Tofa Siaosi

Tuatagaloa Tofa Siaosi (died June 1981) was a Western Samoan politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1967 until 1973 and was Minister of Finance between 1970 and 1973.

Tofa Siaosi
Minister of Finance
In office
1970–1973
Preceded byFred Betham
Succeeded bySam Saili
Member of the Legislative Assembly
In office
1970–1973
Preceded byLeaupepe Fiti
ConstituencyA'ana Alofi No. 1
In office
1967–1970
Preceded byVaitagutu Siaki
Succeeded byMataia Europa
ConstituencyFaleata East
Personal details
DiedJune 1981
Apia, Western Samoa

Biography

Born George Nauer, the son of politician Thomas Nauer, he was educated in New Zealand. After returning to Samoa, he took Samoan status and adopted the Samoan version of his name.[1] He married the niece of Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV and gained the titles Taneolevo, Tofa and Tuatagaloa.[1]

In 1967 Siaosi was elected unopposed to the Legislative Assembly from the Faleata East constituency,[2] becoming the youngest person ever elected to the Legislative Assembly.[3] In 1969 he introduced a bill for universal suffrage, replacing the restriction on only matai being allowed to vote, but it was defeated by a vote of 37–6.[4]

Siaosi switched to the A'ana Alofi No. 1 constituency for the 1970 elections and was re-elected.[2] Following the elections, he was appointed Minister of Finance by Prime Minister Tupua Tamasese, becoming the country's youngest minister at only 27.[5][1] However, he lost his seat in the 1973 elections,[6] in which he ran in the Falealili constituency.[2] He subsequently worked as an accountant for Peter Meredith firm.[3] He unsuccessfully contested the Aana Alofi No. 1 constituency again in 1976.

He died in Apia in June 1981 following a heart attack.[3]

References
  1. Malama Meleisea (1987) The Making of Modern Samoa: Traditional Authority and Colonial Administration in the History of Western Samoa University of the South Pacific, p176
  2. Samoan election results by constituency 1964–2016 Samoa Election Results Database
  3. Tuatagaloa Tofa Siaosi Pacific Islands Monthly, August 1981, p73
  4. The chiefs keep their power in W. Samoa Pacific Islands Monthly, May 1969, p28
  5. (1) It's a vital, young cabinet Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1970, pp50–51
  6. As you were in W. Samoa with Mataafa on top again Pacific Islands Monthly, April 1973, p25
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