| Office4: | Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa |
| Term Start4: | 1988 |
| Term End4: | 1991 |
| Predecessor4: | Nonumalo Nanai Leulumoega Sofara |
| Successor4: | Fatu Vaili Afamasaga |
| Constituency Mp15: | Falealupo |
| Parliament15: | Samoan |
| Term Start15: | 2 March 2001 |
| Term End15: | 8 April 2021 |
| Predecessor15: | Mafasolia Papu Vailupe |
| Successor15: | Leota Tima Leavai |
| Term Start16: | 22 February 1985 |
| Term End16: | 5 April 1991 |
| Predecessor16: | Lamusitele Sio |
| Successor16: | Mafasolia Papu Vailupe |
| Party: | Tautua Samoa Party (2008–present) |
| Otherparty: | Samoan Democratic United Party (2003–2008) Samoan National Development Party (2001–2003) Human Rights Protection Party (until 2001) |
Aʻeau Peniamina Leʻavai (born 1942) is a Samoan politician and matai. He served as the Speaker of the Samoan Legislative Assembly from 1988 to 1991. He is a member of the Tautua Samoa Party.
Peniamina was educated at Fiji School of Medicine and the University of London[1] and later worked as a dentist.[2] He was first elected to Parliament as a member of the Human Rights Protection Party in the 1985 general election.[3] He was re-elected in 1988, and served as Speaker of the Assembly from 1988 to 1991, before losing his seat at the 1991 election.[2]
Peniamina was banished from his village after announcing his intention to run as a candidate for the Samoan National Development Party at the 2001 election.[4] He was elected despite this,[5] and was the opposition's candidate for Speaker, but was defeated by 28 votes to 21.[6]
He was re-elected again in 2006 as a candidate for the Samoan Democratic United Party (SDUP).[2] In 2005, Peniamina was accused of racism over remarks he made about Chinese immigrants but later moderated his comments.[7] In November 2006 he was elected deputy leader of the SDUP.[8] Following a split in the SDUP, the party was no longer recognized, and he became an independent MP.[9] He subsequently joined other independents in establishing the Tautua Samoa Party.[10] In December 2007 he denied involvement in an incident in which fellow opposition MP (and former rival for the Falealupo seat) Mafasolia Papu Va'ai was shot and wounded.[11]
Peniamina ran as a Tautua candidate at the 2011 election and was re-elected. He was subsequently elected deputy leader of the party.[12] He was re-elected again at the 2016 election, as one of only three opposition MPs.[13]
He retired at the 2021 election.[14] [1] His seat was won by his daughter, Leota Tima Leavai.
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