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Jacob John Olaf Netzler (25 April 1940 – 2 August 2022) was a Samoan politician and cabinet minister. He was a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Netzler was born on 25 April 1940. He was from the villages of Motoʻotua and Alafua and was educated at Samoa College. He is a descendant of Carl Fritz Netzler, an early German immigrant to Samoa. In 1958 he began working for Burns Philp as a copra shed clerk, where he remained until 1964. He later became a farmer and entrepreneur. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa in a by-election in January 1981 following the murder of MP Ron Berking. He was re-elected at the 1982 Western Samoan general election, and at every successive election until his retirement in 2001. During his political career he served as Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Transport, and Minister of Public Works. In 1994 while Minister of Civil Aviation he was named in auditor-general Sua Rimoni Ah Chong's report over his role as chair of the board of Polynesian Airlines, which lost millions of dollars. Netzler later lost his cabinet position, and was replaced as chair of the board by Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi.

Netzler did not contest the 2001 election. He died on 2 August 2022, at the age of 82. He was given a state funeral.

References

1. ^ "Murdered MP's seat is filled". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 52, no. 3. 1 March 1981. p. 6. Retrieved 3 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
2. ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T – Ah Tong (2 May 2020). "Small celebration for former Cabinet Minister's big 80th". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
3. ^ Misa Telefoni Retzlaff. "An Enduring Legacy – The German Influence In Samoan Culture and History" (PDF). p. 14. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
4. "Netzler, Olaf Jack". Australian National University. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
5. "What was in the report". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 67, no. 2. 1 February 1997. p. 26. Retrieved 3 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "Polynesian Airlines, ready for takeoff". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 65, no. 12. 1 December 1995. p. 36. Retrieved 3 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
7. Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T – Ah Tong (3 August 2022). "Former Cabinet Minister passes away". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
8. Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (8 August 2022). "Life of late former M.P. celebrated in State funeral". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 8 August 2022.

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