Current Cabinet
The current Cabinet results from the November 2010 general election, the first enabling ordinary citizens to elect a majority of Members of Parliament, and the first also enabling Parliament to elect the Prime Minister. After being elected Prime Minister by Parliament, Lord Tuʻivakanō appointed the following as his Cabinet. His decision to appoint Dr. Ana Taufeʻulungaki and Clive Edwards, who were not Members of Parliament, was met with some controversy, but Tuʻivakanō defended his choice on the grounds of their experience. It also meant that the Ministry for Women's Affairs would be headed by a woman; as all members of the legislature were men, appointing a Member of Parliament to the position would have meant it being held by a man.
The Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, which had won twelve of the seventeen seats allotted to people's representatives in the Assembly, requested six seats in Cabinet, but was awarded only two, generating some disagreements within the party itself. Senior party MPs ʻAkilisi Pohiva and ʻIsileli Pulu nevertheless accepted the proposed Cabinet positions.
Lord Tuʻivakanō's first Cabinet, announced at the beginning of January 2011, was thus the following. On 13 January, however, newly appointed Health Minister ʻAkilisi Pohiva (People's representative for Tongatapu 1) resigned, in protest over his party having only two Cabinet positions, and refusing to be bound by collective Cabinet responsibility. He was replaced by ʻUliti Uata (DPFI, People's Representative for Haʻapai 13) on 25 January.
Portfolio | Minister | Constituency | Party |
---|---|---|---|
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Defence, Minister for Information and Communication |
Lord Tuʻivakanō | Nobles' representative for Tongatapu |
None |
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Justice, Minister for Transport and Works |
Samiu Kuita Vaipulu | People's representative for Vavaʻu 15 |
Independent |
Minister for Lands, Survey, Natural Resources and Environment and Climate Change |
Lord Maʻafu | Nobles' representative for Tongatapu |
None |
Minister for Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries | Lord Vaea | Nobles' representative for Tongatapu |
None |
Minister for Finance | Sunia Manu Fili | People's representative for ʻEua 11 |
Independent |
Minister for Training, Employment, Youth and Sports | Feʻaomoeata Vakata | People's representative for Niuas 17 |
Independent |
Minister for Police, Prisons and Fire Services | Viliami Latu | People's representative for Vavaʻu 16 |
Independent |
Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries | Lisiate ʻAloveita ʻAkolo | People's representative for Vavaʻu 14 |
Independent |
Minister for Health | ʻAkilisi Pohiva | People's representative for Tongatapu 1 |
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands |
Minister for Tourism | ʻIsileli Pulu | People's representative for Tongatapu 4 |
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands |
Minister for Revenue Services and Public Enterprises | Wiliam Clive Edwards | not in Parliament | People's Democratic Party |
Minister for Education, Women Affairs and Culture | Dr. ʻAna Maui Taufeʻulungaki | not in Parliament | None |
On September 1, 2011, following a reshuffle which switched portfolios around without adding any new minister nor removing any, the Cabinet was as follows:
Portfolio | Minister | Constituency | Party |
---|---|---|---|
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Defence, Minister for Information and Communication |
Lord Tuʻivakanō | Nobles' representative for Tongatapu |
None |
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Transport and Works |
Samiu Kuita Vaipulu | People's representative for Vavaʻu 15 |
Independent |
Minister for Lands, Survey, Natural Resources and Environment and Climate Change |
Lord Maʻafu | Nobles' representative for Tongatapu |
None |
Minister for Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries | Lord Vaea | Nobles' representative for Tongatapu |
None |
Minister for Finance and Inland Revenue | Sunia Manu Fili | People's representative for ʻEua 11 |
Independent |
Minister for Training, Employment, Youth and Sports | Feʻaomoeata Vakata | People's representative for Niuas 17 |
Independent |
Minister for Tourism | Viliami Latu | People's representative for Vavaʻu 16 |
Independent |
Minister for Police, Prisons and Fire Services | Lisiate ʻAloveita ʻAkolo | People's representative for Vavaʻu 14 |
Independent |
Minister for Health | ʻUliti Uata | People's representative for Haʻapai 13 |
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands |
Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries | ʻIsileli Pulu | People's representative for Tongatapu 4 |
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands |
Minister for Justice; Minister for Public Enterprises |
Wiliam Clive Edwards | not in Parliament | People's Democratic Party |
Minister for Education, Women Affairs and Culture | Dr. ʻAna Maui Taufeʻulungaki | not in Parliament | None |
In mid-April 2012, another reshuffle was announced, to be effective from 1 May. Lisiate ʻAkolo, the Minister for Police, was to become Minister for Finance and National Planning. Sunia Fili, the Minister for Finance and Revenue, was to take over the Police, Prisons & Fire Services portfolio; Sosefo Vakata, Minister for Training, Employment, Youth and Sports, would become Minister for Revenue. Lord Vaea, in addition to retaining his Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries portfolio, would take over Vakata's erstwhile ministry. The reshuffle was implemented on 1 May.
