| Honorific prefix | The Honourable |
|---|---|
| Office | Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga |
| Prime minister | Siaosi Sovaleni |
| Term start | 28 December 2021 |
| Term end | 10 August 2022 |
| Predecessor | Lord Maʻafu |
| Successor | Vacant |
| Office 1 | Minister for Energy, Environment, Information and Climate Change |
| Prime minister 1 | Siaosi Sovaleni Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa ʻAkilisi Pōhiva |
| Term start 1 | 4 January 2018 |
| Term end 1 | 10 August 2022 |
| Predecessor 1 | Siaosi Sovaleni |
| Office 2 | Minister for Public Enterprises |
| Term start 2 | 28 December 2021 |
| Term end 2 | 10 August 2022 |
| Prime minister 2 | Siaosi Sovaleni |
| Predecessor 2 | Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa |
| Successor 2 | Siaosi Sovaleni |
| Prime minister 3 | ʻAkilisi Pōhiva |
| Term start 3 | 30 December 2014 |
| Term end 3 | 4 January 2018 |
| Predecessor 3 | Fe‘aomoeata Vakata |
| Successor 3 | Saia Piukala |
| Constituency mp 5 | Tongatapu 6 |
| Term start 5 | 27 November 2014 |
| Term end 5 | 10 August 2022 |
| Predecessor 5 | Siosifa Tuʻutafaiva |
| Successor 5 | Dulcie Tei |
| Birth date | 4 October 1967 (age 58) |
| Party | None |
Poasi Mataele Tei (born 4 October 1967) is a Tongan politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga.[1]
Tei was educated at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and an MBA.[2] Before entering politics he worked for the Statistics Department, as an accountant for the Tonga Co-operative Federation, Pacific Finance and Investment, Tonga Water Board and Tonga Airport Limited.[2]
Political career
He was first elected to Parliament as a Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands candidate at the 2014 Tongan general election, and was appointed as Minister for Public Enterprises in the ʻAkilisi Pōhiva Cabinet. In 2015 he attempted to remove two nobles as directors of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission, but the decision was later overturned by the courts.[3] He was re-elected at the 2017 election and appointed as Minister of Energy, Environment, Information and Climate Change (MEIDEEC).[4][5]
Following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva Tei supported Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa for Prime Minister. He retained his portfolios in the Tuʻiʻonetoa's Cabinet.[6]
He was re-elected in the 2021 election.[7] On 28 December 2021 he was appointed to the Cabinet of Siaosi Sovaleni as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Public Enterprises, and Minister for Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Communications and Climate Change (MEIDECC).[8] On 13 May 2022 his election was declared void after the Supreme Court found him guilty of three counts of bribery in an election petition.[9][10] The conviction was stayed pending appeal on 26 May 2022.[11] On 9 August 2022 his appeal was dismissed, and his election confirmed as void.[12][13] He was formally unseated by Parliament on 10 August.[14] His wife Dulcie Elaine Tei won the resulting by-election.[15]
References
- ^ "Poasi Mataele Tei". parliament.gov.to. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "Hon. Poasi Mataele Tei appointed as the new Minister for Public Enterprises". Ports Authority Tonga. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "The nobles win a case against the government". The Economist Intelligence Unit. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "Prime Minister Pōhiva submits his cabinet lineup to the Tongan king". Asia-Pacific Report. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "Tonga's Cabinet posts finally confirmed". RNZ. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ ""Prime Minister Announces New Cabinet Ministers"". Government of Tonga. 10 October 2019. Archived 11 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "Tonga elects all-male parliament with nine new People's Reps". Matangi Tonga. 18 November 2021. Archived 18 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "PM names new government". Matangi Tonga. 29 December 2021. Archived 29 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
- ^ "Four MPs have now lost seats in Tonga". RNZ. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ "Third Cabinet Minister disqualified as Tei found guilty of bribery in Tongatapu 6 contest". Kaniva Tonga. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ "Convicted Tongan MPs given stay by appeals". RNZ. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ "Appeals dismissed, three Cabinet Ministers elections void". Matangi Tonga. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "Tonga court dismisses three Cabinet Ministers' electoral fraud appeals; upholds former PM's appeal". Kaniva Tonga. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "Three Cabinet Ministers unseated". Matangi Tonga. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "3 new MPS for Tongatapu decided in by-election". Matangi Tonga. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.