Taukelina Finikaso (born 10 January 1959) is a political figure from the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

nation of

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northea ...

. At the 2006 general election, he was elected MP for his home constituency of

Vaitupu Vaitupu is the largest atoll of the nation of Tuvalu. It is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees east. There are 1,061 people (2017 Census) living on with the main village being Asau. Geography The island, which covers approxima ...

. He was educated in Kiribati and Fiji before acquiring a Law Degree at the University of Tasmania and a master's degree in International Law from Sydney University. Finikaso was admitted on 16 October 1987 to the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. Prior to entering into politics, Finikaso worked as a lawyer and then as a Permanent Secretary under the different ministries of the Government. Finikaso has been a Member of Parliament for the Constituency of Vaitupu from 2006 to 2019. He was not re-elected in the 2019 general election.

Career

1987–1992: Crown-Counsel in the Attorney General's Office 1992–1994: Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources 1994–1996: Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs & Labour 1996–1997: Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Human Resources Development 1997 – Established the office for the Trade Commissioner in Asia, based in Hong-Kong 1997–1998: Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health, Women and Community Affairs 1998–1999: Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Works, Energy and Communications 2000–2005: Tuvalu's High Commissioner to Fiji

Ministerial offices

Newly elected

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Apisai Ielemia initially appointed him Minister of Communications and Works, then as Minister for Communications, Transport and Tourism. At the September 2010 general election, Finikaso was re-elected as MP for Vaitupu.

Maatia Toafa Maatia Toafa OBE (born 1 May 1954) is a Tuvaluan politician, representing Nanumea, who served two non-consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He first served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2006, from the resignation of his predecessor, S ...

was elected to the premiership, and appointed Finikaso as part of his

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

, with the portfolio of Minister for Communications, Transport and Fisheries."New Tuvalu PM Maatia Toafa names cabinet"
ABC Radio Australia, 29 September 2010 He lost office just three months later, when Toafa's government was brought down by a

motion of no confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...

. Taukelina Finikaso was appointed the Foreign Minister on 5 August 2013; and served as the minister during the

Sopoaga Ministry The Sopoaga Ministry was the 14th ministry of the Government of Tuvalu, led by Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga. It succeeds the Telavi Ministry upon its swearing in by Governor-General Sir Iakoba Italeli on 5 August 2013. Following the 2015 gen ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finikas, Taukelina People from Vaitupu Members of the Parliament of Tuvalu Communication ministers of Tuvalu Environment ministers of Tuvalu Fisheries ministers of Tuvalu Foreign Ministers of Tuvalu Labour ministers of Tuvalu Public works ministers of Tuvalu Transport ministers of Tuvalu Tourism ministers of Tuvalu Living people 1959 births

Career

Ministerial offices

See also

References

External links