Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
Assumed office
20 October 2021
Prime MinisterFiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Preceded byFiamē Naomi Mata‘afa
In office
24 May 2021 – 3 June 2021
Prime MinisterFiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Preceded byTuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi
Succeeded byFiamē Naomi Mata‘afa
Minister of Tourism
In office
20 October 2021 – 1 October 2023
Prime MinisterFiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Preceded byFiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Succeeded byFiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Member of the Samoan Parliament
Assumed office
9 April 2021
Preceded byConstituency established
ConstituencyAʻana Alofi No. 4
In office
4 March 2011 – 4 March 2016
Preceded byVaeolenofoafia Tapasu
Succeeded byAfamasaga Rico Tupai
ConstituencyAʻana Alofi No. 3
Personal details
Political partyFAST (since 2021)
Other political
affiliations		Tautua Samoa Party (until 2021)

Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster is a Samoan environmentalist, politician and Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the FAST Party.[1]

Schuster is from the village of Satapuala.[2] He was educated at the University of Victoria and at Brandeis University in the United States.[2] He has previously worked for the World Wide Fund for Nature,[3] the Samoan government's Division of Environment and Conservation, Seacology, and as an environmental consultant.[2] Schuster is the cousin of Lefau Harry Schuster[4] and the father of swimmer Brandon Schuster.[5]

Political career

Schuster was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa at the 2011 Samoan general election, as a candidate for the Tautua Samoa Party.[4] In August 2012 he took part in a roadblock in his village of Satapuala which sought to block access to land the village was claiming.[6][7] He was subsequently charged with unlawful assembly and obstruction.[8] in August 2013 he was convicted of unlawful assembly, resisting police, obstruction and using foul language and fined US$635.[9] He subsequently apologised to Parliament for the incident.[10]

In April 2014, Schuster became the first Samoan MP to join International Parliamentarians for West Papua.[3]

He lost his seat at the 2016 election.[1]

In October 2020 Schuster announced he would stand as a candidate for the F.A.S.T. Party in the April 2021 election.[1] He was elected.[5] On 24 May 2021 he was appointed Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in the elected cabinet of Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa.[11] 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.[12]

On 1 June 2021, while returning from FAST's first-anniversary celebration, Schuster was arrested for drunk-driving.[13] On 3 June he resigned his portfolio, which was later reassigned to prime minister Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa.[14][15] On 20 July he pleaded guilty to three traffic offences and applied for a discharge without conviction.[16] On 15 October 2021 he was fined $2,000 and discharged without conviction.[17] He returned to Cabinet on 20 October 2021 as Minister for Natural Resources and Environment and Tourism.[18][19]

In a cabinet reshuffle on 6 September 2023 he surrendered the tourism portfolio to Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, but gained responsibility for the Samoa Trust Estates Corporation and the Samoa Land Corporation.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (22 October 2020). "Environmentalist Toeolesulusulu Cedric signs up for election". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Seacology Welcomes New field Representatives in Two Regions" (PDF). Seacology. Vol. 11, no. 1. April 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Samoa MP Joins Parliamentarians For West Papua". Pacific Islands Report. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  4. 1 2 "NEW FACE IN SAMOA PARLIAMENT HOPES FOR CHANGE". Pacific Islands Report. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Environmentalist Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster Returns to Parliament". Samoa Global News. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  6. ↑ "Samoa MP risks prosecution over Satapuala roadblock". RNZ. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "Samoa opposition MP investigated over road block violence". ABC. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "Satapuala Defendants Plead Not Guilty In Samoa Court". Pacific Islands Report. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Samoa MP, Chiefs Fined In Satapuala Blockade Case". Pacific Islands Report. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  10. ↑ "Samoa MP Apologizes For Role In Satapuala Roadblock". Pacific Islands Report. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  11. ↑ Marieta H Ilalio (25 May 2021). "Fiame Sworn in as Prime Minister under Marquees on Parliament Grounds". Samoa Global News. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  12. ↑ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (23 July 2021). "F.A.S.T. declared new Government as appeal upheld". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  13. ↑ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (2 June 2021). "Minister-elect charged with drink driving". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  14. ↑ Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (3 June 2021). "Cabinet Minister-elect Toesulusulu resigns". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  15. ↑ "First FAST Cabinet Down to Work – When the Impossible Happens". Talamua Online. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  16. ↑ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (20 July 2021). "Toeolesulusulu pleads guilty to traffic offence". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  17. ↑ Tina Mata'afa-Tufele (15 October 2021). "M.P. fined for drink-driving offense". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  18. ↑ Talaia Mika (20 October 2021). "New Clerk of Parliament and Cabinet Minister sworn in". Talamua. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  19. ↑ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (20 October 2021). "Cabinet Minister grateful for second chance". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  20. ↑ "Samoa Prime Minister Announces Cabinet Reshuffle: New Finance Minister and Two Additional Ministers". Samoa Global News. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
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