Sir Toke Tufukia Talagi ( ; 9 January 195115 July 2020) was a Niuean politician, diplomat, and statesman. He served as Premier of Niue from 2008 to 2020. In 1999, he was elected to the Niue Assembly as an Independent. He was elected premier in the 2008 general election. During his tenure as premier, he was also Minister of Foreign Affairs. He unsuccessfully ran for a fifth-term in 2020 and was subsequently replaced by Dalton Tagelagi. Prior to becoming Premier, Talagi was Minister of Finance from 2002 until 2005. In the 2017 New Year Honours, Talagi was appointed Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM). Early life Talagi was born in Alofi and was educated at Tufukia School in Niue and Nelson College in New Zealand. He studied at Massey University in Palmerston North, where he completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science. While there, he was elected president of the Pacific Island Students Association and organised protests against nuclear testing and racial discrimination. He married his wife, and they had their first child. On returning to Niue he worked as a livestock development officer. In 1977 he became a member of the Alofi south Village Council. He later became president of the Niue Public Service Association, and from 1981 to 1984 he was Niue's first Consul General in Auckland. On his return to Niue he was appointed Director for Niue's Economic Affairs Office, and was responsible for major infrastructure development. After leaving the public service he became an airline and shipping agent. In 1992, he received a heart transplant, and spent the next several years living in New Zealand. In 1998 he became president of the Niue Rugby Football Union. Political career Talagi ran unsuccessfully for a common roll seat in the 1996 Niuean general election. He was elected to the Niue Assembly in the 1999 election and was immediately appointed an associate Minister with responsibility for economic development and civil aviation in the Cabinet of Sani Lakatani. In October 1999 he resigned his Ministerial position over Lakatani's plans to establish an airline, and submitted a motion of no confidence against him. He spent the remainder of the term as a member of the opposition. Following the 2002 election he was appointed Minister of Finance and Tourism in the Cabinet of Young Vivian. In July of that year he was relieved of the Tourism portfolio in a