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Faumuina Asi Pauli Wayne Fong
Leatinuu Faumuina Asi Pauli Wayne Fong (also known as Leatinuu Wayne Soʻoialo)[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 Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele 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 Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi over his opposition to Tuilaʻepa'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 Fiamē Naomi 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 Fiamē Naomi 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 Leatinuʻu 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] NotesReferences
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