O'Love Jacobsen

Tauveve O’Love Jacobsen is a Niuean politician and diplomat. She served as Niue's High Commissioner to New Zealand from 2011 to 2017. Her predecessor was Sisilia Talagi, Niue's first female diplomat and High Commissioner. She had previously served as a member of the Niue Assembly (national Parliament)[1] and a minister in Toke Talagi's government.[2] She was previously a long-standing leading figure in the informal parliamentary Opposition to Young Vivian's government. She was, from 2008 to 2011, Minister of Health, Minister of Public Works, Minister of Women's Affairs, and Minister in charge of the Niue Power Corporation.[3] She had previously been Minister of Education, Health, Environment, Training and Development.[4] Additionally, Jacobsen is a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association,[5] and Patroness of the Niuean Volleyball Association.[6]

O'Love Jacobsen
Jacobsen in 2013
High Commissioner of Niue to New Zealand
In office
March 2011 – 17 March 2017
Preceded bySisilia Talagi
Succeeded byFisa Igilisi Pihigia
Cabinet Minister
In office
June 2008 – March 2011
MinistryHealth, Public Works, Women’s Affairs, Niue Power Corporation
Preceded by?
Succeeded by?
Member of the Niuean Parliament
for no constituency (common roll)
In office
1989 – March 2011
In office
6 May 2017 – incumbent
Personal details
Political partynone

Jacobsen was first elected to the Niue Assembly at a by-election in 1989. She was re-elected in the 1990 election.[7]

Following the 1999 general election, she was a candidate for the post of Premier (head of government), who is selected by the national Assembly. She lost to Sani Lakatani, of the Niue People's Party, by six votes to fourteen.[8]

Following the 2005 general election, Jacobsen was Young Vivian's only opponent contending for the position of Premier. She was defeated by three votes to seventeen.[9] Vivian thanked her for competing against him:

"That the selection was contested, thanks to Ekepule [member of the Assembly] O’love Jacobsen, confirms our determination under the Westminster system of government to adhere and uphold one of the fundamental principles of democracy."[10]

In February 2008, Jacobsen stated that landowners had been bullied into authorising the building of a hotel and golf course on their land, a project supported by the government and funded by Chinese investors. Premier Young Vivian rejected the allegation.[11]

In the lead-up to the 2008 general election, which saw her successfully retain her seat in the Assembly[1] (as a common roll representative,[12] Jacobsen was critical of the fact that several members of the Assembly would be re-elected unopposed. She accused Vivian of discouraging people from taking part in the election as Opposition candidates, and argued that a democracy requires voters being able to choose between several candidates in each constituency.

"If the principle of democracy is going to be upheld, then it is very important that people do need to go to the polls and not have them unopposed and become duly elected."[13]

Vivian rejected Jacobsen's criticism, and argued in return that candidates were chosen within the villages, in traditional ways. With such a practice, he said, "there is no conflict, there’s peace and togetherness."[14]

Following the election, Jacobsen supported Toke Talagi's candidacy to prime ministership, against Vivian,[1] and was appointed to Talagi's small Cabinet.[15]

In March 2011, she resigned from government and from the Assembly to be appointed Niue's High Commissioner to New Zealand.[16][17] She served in that capacity until early 2017, then stood in the Niuean general election in May, announcing her intention to lead the government as Prime Minister.[18] She was elected to the Assembly, topping the poll in the common roll election,[19] but lost the vote for the Premiership to Talagi by 15 votes to 5.[20]

Jacobsen was re-elected at the 2020 election, and once again stood unsuccessfully for Premier, being defeated by 13 votes to 7 by Dalton Tagelagi.[21] She was re-elected again at the 2023 election.[22]

References
  1. "Longtime Niue MP says election turnover sign of mood for a change". Radio New Zealand International. 11 June 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  2. "Niue sees need to call on public to curb power use". Radio New Zealand International. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  3. Website of the government of Niue Archived 18 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Human Rights and Poverty Eradication: A Talisman for the Commonwealth", Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
  5. "Official website of the Governor-General of Australia". Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  6. "2004 Volleyball Season Prize-giving night" Archived 22 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Niue National Olympic Committee, 11 September 2005
  7. "Rex beats the odds". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 60, no. 5. 1 May 1990. p. 19. Retrieved 2 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. Stephen Levine (Spring 2000). "Political Review: Niue" (PDF). The Contemporary Pacific. 12 (1): 231–236.
  9. Niue government website Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine, 14 April 2005
  10. "Niue Fono Ekepule retains Premier and Speaker" Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Niue government press release, 13 April 2005
  11. "Niue hotel project labelled pre-Forum rush job". Radio New Zealand International. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  12. "Members of the Niue Fono Ekepule" Archived 12 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Parliament of Niue
  13. "Concern in Niue about lack of contest in June polls". Radio New Zealand International. 27 May 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  14. "Niue caretaker Premier not comfortable with NZ - style democracy" Archived 13 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Radio New Zealand International, 29 May 2008
  15. "Niue sees need to call on public to curb power use", Radio New Zealand International, 1 July 2008
  16. "Veteran Niue politician predicts little change in assembly following election". Radio New Zealand International. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  17. "Niue appoints veteran woman politician as Wellington High Commissioner". Radio New Zealand International. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  18. "Pihigia gets nod as Niue's man in Wellington". RNZ. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  19. Results of the 2017 general election Archived 16 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Tala Niue, 7 May 2017
  20. "Sir Toke Talagi to serve fourth term as Niue's premier". RNZ. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  21. "Dalton Tagelagi voted in as new Premier of Niue". RNZ. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  22. "Son of former Niue Premier among six newcomers to Parliament". RNZ. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.


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