Tevita Lavemaau Explained

Tevita Lavemaau
Office:Minister of Finance
Primeminister:Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa
Term Start:10 October 2019
Term End:28 December 2021
Predecessor:Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa
Successor:Tatafu Moeaki
Office2:Minister for Revenue and Customs
Term Start2:10 October 2019
Term End2:28 December 2021
Predecessor2:Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa
Successor2:Tatafu Moeaki
Office3:Minister of Finance
Primeminister3:ʻAkilisi Pōhiva
Term Start3:6 March 2017
Term End3:1 September 2017
Predecessor3:ʻAisake Eke
Successor3:Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa
Office4:Minister for Revenue and Customs
Term Start4:30 December 2014
Term End4:6 March 2017
Predecessor4:Sifa Tuʻutafaiva
Successor4:Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa
Constituency Mp5:ʻEua 11
Term Start5:27 November 2014
Term End5:18 November 2021
Predecessor5:Sunia Fili
Successor5:Taniela Fusimalohi
Party:None

Tevita Lavemaau is a Tongan politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga.

Lavemaau was first elected at the 2014 Tongan general election and appointed Minister of Revenue and Customs. Following the resignation of ʻAisake Eke in March 2017 he was appointed Minister of Finance.[1]

In September 2017 he and Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni were sacked for disloyalty for supporting King Tupou VI's decision to sack the Prime Minister, dissolve Parliament and call new elections.[2] [3] [4] He was re-elected at the 2017 election, but not reappointed to Cabinet.[5]

In 2019 following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva he was appointed to the cabinet of Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa as Minister for Finance, Minister for Revenue and Customs and Minister responsible for Statistics.[6]

He lost his seat in the 2021 Tongan general election.[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: Tonga Finance Minister resigns. . 6 March 2017 . 22 June 2020.
  2. Web site: Lord Ma'afu Named Tonga Acting Prime Minister . Pacific Islands Report . 6 September 2017 . 20 June 2020.
  3. Web site: Tonga's Sovaleni flummoxed about sacking . RNZ . 13 September 2017 . 20 June 2020.
  4. Web site: Tonga’s caretaker PM Pōhiva sacks deputy and Finance Minister . Asia-Pacific Report . 2 September 2017 . 20 June 2020.
  5. Web site: Prime Minister Pōhiva submits his cabinet lineup to the Tongan king . Asia-Pacific Report . 4 January 2018 . 22 June 2020.
  6. Web site: "Prime Minister Announces New Cabinet Ministers" . Government of Tonga . 10 October 2019 . 15 June 2020.
  7. Web site: Tonga elects all-male parliament with nine new People's Reps . Matangi Tonga . 18 November 2021 . 18 November 2021 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211118122442/https://matangitonga.to/2021/11/19/tonga-elects-all-male-parliament-nine-new-peoples-reps . 18 November 2021.