{{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 = Speaker of the Niue Assembly | deputy = | term_start = 13 May 2026 | term_end = | predecessor = Hima Douglas | successor = | office2 = Minister for Education and Social Services | prime_minister2 = Toke Talagi | term_start2 = 6 May 2017 | term_end2 = 30 May 2020 | predecessor2 = Pokotoa Sipeli | successor2 = Sauni Tongatule | office3 = Minister of Natural Resources | term_start3 = 30 April 2014 | term_end3 = 6 May 2017 | prime_minister3 = | predecessor3 = | successor3 = Dalton Tagelagi | office4 = | leader4 = | term_start4 = | term_end4 = | predecessor4 = | successor4 = | constituency_MP10 = Common Roll | parliament10 = Niuean | term_start10 = 29 April 2023 | term_end10 = 12 May 2026 | 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 = | death_place = | party = None | alma_mater = | website = }} '''Billy Graham Talagi''' is a Niuean politician, former member of the Niue Assembly, and current speaker of the Niue Assembly.<ref name="NewAssembly1" /><ref name="RNZCloseVote" /> He is the brother of former Premier of Niue Toke Talagi.<ref name="rnz1"/>
==Career== Talagi was first elected to the Niue Assembly in a 1997 by-election.<ref name="tcp97">{{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 }}</ref> He has represented the village of Avatele in the Niue Assembly continuously since 1999.<ref>{{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 }}</ref><ref>{{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 }}</ref> In 2005, 2008, and 2014 he was elected unopposed. In 2014 he was made Minister of Natural Resources in the Cabinet of Toke Talagi.<ref>{{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 }}</ref><ref>{{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 }}</ref> In 2017 he was made Minister for Education and Social Services.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2019 he served as Acting Prime Minister while Toke Talagi was receiving medical treatment in New Zealand.<ref name="rnz1">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
In May 2018 Talagi was discharged without conviction after pleading guilty to assaulting MP Terry Coe outside the Niuean Assembly.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
He contested the common roll in the 2020 Niuean general election but failed to win a seat.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He was re-elected at the 2023 election.<ref name=RNZ2023b>{{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}}</ref> After Talagi lost his common roll seat in the 2026 election, he would be elected as speaker of the Niue Assembly in a 12–8 vote over Togia Sioneholo.<ref name="NewAssembly1">{{Cite news |title=Tagelagi secures third term as Niue PM after tight Assembly vote |url=https://pmn.co.nz/read/election/tagelagi-secures-third-term-as-niue-pm-after-tightly-split-assembly-vote |date=14 May 2026 |access-date=14 May 2026 |work=Pacific Media Network |first=Renate |last=Rivers |lang=en |url-status=live |archive-date=14 May 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514150400/https://pmn.co.nz/read/election/tagelagi-secures-third-term-as-niue-pm-after-tightly-split-assembly-vote |quote=Earlier, MPs elected Billy Talagi as Speaker of the Assembly in a 12–8 vote over Togia Sioneholo. Talagi lost his electorate seat in the 2 May general election but returns to a senior parliamentary role.}}</ref><ref name="RNZCloseVote">{{Cite news |title=Close vote sees Niue's Dalton Tagelagi back in as prime minister |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific_niue/595294/close-vote-sees-niue-s-dalton-tagelagi-back-in-as-prime-minister |date=14 May 2026 |access-date=14 May 2026 |work=RNZ |lang=en |first=Christina |last=Persico |quote=The 19th Niue Assembly was officially sworn in on Wednesday local time. Billy Talagi was sworn in as the new Speaker of Parliament. |url-status=live |archive-date=14 May 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514231202/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific_niue/595294/close-vote-sees-niue-s-dalton-tagelagi-back-in-as-prime-minister}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Talagi, Billy Graham}} Category:Members of the Niue Assembly Category:Ministers of education of Niue Category:Social affairs ministers of Niue Category:Government ministers of Niue Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
{{Niue-politician-stub}}