Niue Rising

By Toke Talagi

This is a biography of Sir Toke Tufukia Talagi and his life from a small island in the Pacific to a knight of the realm. It covers his life work and his experiences as a businessman and into politics and the premiership. He was a reluctant politician and didn’t have any plans to be the premier. It was accidental. He was more interested in continuing to build his business and make $1 million.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris NZ
• Release date: Nov 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781543495539

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Copyright © 2019 by Toke Talagi. 772672

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ISBN:    Softcover           978-1-5434-9554-6

             Hardcover         978-1-5434-9555-3

             EBook               978-1-5434-9553-9

Library of Congress Control Number:    2019912551

Rev. date: 11/13/2019

Niue Rising

Toke Talagi

To my wife, Fita;

my children, Peleni, Nicholas, Sonya, and Huga; and my grandchildren, Aleina, Pavahine, and Honor. And to Emele, my mentor and grandmother; my parents, Pelenita and Siona; and my only sister, Brenda.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Sack of copra

Chapter 2 Scholarship

Chapter 3 On to University

Chapter 4 Working Life

Chapter 5 Some Social Observations

Chapter 6 The Politics

Chapter 7 The Forum Meeting

Chapter 8 Taoga

Chapter 9 Cyclone Heta

Chapter 10 Premiership Years

Chapter 11 The Politics of It All

Chapter 12 Changing Niue

Chapter 13 The Future

Chapter 14 Sports

Chapter 15 Realm Citizens Portability of Superannuation

Chapter 16 Heart Transplant

Introduction

I never wanted to go into politics. I didn’t want to be premier. My many supporters had other ideas. So here I am.

My ambition was to make $1 million, and that was where I maintained my focus.

This book is a bibliography of my life. But it’s also about Niue, the development of a small island state, completely dependent on New Zealand for survival.

And finally, it’s about the politics on that small island state.

Throughout Niue Rising, I’ll offer a different perspective and express a desire for the state to be less dependent and more self-sustaining, taking a business approach.

New Zealand minister Murray McCully was a godsend. He single-handedly changed Wellington’s approach, and Niue’s success is due, in no small part, to his influence. I’ve taken a few liberties in my conversations with him.

I’ve thrown the book away and challenged everything that used to be the norm.

The job, in its simplest form, is the management of our resources, including donor funds, loans, and so on. The business approach is very clear, and the outcomes focus on diversifying and building a strong economy. Improved revenue and strong community support are paramount. But linked to everything is the environmental capacity that we are all dependent on. So Niue must be kept pristine, clean, and sustainable for the future of our children.

I hope my family, to whom I dedicated Niue Rising, will be proud of the work I have done for us—the family and Niue Fekai Nukututaha.

I have dared to be different, dared to be ambitious, and resisted irrational methods in the pursuit of a better, healthier, and more prosperous life for Niue and those of us who call Niue home.

May God, in his love and infinite wisdom, bless us all.

Kia fakamonuina mai he Atua a Niue mo e tau Niue ne takele ai.

Caring and Being Cared: The Environment We Live In

It’s funny how, when we talk about the environment, we discount people in the equation—when, in fact, people have the far greater influence and ability to impact the environment. People certainly have more impact than do the fish, the ugas, the wild pigs, and the peka and the lupe.

We influence whatever happens to the environment to a far greater extent than do any other beings, and we can even do great damage without realising it—or, worse, not caring about it.

We are part of our environment. Our ancestors knew this instinctively and took great care to ensure that they would continue to harvest its bounty. They were conservationists bar none and ensured that the flora and fauna should be allowed to grow and thrive. They knew that fish should be fed and harvest should be limited.

The tapu areas were there to continue to protect the peka, uga, lupe, and others. Outside of these areas, large tapu areas would also be declared to honour a life and to allow the area, particularly the reefs, to regenerate and grow plentiful again. The harvest when the tapu ends gives every family a share of that bounty.

Some people call this the circle of life, and that’s very true. We play a very important part in this circle of life. We protect, care for, and nurture the environment from which the bounty comes so we will continue to survive and thrive.

This concept is not easy. Nor is it always adhered to. But there were enough people who cared enough to make it all worthwhile.

Prior to our current lifestyle, how did those who came before us survive? The held feasts, fed the pastor, and fed their families. They were hunters and gatherers before TV started to capture people’s interest. They were expert fishers, planters, uga hunters, weavers, and foragers living off the land.

I have often referred to this as our environment capacity. This is a measure of our use of the environment to achieve better returns while still maintaining the environmental capability to produce.

You can compare this to gross domestic product (GDP), the measures of which are well known. We’d like to be able to measure environment capacity in the same way.

If done well, then our pristine, unpolluted, and crystal clear environment should remain intact. It is my view that this environmental capacity relates a great deal to waste management. But I cannot figure out a simple way to establish it.

I want to also express my views on GDP. GDP has many sectors that need to be managed if we are to achieve a better and more equitable distribution of wealth and prosperity.

Tourism has been the main driver of our economy, and our overall performance as measured by GDP reflects that. But the GDP contribution from farming and fishing may not be the same. Thus, we need to focus more to build up these sectors’ productivity in order to add to better overall performance.

Niue ke Monuina, a Prosperous Niue

Monu, monu Tagaloa e Haana levekiaga mai ki a Niue Fekai.

Fakaue kehe Haana a fakaalofanoa mo e takitakagai monuina kua maeke ke fakafoufou ke he fakamailoga lilifu mo e mahuiga nai ke lata ai moe tama Niue manako motu, gahua ma e motu mo e tau Niue ku a nonofo ke he motu.

Nakai gahua mo e amaamanaki ke pehenai, ka kua pihia e kisekiseaga he Fakatufono Niu Silani ke he tau gahua mahuiga kua gahua e Fakatufono ki ai ke lata ia mo e ha tautolu a tau onoonoaga mo e manako ke moua e tuaga ne fae fakamakamaka ki ai Niue ke Monuina.

Koe foufou mahuiga nai ne ku a fakalilifu aki e haaku a moui gahua, ko e Takitaki he ha tautolu a motu, ke lata ai foki mo tautolu e tau tagata oti he motu ko Niue kehe tau gahua kua gahua auloa mo e kau fakalataha a tautolu ki ai.

Manako au ke mailoga ke he fakalilifuaga nai haaku a tau mamatua fakahelehele, pete ni ku a momole atu a laua, haaku a Iki fifine, ha maua tau fanau, tau mokopuna mo e tau magafaoa, ha ko e ha lautolu a tau lagomatai mo e levekiaga mai kia au.

Niue is my home and my vision as Leader is a Prosperous Niue. I have dedicated and committed my work and services to helping improve our very special home, Niue. The government of New Zealand has recognised the significant work and effort the government of Niue has been working hard to achieve—Niue ke Monuina, a Prosperous Niue.

On this very special day, I pay tribute to my loving parents, my loving wife, and our children and grandchildren and families, for the support they gave me.

Ki a Fakamonuina he Atua a Niue.

May God bless Niue.

Chapter 1

SACK OF COPRA

Like taga niu we were. I was one of the lucky few to get a scholarship and then discover the wide world of New Zealand—first in Auckland and then Nelson. I was so fortunate.

Taga niu—sack of copra.

Just like the Cook Islands, Mama, when we arrived on the Moana Roa at four in the morning, it was coldish but bearable. The lights were comparable to a burning manunu. And Mama said, Spectacular! Ma nea nea.

Then I went down