While studying, Lotu-Iiga worked as an intern at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, but declined an offer to continue after graduation, instead joining Russell McVeagh McKenzie Bartleet in Auckland as a solicitor. He worked in the area of corporate and commercial law. Lotu-Iiga later migrated to Britain, where he worked for Bankers Trust as a financial analyst. While in Britain he earned his MBA from the University of Cambridge's Queen's College. While at Cambridge, Lotu-Iiga played rugby for the New Zealand Barbarians. Lotu-Iiga moved to Sydney and worked as an executive consultant with Macquarie Bank. Later, he returned to New Zealand to work as a management consultant and adviser.
Political career
Local-government politics
Lotu-Iiga stood on the Citizens & Ratepayers' ticket for a seat on the Auckland City Council during the 2007 Auckland local body election in the Tamaki-Maungakiekie ward. Following his successful election, Lotu-Iiga was appointed Chairman of the City Development Committee on the Council under Mayor John Banks.
Election to Parliament: 2008–2011
In February 2008 Lotu-Iiga put his name forward for the National Party selection for the Maungakiekie electorate. That month, incumbent Labour Party MP Mark Gosche, who held a majority of over 6,000 votes, announced he would stand down from the seat in the forthcoming general election. In April Lotu-Iiga defeated two other National Party nominees for the selection on the first ballot. While the electoral boundaries for Maungakiekie had changed, removing Otahuhu, the new boundary included the new suburbs of Royal Oak, Onehunga and Point England, which were considered to heavily favour the Labour Party. Gosche's large majority meant that Maungakiekie was still considered a safe Labour seat. Lotu-Iiga ran a high-profile campaign, capitalising on his high name-recognition as a City Councillor, and heavily engaged in grass-roots campaigning, including door-knocking the electoral district. On election night, Lotu-Iiga beat Labour List MPCarol Beaumont by a margin of 1,942 votes in what was one of the largest electoral swings in the country. Lotu-Iiga became one of three National Party candidates in the Auckland region to claim a seat from Labour, along with Nikki Kaye in and Paula Bennett in Waitakere. In his first parliamentary term, Lotu-Iiga served as the Deputy-Chairperson of the Commerce Committee and as a member of the Finance and Expenditure Committee. Lotu-Iiga faced some criticism for not resigning from his role as an Auckland City Councillor when he was elected as an MP. He missed a significant number of meetings, attending 12 out of 22 scheduled meetings. Lotu-Iiga responded: "People don't want a politician who's only going to meetings. It's only one part of our job. It's about going out meeting with people from the community. I feel like I'm doing fine. I'm busy but I'm on top of everything..." During the period in which he missed meetings, important decisions were made with regard to areas within the Tamaki-Maungakiekie Ward. Lotu-Iiga eventually resigned his council post in October 2009.
Second term in Parliament: 2011–2014
In November 2011, Lotu-Iiga was reelected the MP for Maungakiekie, beating Carol Beaumont a second time with an increased majority. Following the election, Lotu-Iiga was elected Chairperson of the Social Services Select Committee, where he has presided over the Government's welfare reform legislation. In January 2014, Lotu-Iiga was promoted into cabinet, becoming Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, and Associate Minister of Local Government.
Third term: 2014–2017
On 8 October 2014, Lotu-Iiga received his warrants as Minister for Pacific Peoples, Minister for Ethnic Communities and Minister of Corrections. On 7 December 2015, Prime Minister John Key announced that Lotu-Iiga would be handing the Corrections portfolio over to returning Cabinet Minister Judith Collins, and would take over the Local Government portfolio from Paula Bennett. The changes were effective from 14 December 2015. On 13 December 2016, Lotu-Iiga announced that he was quitting politics, to take effect at the 2017 general election.
Post-political career
Following the 2017 election, Lotu-Iiga became Manukau Institute of Technology's deputy chief executive Pasifika on 25 September 2017.
Personal life and community involvement
Sam Lotu-Iiga lives with his wife Jules in Onehunga. They have one daughter named Hope and a son named Luka. Lotu-Iiga is an active leader of the Pasifika community and holds the Samoan high chief title of Peseta. Lotu-Iiga is a patron of the Maungarei Cadets, the Dolphin Theatre and the Onehunga Bowling Club. Lotu-Iiga is a Christian and a member of the Royal Oak Baptist Church. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Penrose. Lotu-Iiga has coached the Auckland under-14 rugby team and once served as a board member of the Primary health organisations of New Zealand.
