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Samoan politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Susuga Laʻaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt[2][3] is a Samoan politician, businessman, Cabinet Minister, and former speaker and deputy speaker of the Samoan Parliament.[4] He is the Member of Parliament for the Gagaʻifomauga No. 3 constituency and is the founder and chairman of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party.[5][6]
The Honourable Susuga Laʻauli Leuatea Polataivao | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Scientific Research | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 24 May 2021[lower-alpha 1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Lopao'o Natanielu Mua | ||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 19 March 2016 – 22 August 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Le Mamea Ropati[lower-alpha 2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Lopao'o Natanielu Mua | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy Leader of Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 9 March 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Olo Fiti Vaai | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Member of the Samoan Parliament for Gagaʻifomauga No. 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 31 March 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Vagana Peleiʻupu Tamate | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (since 2020) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Other political affiliations | Human Rights Protection Party (until 2020) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Schmidt is the son of former Government Minister and founding member of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) Polataivao Fosi Schmidt.[7] 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.[8] He was again re-elected at the 2016 election and appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Scientific Research.[9] 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.[10] He was subsequently charged with more than a hundred counts of forgery and theft.[11] He was acquitted of all charges in June 2020.[12]
In May 2020 he was sacked from the HRPP by Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi after voting against proposed constitutional amendments.[13] He subsequently announced he had resigned from the HRPP and that he would be forming a new political party to contest the 2021 election.[14][15]
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.[16][17] Schmidt apologised to the House and verbally resigned his seat.[18] After some initial doubt, the verbal resignation was deemed to be effective, and a by-election was called.
On 30 July Schmidt registered the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) Party to contest in the 2021 Elections.[19] He ran as a candidate for the party in the 2020 Gagaifomauga No. 3 byelection[20] and was successfully re-elected.[21][22][23]
Schmidt was re-elected in the 2021 Samoan general election. On 24 May 2021 he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in the elected cabinet of Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa.[24] The appointment was disputed by the caretaker government. On 23 July 2021 the Court of Appeal ruled that the swearing-in ceremony was constitutional and binding, and that FAST had been the government since 24 May.[25][26][27]
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