Hima Douglas

Hima Ikimotu Douglas or Hima Takelesi is a Niuean broadcaster, diplomat, and politician who has served as the Speaker of the Niue Assembly since 2020. Douglas was High Commissioner of Niue to New Zealand from 2001 to 2004.

Early life and education

Hima Ikimotu Douglas graduated from an university in New Zealand with a degree in accounting and was only a few flying hours away from receiving a pilot's license.Template:Sfn He was the owner of Matavai Resort, the only hotel in Niue.Template:Sfn

Career

The government of Niue first employed Douglas in 1968, and was appointed assistant treasurer in the Treasury Department in 1975. He contributed to Tohi Tala Niue, a weekly newsletter, in the 1970s.Template:Sfn Douglas worked as a radio broadcaster and led the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue.Template:Sfn In 1975, he joined the South Pacific Commission as an Educational Broadcasts Officer and was based in Suva.Template:Sfn He was the director of the University of the South Pacific's branch in Niue.Template:Sfn

In the 1999 election Douglas was elected to the Niue Assembly.Template:Sfn He resigned from the assembly in order to become High Commissioner of Niue to New Zealand, which he served as from 2001 to 2004.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn After Cyclone Heta damanged Niue Douglas called for the 20,000 Niueans in New Zealand to return to Niue to help rebuild and noted that they could still receive their pensions if they moved.Template:Sfn

Douglas returned to the assembly in the 2005 election, but lost reelection to the assembly to Togia Sioneholo in 2008.Template:Sfn During Douglas' tenure in the assembly he served as chair of the Public Accounts committee.Template:Sfn In 2020, he became speaker of the assembly after defeating incumbent Togiavalu Pihigia by a vote of 11 to 9 in the third round of voting.Template:Sfn

Works cited

News

Web