Sunia Fili Explained

Sunia Fili
Office2:Minister for Police, Prisons and Fire Services
Term Start2:1 May 2012
Term End2:25 June 2012
Primeminister2:Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō
Predecessor2:Lisiate ʻAkolo
Successor2:Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō
Office3:Minister of Finance
Term Start3:3 January 2011
Term End3:1 May 2012
Predecessor3:Afuʻalo Matoto
Successor3:Lisiate ʻAkolo
Constituency Mp5:ʻEua 11[1]
Term Start5:11 March 1999
Term End5:27 November 2014
Predecessor5:Tu'ipulotu L. Lauaki
Successor5:Tevita Lavemaau
Party:Human Rights and Democracy Movement
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands

Sunia Manu Fili (born 1 December 1965)[2] is a Tongan politician and former Cabinet Minister. He is a former member of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement and the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands.

Biography

Fili graduated with a BA from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. He worked as a lawyer and high school teacher before entering politics. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly as People's Representative for ʻEua at the 1999 election.[2]

In September 2009 Fili was the only member of the Tongan Parliament to support the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.[3]

Fili was re-elected MP for the constituency of ʻEua in the 2010 election. He was appointed Minister of Finance in Lord Tuʻivakano's Cabinet,[4] to which was added the portfolio of Inland Revenue on September 1, 2011.[5] In a Cabinet reshuffle on 1 May 2012, Fili became Minister for Police, Prisons and Fire Services; Lisiate ‘Akolo was made Minister of Finance, and Sosefo Vakata was given the Revenue portfolio.[6] [7] Following the reshuffle Fili allegedly passed a letter from his predecessor, Lisiate ʻAkolo, which criticised other ministers and suggested creating Associate Minister posts to weaken the opposition, to Deputy Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu, who leaked it to the media.[8] [9] In late June 2012, Fili - along with two other ministers - resigned from the Cabinet, so as to support a motion of no confidence tabled by the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands against the government.[10]

In July 2014 Fili was dumped as a Democratic Party candidate.[11] He ran as an independent in the 2014 Tongan general election, but was not re-elected. He contested the 2017 election as a candidate for the Langafonua 'a e Masiva, but was also unsuccessful.[12]

In October 2022 he graduated with a law degree from the University of the South Pacific.[13]

Notes and References

  1. ʻEua 11 was technically a new constituency from 2010, but corresponded exactly to the boundaries of the previous electoral constituency for Eua.
  2. Web site: Hon. Sunia Fili . parliament of Tonga . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111009021757/http://www.parliament.gov.to/about-parliament/members/ministers/252-hon-sunia-fili.html . 9 October 2011.
  3. Web site: House unites in comfort zone of set culture and tradition . Pesi Fonua . Matangi Tonga . 20 October 2009 . 21 November 2021.
  4. Web site: TONGA PRIME MINISTER NAMES CABINET . Pacific Islands Report . 4 January 2011 . 21 November 2021.
  5. Web site: PUBLIC UNAWARE OF TONGA’S GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE . Pacific Islands Report . 8 September 2011 . 21 November 2021.
  6. Web site: TONGA TO SHAKE-UP MINISTERS’ PORTFOLIOS AGAIN . Pacific Islands Report . 20 April 2012 . 21 November 2021.
  7. Web site: Tonga reshuffles cabinet . RNZ . 23 April 2012 . 21 November 2021.
  8. Web site: Tonga talk of associate ministers goes against constitution . RNZ . 16 May 2012 . 21 November 2021.
  9. Web site: Police Minister Reshuffle In Tonga Leads To Cabinet Controversy . Pacific Islands Report . 21 May 2012 . 21 November 2021.
  10. Web site: Three Cabinet Ministers in Tonga resign ahead of confidence motion . RNZ . 25 June 2012 . 21 November 2021.
  11. Web site: Tonga Democratic Party dumps four MPs . RNZ . 16 July 2014 . 21 November 2021.
  12. Web site: Former Auckland lawyer hoping third time lucky in Tonga poll . RNZ . 3 October 2017 . 21 November 2021.
  13. Web site: Former 'Eua MP graduates in law . Matangi Tonga . 17 October 2022 . 19 October 2022.