Billy Talagi

{{short description|Niuean politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Billy Talagi

|honorific-suffix =

|image = Billy Talagi 2017 (3x4 crop).jpg

|caption = Billy Talagi in 2017

|office = Minister for Education and Social Services

|primeminister = Toke Talagi

|term_start = 6 May 2017

|term_end = 30 May 2020

|predecessor = Pokotoa Sipeli

|successor = Sauni Tongatule

|office2 = Minister of Natural Resources

|term_start2 = 30 April 2014

|term_end2 = 6 May 2017

|primeminister2 =

|predecessor2 =

|successor2 = Dalton Tagelagi

|office3 =

|deputy3 =

|term_start3 =

|term_end3 =

|predecessor3 =

|successor3 =

|office4 =

|leader4 =

|term_start4 =

|term_end4 =

|predecessor4 =

|successor4 =

| constituency_MP10 = Common Roll

| parliament10 = Niuean

| term_start10 = 29 April 2023

| term_end10 =

| predecessor10 =

| successor10 =

| constituency_MP11 = Avatele

| parliament11 = Niuean

| term_start11 = 19 March 1999

| term_end11 = 30 May 2020

| predecessor11 = Aokuso Pavihi

| successor11 = Poimamao Vakanofisi

| majority11 =

| constituency_MP12 = Common Roll

| parliament12 = Niuean

| term_start12 = 15 February 1997

| term_end12 = 19 March 1999

| predecessor12 =

| successor12 =

|birth_date =

|birth_place =

|death_date =

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|party = None

|alma_mater =

|website =

}}

Billy Graham Talagi is a Niuean politician and former Member of the Niue Assembly. He is the brother of former Premier of Niue Toke Talagi.

Career

Talagi was first elected to the Niue Assembly in a 1997 by-election.{{cite journal |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13211/v10n1-216-222-politicalrev.pdf |title=Niue in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997 |author=Stephen Levine |work=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=10 |issue=1 |date=Spring 1998 |pages=216-22 |accessdate=26 June 2020 |archive-date=29 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629045246/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13211/v10n1-216-222-politicalrev.pdf |url-status=dead }} He has represented the village of Avatele in the Niue Assembly continuously since 1999.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/1999/03/22/niue-premier-frank-lui-loses-assembly-seat |title=NIUE PREMIER FRANK LUI LOSES ASSEMBLY SEAT |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=22 March 1999 |accessdate=25 June 2020 |archive-date=28 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628033821/http://www.pireport.org/articles/1999/03/22/niue-premier-frank-lui-loses-assembly-seat |url-status=dead }}{{cite journal |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13513/v12n1-231-236-politicalrev.pdf |title=Political Review: Niue |author=Stephen Levine |work=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=12 |issue=1 |date=Spring 2000 |pages=231-236 |access-date=2020-06-25 |archive-date=2022-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512043807/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13513/v12n1-231-236-politicalrev.pdf |url-status=dead }} In 2005, 2008, and 2014 he was elected unopposed. In 2014 he was made Minister of Natural Resources in the Cabinet of Toke Talagi.{{cite web|url=http://www.gov.nu/wb/media/Premier%20Talagi%20Press%20Releases/Press%20Release%20-Cabinet%20Ministers%20new%20Portfolios.pdf |title=GOVERNMENT OF NIUE OFFICE OF THE PREMIER |publisher=Gov.nu |accessdate=30 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009232649/http://www.gov.nu/wb/media/Premier%20Talagi%20Press%20Releases/Press%20Release%20-Cabinet%20Ministers%20new%20Portfolios.pdf |archivedate=9 October 2014 }}{{cite web |url=http://pacificguardians.org/blog/2014/04/30/premier-toke-talagi-announces-niue-govt-and-cabinet-portfolios/ |title=Premier Toke Talagi announces Niue Govt and cabinet portfolios |author=Lealaiauloto Aigaletaulealea Tauafiafi |publisher=Pacific Guardians |date=30 April 2014 |accessdate=26 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419120249/http://pacificguardians.org/blog/2014/04/30/premier-toke-talagi-announces-niue-govt-and-cabinet-portfolios/ |archive-date=19 April 2018 |url-status=dead }} In 2017 he was made Minister for Education and Social Services.{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.nu/wb/pages/parliament/cabinet.php |title=Cabinet Ministers and Portfolios |publisher=Government of Niue |date= |accessdate=11 June 2020 |url-status= |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307113304/http://www.gov.nu/wb/pages/parliament/cabinet.php |archivedate=7 March 2020}} In 2019 he served as Acting Prime Minister while Toke Talagi was receiving medical treatment in New Zealand.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/398214/growing-concern-in-niue-over-premier-s-absence-opposition-mp |title=Growing concern in Niue over premier's absence - opposition MP |publisher=RNZ |date=6 September 2019 |accessdate=25 June 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/399420/niue-s-premier-returns-to-island-but-not-to-office |title=Niue's Premier returns to island but not to office |publisher=RNZ |date=23 September 2019 |accessdate=25 June 2020}}

In May 2018 Talagi was discharged without conviction after pleading guilty to assaulting MP Terry Coe outside the Niuean Assembly.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/357316/niue-minister-admits-guilt-on-assault-discharged |title=Niue minister admits guilt on assault, discharged |publisher=RNZ |date=14 May 2018 |accessdate=25 June 2020}}

He contested the common roll in the 2020 Niuean general election but failed to win a seat.{{cite web |url=https://pmn.co.nz/articles/niue-mps-set-to-elect-new-premier-to-replace-sir-toke-talagi |title=Niue: MPs set to elect new Premier to replace Sir Toke Talagi |publisher=PMN News |date=9 June 2020 |accessdate=25 June 2020}} He was re-elected at the 2023 election.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/489170/son-of-former-niue-premier-among-six-newcomers-to-parliament |title=Son of former Niue Premier among six newcomers to Parliament |publisher=RNZ |date=3 May 2023 |access-date=3 May 2023}}

References