Faumuina Fong | |
|---|---|
 Leatinuu Wayne So'oialo in 2023 | |
| Minister of Public Enterprises | |
| Assumed office 24 May 2021 [lower-alpha 1] | |
| Prime Minister | FiamēNaomi Mataʻafa |
| Preceded by | Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell |
| Minister of Commerce,Industry and Labour | |
| In office 24 May 2021 [lower-alpha 1] –1 October 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | FiamēNaomi Mataʻafa |
| Preceded by | Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell |
| Succeeded by | Leota Laki Lamositele |
| Member of the Samoan Parliament | |
| Assumed office 9 April 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Taefu Lemi |
| Constituency | Faleata No. 2 |
| In office 4 March 2016 –9 April 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Constituency | Urban West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 1959 |
| Political party | Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi |
| Other political affiliations | Human Rights Protection Party (until 2020) Independent (2020-21) |
Leatinuu Faumuina Asi Pauli Wayne Fong (also known as Leatinuu Wayne So'oialo) [1] (born June 1959) [2] is a Samoan politician and Cabinet Minister who has served as the minister of Commerce,Labour and Industry since 2021. [3] [4]
Faumuina worked as a cargo manager for Polynesian Airlines in the United States,before moving to Hawaii. [5] After returning to Samoa he ran a shipping company. [5] He was first elected to the Samoan Parliament in the Urban West seat at the 2016 Samoan general election. [5]
In March 2017 Fong called for a law change to allow Samoans to gamble in casinos. [6] In October he criticised "dirty politics" within the Human Rights Protection Party,alleging that factions were moving against Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi while he was in hospital in New Zealand. [7] In December he called for a relaxation of border controls with American Samoa. [8] In 2018 he opposed the government's Customary Land Alienation Bill. [9] In June 2019 Fong criticised the government's budget,claiming it was "unbalanced". [10]
In May 2020 Fong was asked to leave the Human Rights Protection Party by Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi over his opposition to Tuila'epa's proposed constitutional reforms. [11] [12] In July 2020 he was sacked from the party. [13] He remained in parliament as an independent. [14]
In September 2020 Fong pledged his loyalty to former Deputy Prime Minister FiamēNaomi Mataʻafa following her resignation,and promised to follow whichever party she joined in the 2021 election. [15] On 17 October Fong registered to run as a candidate for the F.A.S.T. party in the 2021 election. [16] As a result his seat was declared vacant under anti-party-hopping provisions. [17] [18] On 14 December 2020 the decision was declared unlawful and invalid by the Supreme Court of Samoa. [19] [20]
Fong ran in the seat of Faleata No. 2 at the April 2021 Samoan general election and was re-elected. On 24 May 2021 he was appointed Minister of Commerce,Industry and Labour in the elected cabinet of FiamēNaomi Mataʻafa. [21] 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. [22]
On 19 December 2022 Leatinu'u was medevaced to New Zealand for treatment for a serious heart condition. [23]
In a cabinet reshuffle on 6 September 2023 he was replaced as Commerce,Industry of Labour by Leota Laki Lamositele from 1 October 2023,but retained the Public Enterprises portfolio. [24]
