Dion Taufitu
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry
In office
26 March 1999 – 1 May 2002
Prime MinisterSani Lakatani
Succeeded byBill Vakaafi Motufoou
Minister of Public Works
In office
26 March 1999 – 1 May 2002
Prime MinisterSani Lakatani
Succeeded byBill Vakaafi Motufoou
Member of the Niuean Parliament
for Toi
Assumed office
7 June 2008
Preceded byLilivika Muimatagi
Member of the Niuean Parliament
for Toi
In office
7 April 1990 – 30 April 2005
Succeeded byLilivika Muimatagi

Dion Paki Taufitu is a Niuean politician and Cabinet Minister.

Taufitu formerly served as clerk of the Niue Assembly.[1] He was first elected to the Assembly at the 1990 Niuean general election.[1] He was re-elected at the 1996 election.[2] He was re-elected at the 1999 election and appointed Minister of Administrative Services, Public Works, Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Employment, and Broadcasting in the government of Sani Lakatani.[3][4] He was re-elected at the 2002 election,[5] but lost his seat at the 2005 election on a hat-draw.[6]

He was re-elected to the Assembly at the 2008 Niuean general election. He was re-elected in the 2011 election,[7] but was in New Zealand for medical treatment when it was time to be sworn in. Speaker of the Assembly Ahohiva Levi travelled to Auckland and privately administered the oath of office there, but the validity of the process was challenged by common roll MP Togia Sioneholo.[8] In March 2012 the High Court of Niue ruled that the oath was invalid, precipitating the 2012 Toi by-election.[9] Taufitu won the by-election and was subsequently sworn in in April 2012.[10]

At the 2014 election Taufitu tied with Mokaelalini Vaha,[11] but was elected after his name was drawn from a hat.[12] Vaha launched an unsuccessful election petition.[13][14]

He was re-elected at the 2017 and 2020 elections. In July 2022 he served as an acting Minister while Premier Dalton Tagelagi was overseas.[15] When the Assembly sat in 2023, he was elected interim Speaker for its first sitting, as Speaker Hima Douglas was overseas.[16] At the 2023 election he was re-elected unopposed.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 "Rex beats the odds". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 60, no. 5. 1 May 1990. p. 19. Retrieved 5 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ Levine, Stephen (1997). "Niue in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996". The Contemporary Pacific. 9 (1): 237.
  3. ↑ Levine, Stephen (2000). "Niue in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999". The Contemporary Pacific. 12 (1): 232–233.
  4. ↑ "Lui loses his seat". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 69, no. 6. 1 June 1999. p. 39. Retrieved 5 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "NIUE'S ELECTION INCONCLUSIVE". Pacific Islands Report. 22 April 2002. Archived from the original on 10 September 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  6. ↑ "NIUE'S TALAGI PULLS ELECTION OUT OF HAT". Pacific islands Report. 9 May 2005. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Preliminary Results Niue Election 2011". Niue News 1. 8 May 2011. Archived from the original on 25 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "Niue MP challenges swearing-in of colleague in Auckland". RNZ. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Niue by-election after oath declared void". RNZ. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Taufitu takes Niue seat after successful swearing-in". RNZ. 9 April 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "Straws to be drawn today on who will win crucial Niue seat". RNZ. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Winner of a crucial Niue seat decided". RNZ. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Newly elected Niue MP challenged". RNZ. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Niue High Court makes ruling on petition inquiry". RNZ. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  15. ↑ Esther Pavihi (5 July 2022). "Acting Speaker Hon. Va'aiga Tukuitoga was sworn in today". TV Niue. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  16. ↑ Esther Pavihi (3 February 2023). "The first meeting of the Fono Ekepule in 2023 with interim Speaker Hon. Dion Taufitu". TV Niue. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  17. ↑ Esther Pavihi (14 April 2023). "List of candidates for the 2023 General Elections released; Tagelagi duly elected with 5 others". TV Niue. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
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