[1] While he initially planned to run in the constituency of Alofi north, he ultimately ran as a candidate on the common roll.
[3] This led to speculation that he would put his name forward as a contender for Premier, something Hipa confirmed,[4] but ultimately he did not put his name forward and the election was contested between Dalton Tagelagi and O'Love Jacobsen.
He left the role early and it ended in court action taken by the government against him.
[6] In August 2021 he was medevaced to Auckland, New Zealand in a critical condition.
[7] Hipa retired due to ill-health at the 2023 election.