THE Samoan government has clarified that the recent bestowal of a matai title on New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was not requested.
Samoan Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Schmidt said that conferring a title on visiting leaders was a traditional courtesy extended by the Samoan government.
But most Samoans agree that titles belong to specific families or aiga, not the government, and can only be bestowed in traditional ceremonies known as saofai. This has led to speculation that the Samoan or New Zealand government approached the village of Apia to confer the title Tuisinaveamauluto’otua on Luxon.
Former New Zealand prime ministers Robert Muldoon and David Lange received titles in 1981 and 1984, respectively.
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka received a matai title last year,
Schmidt emphasised that this honour for Luxon was always intended as part of diplomatic protocol.
He also addressed concerns about potential obligations arising from the title, confirming that it imposed no expectations on Luxon or the New Zealand government regarding policymaking, including immigration.
The clarification comes following speculation about the significance of the title in the context of bilateral relations between Samoa and New Zealand.