp that in the world of politics you are ‘fair game’ and will be subject to scrutiny on how you conduct yourself as a Minister and a representative of the Fiji people. Plus, every word spoken, every action, and decision taken. This scrutiny is 24/7!
Having been labelled the ‘Minister for Bonking and Weed’ speaks volumes of how an increasing number of Fijians see the Minister, her supposed official Ministerial portfolio of Women, Children and Social Protection hardly fits how she is now being labelled!
Like other members of the Government, she has also become a master of going to meeting after meeting, attending conferences and workshops, travelling here there and everywhere, and of course flying to the four corners of the world at every opportunity. Has any of this improved the status of Women or raised the quality of life for Fijian children? Is the Social Protection of Women and Children being enhanced by this Minister? Don’t think so!
As for her leader and protector his denials of her antics are comical and lies as was seen when, in the documents put up on Grubsheet, he (Rabuka) countersigned the letter from the PAP removing her as Deputy Leader. How much longer does Fiji have to suffer? The PM did not suffer the now former Attorney General and removed him from that post, and yet continues to do nothing about Lynda!
Perhaps the eminent deregistration of Fiji First as Party and with it the creation of 26 Independent MP’s may see a defection by some to the PAP and give Rabuka the numbers needed to remove both Lynda and her sidekick Aseri Radrodro as Ministers. If the 17 defected the PM would have enough to step out of the Coalition and no longer have to accommodate neither the NFP nor SODELPA.
All will be revealed in the weeks following 28 June!
These three must go: Rabuka, Tabuya and Radrodro.
The trio have NO place in national leadership and the sooner they are removed, the more solid footing our country can hve in rebuilding herself.
Well put Graham.
And hear! hear!@ “Yet that merely serves to underline the fact that the People’s Alliance is a party with some standards – however low – and SODELPA is a party with no standards at all.”
Well aware of this, it’ll be the lesser of the two evils for the newly independent MPs. Soldepa has run its pathetic course which they are too arrogant to admit and shall be buried for good come the next GE.. Their leadership in the thoroughly-compromised AR, taints them all..
C’mon Fiji, its Onwards and Upwards we go!!
One thing that baffles me is that the government from the PM, DPM Gavoka and a couple others are talatalas( lay preacher) and the rest are Christian and not a pip squeak from any of them when the sexacapade in room 233 came to light.
Any true Christian would speak up about that, but none did. I’m now double minded about going back to retire in Fiji.
Sadly if anything this coalition of chaos (I refuse to call them a government) has performed to gender stereotypes in Fiji.
Loose women and financially irresponsible men.
BTW the tax holiday bunch Fiji Water has just been found to have distributed contaminated bottles 1.9 million of them.
LT is a case study for every parent, esp with girls; that cheap high school popularity, loud mouth and busy body is what it only is…cheap, loud and busy body.
I think it’s time for sexy fansome Lynda to resign and legally move on with Mr aseri radrodro. He’s the future PM. GO LYNDA HE’S YOUR FUTURE.
Couldn’t agree more. Best she moves back to SODELPA to join her LT, they’re her close family after all, birds of a feather, wink**wink 🙂
Waiting for you to expose the sex scandal at FRCA. Senior staff engaging hookers while on taxpayer funded trips.
Well, well, well! Just saw this news item, it’s a never ending lie, upon lie, upon lie for incompetent PM Rabuka and his pet Weed & Bonking Shyster.
Double Jeopardy ni #on@ …
Dola ga a gusui rambo, rogo mai a domoi linda (rabuka opens his mouth and linda’s voice is heard instead). Uwwiiii! Keep digging your graves colluding liers – you’re so both terribly unfit for public office!
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/removing-tabuya-would-constitute-double-jeopardy/