Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt

About

Susuga Laʻaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt (born 14 April 1966) is a Samoan politician and businessman who has served as the eighth prime minister of Samoa since 2025. He is a former speaker and deputy speaker of the Samoan Parliament. Schmidt 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.

== Early life and political career ==
Schmidt is the son of former Government Minister and founding member of the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) Polataivao Fosi Schmidt. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly as a candidate for the HRPP at the 2006 election. 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. He was again re-elected at the 2016 election and appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Scientific Research.
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. He was subsequently charged with more than a hundred counts of forgery and…