Sunia Fili
{{Short description|Tongan politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Sunia Fili
|honorific-suffix =
|image =
|caption =
|office =
|primeminister =
|term_start =
|term_end =
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|office2 = Minister for Police, Prisons and Fire Services
|term_start2 = 1 May 2012
|term_end2 = 25 June 2012
|primeminister2 = Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō
|predecessor2 = Lisiate ʻAkolo
|successor2 = Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō
|office3 = Minister of Finance
|primeminister3 =
|term_start3 = 3 January 2011
|term_end3 = 1 May 2012
|predecessor3 = Afuʻalo Matoto
|successor3 = Lisiate ʻAkolo
|office4 =
|leader4 =
|term_start4 =
|term_end4 =
|predecessor4 =
|successor4 =
|constituency_MP5 = ʻEua 11ʻEua 11 was technically a new constituency from 2010, but corresponded exactly to the boundaries of the previous electoral constituency for Eua.
|term_start5 = 11 March 1999
|term_end5 = 27 November 2014
|predecessor5 = Tu'ipulotu L. Lauaki
|successor5 = Tevita Lavemaau
|majority5 =
|constituency_MP6 =
|parliament6 =
|term_start6 =
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|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|12|01|df=yes}}
|birth_place =
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|party = Human Rights and Democracy Movement
Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands
|alma_mater =
|website =
}}
Sunia Manu Fili (born 1 December 1965){{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.gov.to/about-parliament/members/ministers/252-hon-sunia-fili.html |title=Hon. Sunia Fili |publisher=parliament of Tonga |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009021757/http://www.parliament.gov.to/about-parliament/members/ministers/252-hon-sunia-fili.html |archive-date=9 October 2011}} is a Tongan politician and former Cabinet Minister. He is a former member of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement and the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands.
Biography
Fili graduated with a BA from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. He worked as a lawyer and high school teacher before entering politics. He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly as People's Representative for ʻEua at the 1999 election.
In September 2009 Fili was the only member of the Tongan Parliament to support the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.{{cite web |url=http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/parliament/20091020_tonga_cedaw_sevele.shtml |title=House unites in comfort zone of set culture and tradition |author=Pesi Fonua |publisher=Matangi Tonga |date=20 October 2009 |access-date=21 November 2021}}
Fili was re-elected MP for the constituency of ʻEua in the 2010 election. He was appointed Minister of Finance in Lord Tuʻivakano's Cabinet,{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2011/01/04/tonga-prime-minister-names-cabinet |title=TONGA PRIME MINISTER NAMES CABINET |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=4 January 2011 |access-date=21 November 2021}} to which was added the portfolio of Inland Revenue on September 1, 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2011/09/08/public-unaware-tonga%E2%80%99s-government-reshuffle |title=PUBLIC UNAWARE OF TONGA’S GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=8 September 2011 |access-date=21 November 2021}} In a Cabinet reshuffle on 1 May 2012, Fili became Minister for Police, Prisons and Fire Services; Lisiate ‘Akolo was made Minister of Finance, and Sosefo Vakata was given the Revenue portfolio.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2012/04/20/tonga-shake-ministers%E2%80%99-portfolios-again |title=TONGA TO SHAKE-UP MINISTERS’ PORTFOLIOS AGAIN |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=20 April 2012 |access-date=21 November 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/204060/tonga-reshuffles-cabinet |title=Tonga reshuffles cabinet |publisher=RNZ |date=23 April 2012 |access-date=21 November 2021}} Following the reshuffle Fili allegedly passed a letter from his predecessor, Lisiate ʻAkolo, which criticised other ministers and suggested creating Associate Minister posts to weaken the opposition, to Deputy Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu, who leaked it to the media.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/204594/tonga-talk-of-associate-ministers-goes-against-constitution |title=Tonga talk of associate ministers goes against constitution |publisher=RNZ |date=16 May 2012 |access-date=21 November 2021}}{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2012/05/21/police-minister-reshuffle-tonga-leads-cabinet-controversy |title=Police Minister Reshuffle In Tonga Leads To Cabinet Controversy |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=21 May 2012 |access-date=21 November 2021}} In late June 2012, Fili - along with two other ministers - resigned from the Cabinet, so as to support a motion of no confidence tabled by the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands against the government.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/205463/three-cabinet-ministers-in-tonga-resign-ahead-of-confidence-motion |title=Three Cabinet Ministers in Tonga resign ahead of confidence motion |publisher=RNZ |date=25 June 2012 |access-date=21 November 2021}}
In July 2014 Fili was dumped as a Democratic Party candidate.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/249893/tonga-democratic-party-dumps-four-mps |title=Tonga Democratic Party dumps four MPs |publisher=RNZ |date=16 July 2014 |accessdate=21 November 2021}} He ran as an independent in the 2014 Tongan general election, but was not re-elected. He contested the 2017 election as a candidate for the Langafonua 'a e Masiva, but was also unsuccessful.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/340726/former-auckland-lawyer-hoping-third-time-lucky-in-tonga-poll |title=Former Auckland lawyer hoping third time lucky in Tonga poll |publisher=RNZ |date=3 October 2017 |access-date=21 November 2021}}
In October 2022 he graduated with a law degree from the University of the South Pacific.{{cite web |url=https://matangitonga.to/2022/10/17/former-eua-mp-graduates-law |title=Former 'Eua MP graduates in law |publisher=Matangi Tonga |date=17 October 2022 |access-date=19 October 2022}}