Samiu Vaipulu

Samiu Kuita Vaipulu (born 24 December 1952) is a Tongan politician and former Cabinet Minister. He was the Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2014 and is currently Minister for Trade and Economic Development. He most recently served as the Acting Prime Minister of Tonga from December 2024 to January 2025.

Personal life

Vaipulu is from the island of Ovaka. He has worked as a tour operator and as a manager for the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia. In February 2010, Vaipulu supported the whipping of petty criminals.

Vaipulu was re-elected in the 2010 election. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Minister for Transport and Works in the Cabinet of Lord Tuʻivakanō. On 1 September 2011, the Justice portfolio was reshuffled to Clive Edwards, with Vaipulu retaining the others.

In October 2011, he was one of twelve MPs to vote in favour of large increases to allowances for any MPs on sick leave overseas. He argued the circumstances for such allowances would be rare, and that it was therefore justifiable. The motion was carried, and Vaipulu asked whether it would be possible for the eight MPs who had voted against (in protest against MPs spending public money on themselves at a time of economic difficulty) to be deprived of the allowances in question. Fellow MP Sione Taione, among the eight in question, reportedly responded by "query[ing] what [Vaipulu] was on about".

After the 2014 election Vaipulu put himself forward as a candidate for Prime Minister, but was defeated by 15 votes to 11. In 2019 following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva he was appointed to the cabinet of Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa as Minister for Trade and Economic Development. On 25 January 2021 he was appointed Minister of Justice and Prisons, replacing Sione Vuna Fa'otusia who had resigned in December 2020.

He was re-elected in the 2021 election. On 28 December 2021 he was appointed to the Cabinet of Siaosi Sovaleni as Minister for Justice and Prisons. Following the resignation of Sovaleni as Prime Minister in December 2024 he became acting Prime Minister.

He lost his seat at the 2025 election.

Honours National honours