Hunuki Saletogia Hunukitama (died July 2003) was a Niuean politician and independent member of the Niue Assembly from 2001 until his death in 2003. Prior to his election to the Assembly, Hunukitama served as the Secretary to the Premier of Niue. Additionally, Hunukitama served in managerial roles across a number of governmental and business organizations.

Political career

Hunukitama was elected to a common roll seat in the Niue Assembly in a April 2001 by-election that occurred after MP

Hima Douglas Hima Ikimotu Douglas (also known as Himalea I Takelesi) (born 1946 or 1947) is a Niuean broadcaster, politician, and diplomat. He is Speaker of the Niue Assembly. Douglas was educated in New Zealand and holds an accounting degree. He worked as a ...

resigned to take an appointment as the High Commissioner of Niue to New Zealand, defeating a Niue People's Party candidate by a significant margin. Hunukitama was re-elected to the Niue Assembly in the 2002 Niuean general election as a common roll member. In that year, Hunukitama ran against Young Vivian for Premier of Niue and lost 6 votes to 14. In 2002, Hunukitama and former

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

Sani Lakatani visited

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

to broker a deal with a Korean group called the Christian Ambassador Mission Holy People University that wanted to set up a holy city in Niue that would act as the group's headquarters on 121 hectares of farmland in Vaiea. The facility was planned to house 600 people, construct a temple, and be fully walled and guarded and disallow police access. In addition to meeting with the group, Hunukitama and others in the Niue government conducted background checks for the organization. Prior to his election to the Assembly, Hunukitama served as the Secretary to the Premier of Niue.

Business career

Hunukitama was the inaugural chairman of the first Polynesian radio station in Auckland and was a manager of the

Auckland Office of Pacific Island Affairs Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about It ...

. As of 2001, Hunukitama was the chief executive officer of the Niue Growers Association, which markets taro grown in Niue on the Auckland market.

Death

In July 2003, Hunukitama died at the Lord Liverpool Hospital after he collapsed at the Limu Reef pools. Hunukitama's family filed a formal complaint with the police regarding his treatment at the hospital. The

2003 Niue Common Roll by-election The 2003 Niue Common Roll by-election was held in August 2003 to fill a vacant common roll seat in the Niue Assembly after the death of Hunuki Hunukitama in July 2003. The seat was won by Krypton Okesene of Tuapa Tuapa is one of the fourteen v ...

was held in August 2003 to fill Hunukitama's seat in the Niue Assembly.

Krypton Okesene Krypton Okesene is a Niuean politician who was elected to a common roll seat in the Niue Assembly in the 2003 Niue Common Roll by-election that was held after the death of Hunuki Hunukitama. Okesene is a retired medical technician from Tuapa T ...

defeated five other candidates, including Lofa Rex and Kupa Magatongia, to take the vacant position.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunukitama, Hunuki Members of the Niue Assembly 2003 deaths 21st-century New Zealand politicians Year of birth missing