Moʻale Finau

{{Short description|Tongan politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Moʻale Finau

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Mo’ale Finau 2016.jpg

| office =

| primeminister =

| term_start =

| term_end =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| office2 = Minister for Justice

| term_start2 = 28 January 2025

| term_end2 =

| primeminister2 = ʻAisake Eke

| predecessor2 = Samiu Vaipulu

| successor2 =

| office3 = Minister for Tourism

| deputy3 =

| term_start3 = 28 January 2025

| term_end3 =

| predecessor3 = Viliami Latu

| successor3 =

| office4 = Governor of Ha'apai

| primeminister4 = ʻAkilisi Pōhiva

| term_start4 = 9 February 2015

| term_end4 = 26 June 2018

| predecessor4 = Havea Tu‘iha‘angana

| successor4 = Mohenoa Puloka

| constituency_MP10 = Haʻapai 12

| term_start10 = 1 September 2022

| term_end10 =

| predecessor10 = Viliami Hingano

| successor10 =

| term_start11 = 16 November 2017

| term_end11 = 18 November 2021

| predecessor11 = Viliami Hingano

| successor11 = Viliami Hingano

| constituency_MP12 =

| term_start12 = 25 November 2010

| term_end12 = 27 November 2014

| predecessor12 = none (constituency established)

| successor12 = Viliami Hingano

| majority12 = 11.1%

| birth_date = 10 February 1960

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands

| alma_mater =

| website =

| caption = Finau in 2016

}}

Moʻale Finau (born February 10, 1960{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.gov.to/about-parliament/members/people/206-moale-finau.html |title=Mo'ale Finau |publisher=Parliament of Tonga |accessdate=2011-04-03}}) is a Tongan politician and Cabinet Minister.

He is a member of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands.

Finau has a Master of Arts degree in Geography and a Certificate in Law. He worked as a teacher, businessman and leadership training officer before entering politics. He stood unsuccessfully as an independent for the seat of Haʻapai in both the 2005{{cite web |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/t/tonga/tonga2005.txt |title=KINGDOM OF TONGA LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS OF 17 MARCH 2005 |publisher=Adam Carr |date= |accessdate=28 December 2020}} and 2008{{cite web |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/t/tonga/tonga2008.txt |title=KINGDOM OF TONGA LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS OF 24 APRIL 2008 |publisher=Adam Carr |date= |accessdate=28 December 2020}} general elections. In the 2010 general election he stood in the new Haʻapai 12 constituency for the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, and was elected with 31.9% of the vote.[http://www.matangitonga.to/user?article=article/tonganews/politics/20101125_tonga_election_download_results.shtml 2010 general election results], Matangi Tonga He lost the seat by 4 votes in the 2014 election.

In February 2015, Finau was appointed Governor of Ha'apai.{{cite web |url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/265647/commoner-becomes-governor-of-tonga%27s-ha%27apai |title=Commoner becomes governor of Tonga's Ha'apai |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |date=9 February 2015 |accessdate=9 February 2015}} In May 2016 he was charged with careless driving after injuring a man while driving in Tongatapu.{{cite web |url=https://www.kanivatonga.nz/2016/05/haapai-governor-charged-with-careless-driving-after-man-injured/ |title=Ha’apai Governor charged with careless driving after man injured |publisher=Kaniva Tonga |date=20 May 2016 |access-date=9 January 2022}} In September 2017 the Auditor-General found that he had unlawfully spent T$150,000 from a community development fund on his own projects.{{cite web |url=https://www.kanivatonga.nz/2017/09/ha%ca%bbapai-governor-regarded-development-fund-blessing-projects-report-says/ |title=Haʻapai governor regarded development fund as a blessing for his own projects, report says |publisher=Kaniva Tonga |date=21 September 2017 |access-date=9 January 2022}}

He was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 2017 Tongan general election. He lost his seat again in the 2021 Tongan general election.{{cite web |url=https://matangitonga.to/2021/11/19/tonga-elects-all-male-parliament-nine-new-peoples-reps |title=Tonga elects all-male parliament with nine new People's Reps |publisher=Matangi Tonga |date=18 November 2021 |access-date=18 November 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118122442/https://matangitonga.to/2021/11/19/tonga-elects-all-male-parliament-nine-new-peoples-reps |archive-date=18 November 2021}} He was re-elected in the 2022 Ha’apai 12 by-election.{{cite web |url=https://www.parliament.gov.to/~parliam1/media-centre/latest-news/latest-news-in-english/972-acting-speaker-congratulates-mo-ale-finau-on-winning-ha-apai-12-by-election |title=Acting Speaker congratulates Mo’ale Finau on winning Ha’apai 12 by-election |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Tonga |date=5 September 2022 |access-date=6 September 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://matangitonga.to/2022/09/07/moale-finau-wins-ha-apai-12-election |title=Mo'ale Finau wins Ha‘apai 12 By-Election |publisher=Matangi Tonga |author=Linny Folau |date=7 September 2022 |access-date=7 September 2022}}

On 28 January 2025 he was appointed to the cabinet of ʻAisake Eke as Minister for Justice and Minister for Tourism.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/540167/tonga-pm-aisake-eke-unveils-new-cabinet-two-women-and-one-noble-among-the-ministers |title=Tonga PM 'Aisake Eke unveils new Cabinet: two women and one noble among the ministers |publisher=RNZ |date=28 January 2025 |access-date=28 January 2025}}