Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster is a Samoan environmentalist, politician and Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the FAST Party.[1]
Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Natural Resources and Environment | |
| Assumed office 20 October 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa |
| Preceded by | Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa |
| In office 24 May 2021 – 3 June 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa |
| Preceded by | Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi |
| Succeeded by | Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa |
| Minister of Tourism | |
| In office 20 October 2021 – 1 October 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa |
| Preceded by | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa |
| Succeeded by | Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa |
| Member of the Samoan Parliament | |
| Assumed office 9 April 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Constituency | Aʻana Alofi No. 4 |
| In office 4 March 2011 – 4 March 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Vaeolenofoafia Tapasu |
| Succeeded by | Afamasaga Rico Tupai |
| Constituency | Aʻana Alofi No. 3 |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | FAST (since 2021) |
| Other political affiliations | Tautua Samoa Party (until 2021) |
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
editSchuster 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]
In December 2023 he was in Dubai as chair of the Alliance of Small Island States for COP28. He was arguing for stringer recognition saying that they "would not sign their own death certificate".[21] In the event the COP28 agreement was made when the Alliance of Small Island States's chief negotiator, Samoan Anna Rasmussen, was not in the room.[22]
References
edit- ^ a b c Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (22 October 2020). "Environmentalist Toeolesulusulu Cedric signs up for election". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ a b c "Seacology Welcomes New field Representatives in Two Regions" (PDF). Seacology. Vol. 11, no. 1. April 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Samoa MP Joins Parliamentarians For West Papua". Pacific Islands Report. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ a b "NEW FACE IN SAMOA PARLIAMENT HOPES FOR CHANGE". Pacific Islands Report. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Environmentalist Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster Returns to Parliament". Samoa Global News. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ "Samoa MP risks prosecution over Satapuala roadblock". RNZ. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ "Samoa opposition MP investigated over road block violence". ABC. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ "Satapuala Defendants Plead Not Guilty In Samoa Court". Pacific Islands Report. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ "Samoa MP, Chiefs Fined In Satapuala Blockade Case". Pacific Islands Report. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ "Samoa MP Apologizes For Role In Satapuala Roadblock". Pacific Islands Report. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ Marieta H Ilalio (25 May 2021). "Fiame Sworn in as Prime Minister under Marquees on Parliament Grounds". Samoa Global News. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (23 July 2021). "F.A.S.T. declared new Government as appeal upheld". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (2 June 2021). "Minister-elect charged with drink driving". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ Joyetter Feagaimaali'i (3 June 2021). "Cabinet Minister-elect Toesulusulu resigns". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "First FAST Cabinet Down to Work – When the Impossible Happens". Talamua Online. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (20 July 2021). "Toeolesulusulu pleads guilty to traffic offence". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ Tina Mata'afa-Tufele (15 October 2021). "M.P. fined for drink-driving offense". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ Talaia Mika (20 October 2021). "New Clerk of Parliament and Cabinet Minister sworn in". Talamua. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (20 October 2021). "Cabinet Minister grateful for second chance". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ "Samoa Prime Minister Announces Cabinet Reshuffle: New Finance Minister and Two Additional Ministers". Samoa Global News. 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "We will not sign our death certificate: Toeolesulusulu". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ AP, Source (13 December 2023). "'Litany of loopholes': Samoa delegate challenges Cop28 president on climate pact – video". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 May 2024.