Willie Jimmy Tapangararua, often just referred to as Willie Jimmy, is a Vanuatu

Vanuatu

Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...

 politician with the National United Party

National United Party (Vanuatu)

The Vanuatu National United Party is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 8 out of 52 seats. It is a social democratic party which receives most of its support from English speakers...

.

Career

Jimmy formerly served as Vanuatu's Minister of Finance. In 2003, he was nominated to be the country's Deputy Prime Minister, but at the last minute was switched to the Minister of Trade position, so that the NUP president could be nominated in his place, as part of a coalition-building strategy. He would go on to play a role in relations with China as his country's first ambassador to China, appointed in 2009.

Other

Jean Paul Virelala of the Ministry of Education filed a defamation suit against Jimmy, CEO Terry Kerr of Air Vanuatu

Air Vanuatu

Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific...

, and the Vanuatu Daily Post

Vanuatu Daily Post

The Vanuatu Daily Post is a newspaper published in Port Vila in Vanuatu. It is the only daily newspaper in Vanuatu.-External links:**...

over 2007 comments by the former two published in the latter organ; the newspaper quoted Jimmy as saying in relation to Virelala's consultancy work for the airline that "I am concerned that Mr. Virelala will be wanting to get back at the current management for his dismissal and it will create problems." However, the suit was thrown out in October 2010.