Long serving advocate of the Samoa and Pacific community, afioga Anae Lupematasila Lima Arthur John Anae, has received a King’s Service Medal in the King’s birthday honours.
Honoured for services to the Samoan community, Anae says the award belongs to the people.
“This belongs to the Samoan community who stood behind and joined the battle to get justice that belonged to us,” said Anae.
“The recognition belongs to all of us, because we’ve all had to hold hands and and fight this for a long time.”
Anae was the first Pacific National Party MP having entered the NZ Parliament in 1996 as a list MP.
He later left the National Party expressing disappointment with unfair treatment Anae told PMN that he left in the end because, “I saw it doesn’t matter what I was doing I was treated in a way that I don’t accept by anybody and I walked.”
When asked about his proudest achievement, Anae cited the 1999 introduction of superannuation portability, which allowed eligible Pacific New Zealanders to receive their full pensions upon retiring to their home islands.
Another was the establishment of the Pacific Room in Parliament in 2002. The space was designed to recognise and celebrate the contributions of Pacific peoples to New Zealand society and Parliament.
But he believes his greatest contribution was helping to overturn the Citizenship (Western Sāmoa) Act 1982, which revoked the right to New Zealand citizenship for those born in Western Sāmoa between 1924 and 1948.
Anae has been instrumental in advocacy for the Pacific community for over 40 years and admits being recognised now as an unexpected honour.
“It came out as a real surprise to me. I’ve been around for a long time doing a lot of things for our Pacific people, and so this kind of bowled me over – that it came at this time in my life. But thrilled on behalf of our communities to receive it.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon congratulated all 188 recipients of the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours, saying they were “proof that individual actions build a strong and thriving country”.
“I would like to thank all of the New Zealanders on this list for their service and achievements,” said the Prime Minister.
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