Row over chiefly title clouds start of PM Luxon’s Pacific tour

A dispute over a planned honorary chiefly title has drawn attention at the start of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s visit to Sāmoa.

Luxon arrived in the capital, Apia, on Sunday as part of a Pacific tour that also includes Tonga. Wellington says the trip is aimed at strengthening ties with two of New Zealand’s closest Pacific partners in the region.

But discussion around the visit has quickly focused on whether Luxon asked to receive a matai title.

Sāmoa’s Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt said the request came from Luxon through New Zealand’s High Commission in Apia.

During his regular Friday livestream, Fofola le Fala, Laaulialemalietoa said officials approached his government about bestowing a title on the visiting leader.

“The office of the New Zealand High Commissioner came to us wanting to bestow a matai title on the Prime Minister,” Laaulialemalietoa said. “I asked them, 'What is the reason the Prime Minister wants to receive a title?’ They said that he himself had requested it.”

Watch (Sāmoan) PM Laaulialemalietoa discuss the title bestowment below.

Laaulialemalietoa presented the planned honour in political and cultural terms, suggesting that as a matai, Luxon would have a duty to serve Sāmoa and linked the gesture to wider discussions about visa-free travel for Sāmoans to New Zealand.

Luxon’s office has denied that he asked for the title. According to 1News, a spokesperson for Luxon said that while receiving an honorary title would be a significant honour reflecting the close relationship between the two countries, Luxon did not request it.

The different accounts have prompted political comment in Aotearoa. Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni said the government’s denial means “there are now two differing accounts of how this came about”.

Labour Deputy Leader, Carmel Sepuloni, said “there are now two differing accounts of how this came about”. Photo/Supplied

“No doubt questions will continue to be asked about what actually went down,” she wrote on Facebook.

Sepuloni also noted that none of the three current New Zealand MPs of Sāmoan heritage was included in the Prime Minister’s delegation to Sāmoa.

Adding another layer to the issue, a challenge has reportedly been filed with Sāmoa’s Lands and Titles Court seeking to stop the bestowment.

Local reports say a letter opposing the planned bestowment for the title, Tuisinavemaulumoto'otua, was submitted by Feagaimaalii Bruce To’omalatai Uta’ileuo, on behalf of his father, To’omalatai Lepili.

Feagaimaalii told the Sāmoa Observer the names linked to the title refer to sacred places belonging to the To’omalatai family of Apia, and that the family had not been consulted.

Feagaimaalii's letter was shared widely on social media. He confirmed to local media that the letter was filed with the Courts. Photo/Sāmoa Observer/Facebook/Composite by Renate Rivers

He argued that those organising the ceremony do not have the authority to use those place names and asked the court to stop the use of the title.

It remains unclear whether the legal challenge will affect the planned ceremony in Apia on Monday.

The dispute highlights the sensitivity surrounding matai titles, which are deeply rooted in Sāmoa’s traditional governance and community leadership.

Despite the controversy, Luxon’s visit is expected to focus on regional cooperation and long-standing ties between the two countries.

Issues likely to be discussed include regional security, transnational crime, and economic cooperation.

Savalalo Market will officially open this week. Photo/Zheng Construction.

The migration policy may also come up, especially calls for easier travel for Pacific visitors to New Zealand.

Aotearoa is also involved in several development projects in Sāmoa, including the redevelopment of the Savalalo Market in Apia.

The new complex, built after the original market was destroyed by fire, is a ST$30 million (NZ$19.3m) project funded by both governments, with New Zealand contributing NZ$12m.

Luxon is travelling with Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti, Police Minister Mark Mitchell, and MPs Tim van de Molen, Jenny Salesa, and Teanau Tuiono.