In late June, three ministers (ʻIsileli Pulu (Labour), Sunia Fili (Police) and ʻUliti Uata (Health)) resigned, so as to support a motion of no confidence tabled by their party (DPFI) against the government. On 1 July, Sangster Saulala broke ranks with the DPFI to join the government, but resigned and rejoined the opposition the next day. On 5 July, Lord Tuʻiʻafitu was appointed Minister for Health. The other vacated portfolios remained vacant; Matangi Tonga pointed out that "the selection is difficult because of the very few friendly members of parliament left to choose from", as the (delayed) motion of no confidence loomed. On 13 July, Saulala joined the government once more, as Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food. He argued that, although he was breaking ranks with his own party, it was the wish of his constituents.
No further announcement was made until 7 January 2013, when Lord Tuʻivakanō announced the following Cabinet:
Portfolio | Minister | Constituency | Party |
---|---|---|---|
Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Minister for Defence, Minister for Information and Communication, Acting Minister for Police, Fire Services and Prisons |
Lord Tuʻivakanō | Nobles' representative for Tongatapu |
None |
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure |
Samiu Kuita Vaipulu | People's representative for Vavaʻu 15 |
Independent |
Minister for Lands, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources |
Lord Maʻafu | Nobles' representative for Tongatapu |
None |
Minister for Education and Training | Dr. ʻAna Maui Taufeʻulungaki | not in Parliament | None |
Minister for Health | Lord Tuʻiʻafitu | Nobles' representative for Vavaʻu |
None |
Minister for Finance and National Planning | Lisiate ʻAloveita ʻAkolo | People's representative for Vavaʻu 14 |
Independent |
Minister for Commerce and Tourism | Viliami Latu | People's representative for Vavaʻu 16 |
Independent |
Minister for Internal Affairs | Lord Vaea | Nobles' representative for Tongatapu |
None |
Minister for Justice; Minister for Public Enterprises |
Wiliam Clive Edwards | not in Parliament | People's Democratic Party |
Minister for Revenue Services | Feʻaomoeata Vakata | People's representative for Niuas 17 |
Independent |
Minister for Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries |
Sangster Saulala | People's representative for Tongatapu 7 |
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands |
On 2 February 2013, there was another reshuffle. Sifa Tuʻutafaiva, DPFI MP for Tongatapu 6, was appointed Minister for Police, Prisons and Fire Services, and Minister for Revenue Services, his first ministerial appointments. Feʻaomoeata Vakata, until then Minister for Revenue Services, was shuffled to the position of Minister of Public Enterprises, replacing Clive Edwards, who retained his other position as Minister for Justice.
Read more about this topic: Cabinet Of Tonga
Famous quotes containing the words current and/or cabinet:
“For the purpose of knowledge, one must know how to use that inner current that draws us to a thing, and then the one that, after a time, draws us away from it.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (18441900)
“I suppose an entire cabinet of shells would be an expression of the whole human mind; a Flora of the whole globe would be so likewise, or a history of beasts; or a painting of all the aspects of the clouds. Everything is significant.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)