Education Minister says Opposition Leader Swore at PM Across the Parliament Floor and Speaker Ruled Fairly

"Within three minutes into the break, while the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister were still engaged in a heated debate, the words “...lou shit” were called out across the floor.

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December 29, 2025

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In this week’s Letter to the Editor the Leader of the Opposition Human Rights Protection Party, Hon Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said he had been unfairly treated by the Speaker of the House who issued a 24 hour suspension against the veteran former Prime Minister on Tuesday 16 December for using foul language in Parliament.

Tuilaepa says that in his eleven terms in Parliament, no Speaker has ever ruled to suspend a member “based on a casual conversation” reported to have taken place during a coffee break.

The Leader of HRPP said it was well after the debate had formally closed and when members “were simply exchanging views on a range of topics”.

Tuialepa further wrote that he “took the opportunity during the break” to respond to accusations of treason against him, by telling the Prime Minister Hon Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt that it was he who bore responsibility for staging a coup against the Fiame Naomi Mata’afa FAST1 Government.

Tuilaepa also claimed he was joking and “reminded La’auli humorously in Samoan to stop lying – “tu’u lou pepelo lou siti.”

In response, the Minister of Education and Culture, Hon Aiono Alec Ekeroma has issued a post on his socials to say they “had front-row seats” that day, and it was not a “casual conversation.”

Aiono, a physician, academic, former Director of Health and former Vice Chancellor of the National University of Samoa wrote:

“Within three minutes into the break, while the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister were still engaged in a heated debate, the words “…lou shit” were called out across the floor.