Vatau Hui Explained

Vatau Hui
Office:Minister for Internal Affairs
Primeminister:Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa
Term Start:10 October 2019
Term End:28 December 2021
Predecessor:Saia Piukala
Successor:Sione Sangster Saulala
Constituency Mp5:Niua 17
Term Start5:16 November 2017
Predecessor5:Fe‘aomoeata Vakata
Party:People's Party

Vatau Mefi Hui (born 1970) is a Tongan politician and former Cabinet Minister.[1]

Hui worked in the education sector, as an assistant teacher at Niuatoutapu High School, then for the Ministry of Education and Tonga Institute of Education.[1] He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Tonga as part of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands's landslide victory[2] at the 2017 Tongan general election. In May 2018 he pleaded guilty to failing to submit a report of his electoral expenses and was fined US$129.[3]

Following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva Hui supported Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa for Prime Minister, leaving the DPFI to join Tuʻiʻonetoa's new People's Party.[4] He was subsequently appointed to Tuʻiʻonetoa's Cabinet as Minister for Internal Affairs.[5]

He was re-elected in the 2021 election,[6] but not reappointed to Cabinet.

In February 2024 he was charged with indecent assault.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hon. Vatau Hui . Legislative Assembly of Tonga . 18 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211211011638/https://parliament.gov.to/members-of-parliament/ministers/809-hon-vatau-hui . 11 December 2021.
  2. Web site: Landslide victory for Democrats in Tongan election . New Zealand Herald . 16 November 2017 . 21 June 2020.
  3. Web site: Tongan MP fined for electoral infringement . RNZ . 28 May 2018 . 21 June 2020.
  4. Web site: Parliament elects Dr Pōhiva Tu‘i‘onetoa as new PM . The World News . 27 September 2019 . 21 June 2020.
  5. Web site: Prime Minister Announces New Cabinet Ministers. Government of Tonga . 10 October 2019 . 20 June 2020.
  6. 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.
  7. Web site: Tongan MP Vātau Hui charged with indecent assault of a woman: reports . Kaniva Tonga . 20 February 2024 . 23 February 2024.