Frank Lui
{{Short description|Niuean politician (1935–2021)}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Frank Lui
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|CNZM|size=100%}}
| image =
| caption =
| office = Premier of Niue
| term_start = 12 March 1993
| term_end = 26 March 1999
| 1blankname = {{nowrap|Governor-General}}
| 1namedata = Catherine Tizard
Michael Hardie Boys
| deputy =
| predecessor = Vivian Young
| successor = Sani Lakatani
| office2 =
| term_start2 =
| term_end2 =
| primeminister2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| office3 =
| deputy3 =
| term_start3 =
| term_end3 =
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 =
| office4 =
| leader4 =
| term_start4 =
| term_end4 =
| predecessor4 =
| successor4 =
| constituency_AM5 = Alofi North
| assembly5 = Niue
| term_start5 = 1969
| term_end5 = 19 March 1999
| predecessor5 = Arumaki Strickland
| successor5 = Va'aiga Tukuitonga
| majority5 =
| constituency_AM6 =
| assembly6 =
| term_start6 = 1963
| term_end6 = 9 April 1966
| predecessor6 = Arumaki Strickland
| successor6 = Arumaki Strickland
| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|11|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = Alofi, Niue
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|07|09|1935|11|19|df=y}}
| death_place = Alofi, Niue
| spouse = Iris Lui
| party = Independent
}}
{{Politics of Niue}}
Frank Fakaotimanava Lui {{post-nominals|country=NZL|CNZM}} (19 November 1935 – 9 July 2021) was a Niuean politician, who served as the premier of the Pacific Island state of Niue from 1993 to 1999.
Early life
Lui was raised by his grandparents on Niue after his parents and older siblings migrated to Wellington, New Zealand. His parents sent for him when he was nine years old and he attended Newtown School. Soon afterwards, he transferred to Naenae School in Lower Hutt when his parents took the tenancy of a State house there. Lui left Naenae school in 1950 to attend Wellington High School (then Wellington Technical College).{{cite web |url=http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/04/former-niue-premier-to-be-honoured-by-wgtn-high-school/ |title=Former Niue Premier to be honoured by Wgtn High School |publisher=Pacific Scoop |date=20 April 2011 |accessdate=1 July 2020}}{{Failed verification|date=July 2021}}
On leaving school, he joined the New Zealand merchant navy, and was immediately caught up in the prolonged and acrimonious waterfront dispute of 1951. He returned to Niue in 1956{{Failed verification|date=July 2021}} to care for his grandparents and has lived there since. There, he was subjected to colonial discrimination which motivated him to political activity to change an oppressive, paternalistic system run by the New Zealand Government (e.g., "natives" of Niue were not permitted to buy liquor, and were paid wages lower than expatriate New Zealanders).{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} He organised the first ever strike on Niue.
Political career
Lui was elected at the 1963 Niuean general election at the age of only 28, becoming the youngest ever person elected to the Niue Assembly.{{cite web |url=https://alumni.whs.school.nz/high-achievers/frank-fakaotimanava-lui-cnzm/ |title=Frank Fakaotimanava Lui CNZM |publisher=Wellington High School |date=29 October 2017 |accessdate=1 July 2020}} He lost his seat at the 1966 election, but was re-elected in 1969.{{Failed verification|date=July 2021}} He was re-elected again in 1972 and appointed Minister of Works and Police in the Cabinet of Robert Rex.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-332219489/view?partId=nla.obj-332274753#page/n137/mode/1up |title=No election fuss |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=43 |issue=6 |date=1 June 1972 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}} He was re-elected unopposed{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} in the 1975 election and was appointed Minister of Electricity, Fisheries, Forests, Tourism, and Works.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-334718588/view?partId=nla.obj-334744938#page/n10/mode/1up |title=No Rex dynasty for Niue |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=46 |issue=6 |date=1 June 1975 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}} He served in a variety of other Cabinet positions over the next fifteen years.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} In September 1990, he was sacked from Cabinet after an attempt to oust Rex.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-342844177/view?sectionId=nla.obj-351920720 |title=Challenge shakes Rex |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=60 |issue=10 |page=18 |date=1 October 1990 |access-date=2 December 2021 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite journal |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/8564/v4n1-203-205-politicalrev.pdf |title=Niue in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1990 to 30 June 1991 |author=Stephen Levine |journal=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=4 |issue=1 |date=Spring 1992 |pages=203–5 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |archive-date=1 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701095317/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/8564/v4n1-203-205-politicalrev.pdf |url-status=dead }}
Premier
