Toke Talagi

Who is Toke Talagi?

Toke Tufukia Talagi is the current premier of Niue. He was elected premier by the Niue Assembly on 19 June 2008, defeating the standing premier Young Vivian by fourteen votes to five, with one abstaining.

It was under Talagi's premiership that Niue became, in November 2011, a founding member of the Polynesian Leaders Group, a regional grouping intended to cooperate on a variety of issues including culture and language, education, responses to climate change, and trade and investment.

Talagi has been, at various times, deputy prime minister, minister of Finance, and minister of Education. Elected to the national Assembly in 2002, he obtained the same number of votes as an opponent in the 2005 election, and retained his seat only thanks to a favourable random draw to designate a winner. He was re-elected easily in 2008.

There are no political parties in Niue; Talagi is therefore an independent.

Talagi is also president of the Niue Rugby Union.

In 2008, he was elected chair of the Pacific Islands Forum. In May 2009, Talagi co-chaired the 5th Pacific Alliance Leaders Meeting with then Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso in Hokkaido.