Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt says Opposition leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi should not lecture him about speaking in English because he has palagi lineage.

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi urged the prime minister not to speak English again after his message of condolences to the government of Australia for the Bondi shooting. Tuilaepa said it was embarrassing for the country to hear the prime minister’s poor command of the English language and therefore should stick to making statements in Samoan.

Laaulialemalietoa said his last name is English, spelling it out and told Tuilaepa to bite his tongue and be quiet.

"Enough is enough, and you have no business telling me what to do. How can a Samoan speak English and a palagi can't?" Laaulialemalietoa said, referring to himself.

The sympathy statement was made on Thursday, 22 January, when the Australian government had declared it as their national day of mourning for the 15 people who lost their lives in the Bondi shooting.

The prime minister’s message was delivered in English.