Following the death of Robert Rex in December 1992, Young Vivian was elected Premier. Lui was re-elected to the Assembly at the following 1993 election, and on 12 March was elected Premier, defeating Vivian 11 votes to 9.{{cite journal |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13368/v6n1-185-189-politicalrev.pdf |title=Niue in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1992 to 30 June 1993 |author=Stephen Levine |journal=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=6 |issue=1 |date=Spring 1994 |pages=185–189 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |archive-date=26 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626060938/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13368/v6n1-185-189-politicalrev.pdf |url-status=dead }} In March 1994, Finance Minister Sani Lakatani resigned from Cabinet, but was reinstated by Lui in the leadup to a confidence vote.{{cite journal |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13026/v7n1-155-159-politicalrev.pdf |title=Niue in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1993 to 30 June 1994 |author=Stephen Levine |journal=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=7 |issue=1 |date=Spring 1995 |pages=154–159 |accessdate=1 July 2020}} Lakatani subsequently resigned from Cabinet on 8 November after losing the finance portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle.{{cite journal |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13093/v8n1-191-197-politicalrev.pdf |title=Niue in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1994 to 30 June 1995 |author=Stephen Levine |journal=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=8 |issue=1 |date=Spring 1996 |pages=191–97 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |archive-date=28 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628065810/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13093/v8n1-191-197-politicalrev.pdf |url-status=dead }} He joined the opposition, which organised itself into the Niue People's Party and effectively deadlocked the assembly.{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132461695 |title=Niue political impasse |author=Stuart Parker |publisher=Canberra Times |date=25 January 1995 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}} A series of tied confidence votes followed, and the government was effectively unable to pass legislation through the Assembly for the rest of its term. An attempt to break the deadlock by declaring the seats of opposition MPs vacant was ultimately declared illegal by the Niue Court of Appeal.{{cite court |url=http://www.paclii.org/nu/cases/NUCA/1996/1.html |litigants=Kalauni v Jackson |vol=1996 |opinion=1 |court=Court of Appeal of Niue |date=23 January 1996 |accessdate=1 July 2020}}
In the 1996 election, Lui was re-elected to his seat, and he was narrowly re-elected as Premier, defeating Robert Rex Jr., by 11 votes to 9.{{cite journal |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13147/v9n1-236-242-politicalrev.pdf |title=Niue in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996 |author=Stephen Levine |journal=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=9 |issue=1 |date=Spring 1997 |pages=236–42 |accessdate=26 June 2020 |archive-date=28 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628161851/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13147/v9n1-236-242-politicalrev.pdf |url-status=dead }} Lui's second-term was more stable, and the government was able to pass anti-corruption laws and a ban on drift-net fishing in its Exclusive Economic Zone.{{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 |journal=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=10 |issue=1 |date=Spring 1998 |pages=216–22 |accessdate=1 July 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 }} It also partnered with Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca to set up an "international business centre" providing shell companies to international clients,{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/06/the-polynesian-rock-that-made-millions-from-panama-papers-crooks.html |title=The Polynesian 'Rock' That Made Millions From Panama Papers' Crooks |author=Michael Daly |publisher=The Daily Beast |date=5 April 2016 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502191518/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/06/the-polynesian-rock-that-made-millions-from-panama-papers-crooks.html |archivedate=2 May 2016}} and established a free internet service with the Niue Internet Users Society.{{cn|date=July 2021}}
Lui lost his seat in the 1999 election, and announced his retirement.{{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=1 July 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 }} He was replaced as premier by Sani Lakatani.{{cite journal |url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13513/v12n1-231-236-politicalrev.pdf |title=Political Review: Niue |author=Stephen Levine |journal=The Contemporary Pacific |volume=12 |issue=1 |date=Spring 2000 |pages=231–236 |doi=10.1353/cp.2000.0020 |s2cid=258059013 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |archive-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512043807/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13513/v12n1-231-236-politicalrev.pdf |url-status=dead }}
After politics
Following his retirement, Lui ran a video rental business.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2002/02/22/niue-election-guessing |title=NIUE ELECTION GUESSING |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=22 February 2002 |accessdate=1 July 2020 |archive-date=3 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703141801/http://www.pireport.org/articles/2002/02/22/niue-election-guessing |url-status=dead }}
In 2010, he became chair of the IUSN Foundation, a charitable foundation which provides Niueans with free internet access.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/192683/former-premier-lui-to-chair-niue-internet-foundation |title=Former premier Lui to chair Niue internet foundation |publisher=RNZ |date=22 September 2010 |accessdate=1 July 2020}}
He died on 9 July 2021 at the age of 85.{{cite news|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/446590/former-niue-premier-frank-lui-passes-away|title=Former Niue premier, Frank Lui, passes away|publisher=Radio New Zealand|date=10 July 2021}}
Recognition
Lui was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours.{{cite web |url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-1999-including-niue |title=The Queen's Birthday Honours List 1999 (including Niue) |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |date=7 June 1999 |accessdate=1 July 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{S-bef|before=Young Vivian}}
{{S-ttl|title=Premier of Niue|years=1993–1999}}
{{S-aft|after=Sani Lakatani}}
{{end}}
{{NiuePMs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lui, Frank}}
Category:Members of the Niue Assembly
Category:Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Category:Politicians from Wellington City
Category:Public works ministers of Niue
Category:Interior ministers of Niue
Category:Tourism ministers of Niue