Laauli Leuatea Polataivao
La'aulialemalietoa[1] Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt is a Samoan politician and former speaker and deputy speaker of the Samoan Parliament.[2] He is the Member of Parliament for the Gagaifomauga No. 3 constituency.
La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt | |
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La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt in 2020 | |
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Scientific Research | |
In office 19 March 2016 – 22 August 2017 | |
Prime Minister | Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi |
Preceded by | none (position established) |
Succeeded by | Lopao'o Natanielu Mua |
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa | |
In office 18 March 2011 – 16 March 2016 | |
Preceded by | Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Lei’ataua |
Succeeded by | Toleafoa Faafisi |
Member of the Samoa Parliament for Gagaifomauga No. 3 | |
Assumed office 31 March 2006 | |
Preceded by | Vagana Pelei'upu Tamate |
Personal details | |
Political party | Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi Human Rights Protection Party |
Schmidt is the son of former Government Minister and founding member of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) Polataivao Fosi Schmidt.[3] He was first elected to the Fono as a candidate for the HRPP in the March 2006 elections. From 2006 to 2011 he served as Deputy Speaker. He was re-elected at the 2011 election and served as Speaker from 2011 to 2016.[4] He was again re-elected at the 2016 election and appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Scientific Research.[5] He subsequently served as acting Prime Minister.
In August 2017, Schmidt resigned as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and remained Member of Parliament as he had a lengthy legal battle with HRPP MP Peseta Vaifou Tevaga.[6] He was subsequently charged with more than a hundred counts of forgery and theft.[7] He was acquitted of all charges in June 2020.[8]
Departure from HRPP and by-election
In May 2020 he was sacked from the HRPP by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi after voting against proposed constitutional amendments.[9] He subsequently announced he had resigned from the HRPP and that he would be forming a new political party to contest the 2021 election.[10][11]
On 30 June 2020, the Parliamentary Privileges and Ethics Committee found that Schmidt had misled Parliament over the disputed price of a generator during a debate and recommended that he be suspended from Parliament for three months without pay.[12][13] Schmidt apologised to the House and verbally resigned his seat.[14] After some initial doubt, the verbal resignation was deemed to be effective, and a by-election was called.
On 30 July Schmidt registered the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) Party to contest in the 2021 Elections.[15] He ran as a candidate for the party in the 2020 Gagaifomauga No. 3 byelection.[16]
On 28 August 2020 Schmidt was re-elected in the 2020 Gagaifomauga No. 3 byelection.[17][18][19]
References
- Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (22 September 2020). "Chiefs defend "La'aulialemalietoa" title". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- Profile Archived 2007-08-24 at the Wayback Machine at the Samoan Fono
- " Following in their fathers' foot steps into Samoa politics" Archived 2011-07-10 at the Wayback Machine, EventPolynesia.com, 8 April 2006.
- http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2351_11.htm
- "Samoa Tautua and HRPP MPs to play role of opposition". RNZ. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- "Charged Cabinet Minister Resigns in Samoa". Talani. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- Tina Mata'afa-Tufele (26 May 2020). "Acting CJ to deliver Laauli ruling in June". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- "Samoan MP found not guilty but media man guilty of forgery". RNZ. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- "More ructions in Samoa's ruling HRPP". RNZ. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- Lanuola Tusani Tupufia – Ah Tong (1 June 2020). "Former Speaker La'auli resigns from H.R.P.P." Samoa Observer. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- "Former ruling HRPP MP to establish new political party in Samoa". RNZ. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
- "La'auli, how dare you steal Tuilaepa's thunder?". Samoa Observer. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- Lanuola Tusani Tupufia – Ah Tong (30 June 2020). "Parliament Committee recommends for La'auli to be suspended". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- Lanuola Tusani Tupufia – Ah Tong (30 June 2020). "La'auli resigns from Parliament". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (30 July 2020). "F.A.S.T. political party officially registers". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- "Two candidates for Samoa by-election". RNZ. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (18 August 2020). "La'auli declared by-election winner". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- "Former Speaker tops prelim results in Samoan by-election". RNZ. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
- Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (28 August 2020). "La'auli opens new political chapter". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 29 August 2020.