Taukelina Finikaso

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Hon. Taukelina Taui Finikaso

| honorific-suffix = MP

| image = Indonesia-South Pacific Forum 2019 session (cropped).jpg

| caption = Finikaso in 2019

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|1|10|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Vaitupu, Gilbert and Ellice Islands{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| office = Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade, Tourism, Environment and Labour

| primeminister1 = Enele Sopoaga

| term_start1 = 5 August 2013

| term_end1 = 9 September 2019

| predecessor1 = Apisai Ielemia

| successor1 = Simon Kofe

| office2 = Member of the Tuvaluan Parliament
for Vaitupu

| term_start2 = 3 August 2006

| term_end2 = 9 September 2019

| predecessor2 = Leti Pelesala

| successor2 = Nielu Meisake

| party = Independent

| spouse = Risasi Finikaso

| children = Tusi, Lise, Petesa, Samasoni

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Taukelina Finikaso (born 10 January 1959) is a political figure from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu. At the 2006 general election, he was elected MP for his home constituency of Vaitupu. 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.{{cite web|first=Jamie|last=Tahana|title= Tuvalu elections: large turnover for new parliament|work=Radio New Zealand |date=10 September 2019|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/398454/tuvalu-elections-large-turnover-for-new-parliament|accessdate=10 September 2019}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2001/06/22/new-tuvalu-high-commissioner-finikaso-thanks-fiji-pm-qarase |title=NEW TUVALU HIGH COMMISSIONER FINIKASO THANKS FIJI PM QARASE |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=22 June 2001 |accessdate=19 January 2021}}

=Ministerial offices=

Newly elected Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia initially appointed him Minister of Communications and Works,{{cite web| work =Apisai Ielemia New Prime Minister| title =Tuvalu-news.tv| date =16 August 2006| url =http://www.tuvalu-news.tv/archives/2006/08/| accessdate =9 March 2013| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20130301131646/http://www.tuvalu-news.tv/archives/2006/08/| archivedate =1 March 2013}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/164041/tuvalu-elects-apisai-ielemia-as-new-prime-minister |title=Tuvalu elects Apisai Ielemia as new prime minister |publisher=RNZ |date=15 August 2006 |accessdate=19 January 2021}} then as Minister for Communications, Transport and Tourism.

At the September 2010 general election, Finikaso was re-elected as MP for Vaitupu.{{cite web| work =The Parliament of Tuvalu| title =Current Members (including Ministers and Private Members)| url =http://www.parliament.gov.tv/members/current-members/| accessdate =7 March 2013| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20130305104520/http://www.parliament.gov.tv/members/current-members/| archivedate =5 March 2013}} Maatia Toafa was elected to the premiership,{{cite web| work=Inter-Parliamentary Union|title=Palamene o Tuvalu (Parliament of Tuvalu) |year =2010 |url= http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2327_E.htm| accessdate=7 March 2013}} and appointed Finikaso as part of his Cabinet, with the portfolio of Minister for Communications, Transport and Fisheries.[http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201009/s3025304.htm "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.{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/194503/willie-telavi-the-new-prime-minister-in-tuvalu |title=Willie Telavi the new prime minister in Tuvalu |date=24 December 2010 |work=Radio New Zealand |accessdate=19 January 2021}}

Taukelina Finikaso was appointed the Foreign Minister on 5 August 2013;{{cite web| work =Islands Business| title =Enele Sopoaga Sworn-in Today as Tuvalu’s New PM| date =5 August 2013| url =http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/tuvalu/2209/enele-sopoaga-sworn-in-today-as-tuvalus-new-pm/| accessdate =5 August 2013| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054326/http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/tuvalu/2209/enele-sopoaga-sworn-in-today-as-tuvalus-new-pm/| archivedate =21 September 2013}} and served as the minister during the Sopoaga Ministry.