Sir Toaripi Lauti (28 November 1928 – 25 May 2014) was a Tuvaluan politician who served as chief minister of the Colony of
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...
(1975–78), as the first prime minister following Tuvalu's independence (1978–1981) and governor-general of
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...
(1990–1993). He was married to Sualua Tui.
Education
Lauti was born in Toaripi village of the
Territory of Papua
The Territory of Papua comprised the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea from 1883 to 1975. In 1883, the Government of Queensland annexed this territory for the British Empire. The United Kingdom Government refused to ratify the a ...
. His father was Pastor Lauti Kae of
Funafuti
Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people (2017 census), and so it has more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of lan ...
. He studied at Elisefou (New Ellice) primary school in
Vaitupu
Vaitupu is the largest atoll of the nation of Tuvalu. It is located at 7.48 degrees south and 178.83 degrees east. There are 1,061 people (2017 Census) living on with the main village being Asau.
Geography
The island, which covers approxima ...
for 6 years from 1938 to 1944. In 1945, he was sent to study in Fiji at the Londoni Provincial School, and in 1946 at the Queen Victoria School, before moving in 1947 to Wesley College in
Auckland
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 ...
, New Zealand. From 1948 to 1951, he finished his schooling at St Andrews College in
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
in 1948. He attended the Teachers' Training College in Christchurch in 1952 and 1953, at the same time he was a House Master at St Andrew's College.
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
From 1962 to 1974 he was an industrial relations officer with the British Phosphate Commissioners in Nauru.In 1974, he entered politics and became a member of the
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level.
Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible gove ...
for the constituency of
Funafuti
Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people (2017 census), and so it has more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of lan ...
chief minister
A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...
of the Colony of Tuvalu, the former
Ellice Islands
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...
, from 2 October 1975 to 1 October 1978.
Prime Minister of Tuvalu, post-independence
When Tuvalu became independent in 1978, he was appointed as its first prime minister. He was also the
minister of finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
from 1977 to 1981. He was appointed as a member of the Privy Council in 1979.
The first elections after independence were not held until 8 September 1981. At that election Dr.
Tomasi Puapua
Sir Tomasi Puapua (born 10 September 1938) is a political figure who represented Vaitupu in the Parliament of Tuvalu. He attended the Fiji School of Medicine and the Otago University Medical School. He married Riana Puapua.
Prime minister
...
, was elected as prime minister with a 7:5 majority over the group of members of parliament headed by Toaripi Lauti. The administration of Toaripi Lauti had become involved in controversy, as a result of his decision to invest nearly all of the government's money with an American real estate salesman who promised 15 percent returns from the purchase of land in Texas. The investment turned out to be a fraud. While the funds were recovered by US agencies, the controversy resulted in a loss of confidence in his judgment and was an important factor in the election of Dr. Tomasi Puapua.
Toaripi Lauti also served as the President of the Funafuti Town Council and as a member of the Tuvalu Language Board.
Governor-General of Tuvalu
His reputation was redeemed from the circumstances that ended his time as prime minister, he was the
Governor-General of Tuvalu
The governor-general of Tuvalu is the vice-regal representative of the Tuvaluan monarch, currently King Charles III, in the country of Tuvalu.
The monarch is the head of state of Tuvalu, with the governor-general performing the monarch's duti ...
, representing
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...