| Administrator of Tokelau | |
|---|---|
 Flag of Tokelau | |
 Flag of New Zealand | |
| Reports to | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Seat | Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Appointer | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| Term length | 3 years, renewable [2] |
| Precursor | Administrator of Western Samoa |
| Website | Administrator's Corner |
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The administrator of Tokelau is an official of the New Zealand Government, responsible for supervising the government of the dependent territory of Tokelau.
Certain of the administrator's powers and functions are set forth in the Tokelau Act 1948, as amended from time to time. [3] (The office of administrator is not, however, created by this Act.) The most important right of the administrator is the power to disallow any Rule passed by the Parliament of Tokelau (the General Fono); this must, however, be done within 30 days after the administrator is sent a copy of the Rule.
The administrator is assisted by a permanent staff of civil servants, which form the Office of the administrator of Tokelau, a part of New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Office coordinates New Zealand government activity relating to Tokelau, especially economic assistance; provides expert policy-advice and assistance to the Tokelau government, also arranging for administrative assistance and training to the Tokelau public service; and represents the Tokelau public service in New Zealand, especially to the resident Tokelauan community. Besides these roles, the Office assists Tokelau to develop appropriate legal, governance and administration structures as Tokelau moves towards greater autonomy.
The administrator acts as a representative, not of the monarch personally, but of the New Zealand Government. The administration of Tokelau may also be overruled by the New Zealand Parliament, or by regulations made by the New Zealand Governor-General in Council.
The administrator is appointed by the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs. [3] [4]
The region of the Pacific Ocean in which Tokelau lies was declared a British protectorate in 1877, and the islands themselves came under British protection in 1889, being incorporated into the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. This Colony was administered by officials responsible ultimately to the Colonial Office in London.
In 1925, Tokelau was separated from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, becoming its own colony. In reality, however, it was administered from New Zealand, the Governor-General of New Zealand being appointed Governor of Tokelau. The Governor-General at the time, Sir Charles Fergusson, the next year appointed the High Commissioner of Western Samoa, Maj Gen Sir George Spafford Richardson, as administrator, with a delegation of the Vice-Regal powers. This situation continued up until 1948, when sovereignty over Tokelau was transferred from the United Kingdom to New Zealand.
In recent years, administrators have tended to be senior civil servants, politicians, or career diplomats.
Up to 1961, the administrator of Tokelau was the administrator of Samoa.
| No. | Name | Portrait | Term of office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start date | End date | |||
| 1 | Maj Gen Sir George Spafford Richardson |  | 1926 | 1928 |
| 2 | Col Sir Stephen Allen |  | 1928 | 1931 |
| 3 | Brig Gen Sir Herbert Ernest Hart |  | 1931 | 1935 |
| 4 | Sir Alfred Turnbull |  | 1935 | 1946 |
| 5 | Lt Col Francis William Voelcker |  | 1946 | 1949 |
| 6 | Guy Powles | 1949 | February 1960 | |
| 7 | Jack Wright |  | February 1960 | 31 March 1965 |
| 8 | Paul Gabites | June 1965 | 1968 | |
| 9 | Richard Taylor | 1968 | 1971 | |
| 10 | Duncan MacIntyre |  | 1971 | 1972 |
| 11 | Matiu Rata |  | 1972 | 1973 |
| 12 | Gray Thorp | 1973 | 1975 | |
| 13 | Frank Corner | 1975 | 1984 | |
| 14 | Tim Francis | 1984 | 1988 | |
| 15 | Neil Walter (1st time) | February 1988 | 1990 | |
| 16 | Graham Ansell | 1990 | January 1992 | |
| 17 | Brian William Peter Absolum | January 1992 | March 1993 | |
| 18 | Lindsay Johnstone Watt | March 1993 | 28 February 2003 | |
| 19 | Neil Walter (2nd time) | 1 March 2003 | 17 October 2006 | |
| 20 | David Payton | 17 October 2006 | 2009 | |
| 21 | John Allen (acting) | 2009 | 2011 | |
| 22 | Jonathan Kings (1st time) | 2011 | 2015 | |
| 23 | Linda Te Puni (acting) | 2015 | 2016 | |
| 24 | David Nicholson | 2016 | August 2017 | |
| 25 | Brook Barrington (acting) |  | August 2017 | 2017 |
| 26 | Jonathan Kings (2nd time) | 2017 | 2018 | |
| 27 | Ross Ardern [7] | May 2018 | 2022 | |
| 28 | Don Higgins [8] |  | 2022 | Incumbent |
The islands which now form the Republic of Kiribati have been inhabited for at least seven hundred years, and possibly much longer. The initial Austronesian peoples’ population, which remains the overwhelming majority today, was visited by Polynesian and Melanesian invaders before the first European sailors visited the islands in the 17th century. For much of the subsequent period, the main island chain, the Gilbert Islands, was ruled as part of the British Empire. The country gained its independence in 1979 and has since been known as Kiribati.
The foreign relations of New Zealand are oriented chiefly toward developed democratic nations and emerging Pacific Island economies. Until the late 20th century, New Zealand aligned itself strongly with the United Kingdom and had few bilateral relationships with other countries. From the latter half of the 20th century, Australia has been New Zealand's most important cultural, economic and military partner. Today, the country participates in several multilateral political organisations, including Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Community, and the Pacific Islands Forum. New Zealand has been described as an emerging power; however, such a claim needs to be considered in the context of its medium-sized economy and limited military capability. The country's major political parties have generally agreed on the broad outlines of foreign policy, and the government has been active in promoting free trade, nuclear disarmament, and arms control.
The politics of Niue take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Chief Minister is the head of government, and of a non-partisan system. Niue is self-governing in free association with New Zealand and is fully responsible for internal affairs. New Zealand retains some responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with Niue. The Niue Constitution Act 1974 (NZ) vests executive authority in His Majesty the King in Right of New Zealand and the Governor-General of New Zealand. The constitution specifies that in everyday practice, it is exercised by a Cabinet of the Premier of Niue and three other ministers. The premier and ministers must be members of the Niue Assembly, the nation's legislative assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Tokelau is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo. They have a combined land area of 10 km2 (4 sq mi). In addition to these three, Swains Island, which forms part of the same archipelago, is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute; it is currently administered by the United States as part of American Samoa. Tokelau lies north of the Samoan Islands, east of Tuvalu, south of the Phoenix Islands, southwest of the more distant Line Islands, and northwest of the Cook Islands.
An administrator in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth is a person who fulfils a role similar to that of a governor or a governor-general.
The Gilbert and Ellice Islands in the Pacific Ocean were part of the British Empire from 1892 to 1976. They were a protectorate from 1892 to 12 January 1916, and then a colony until 1 January 1976, and were administered as part of the British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT) until they became independent. The history of GEIC was mainly characterized by phosphate mining on Ocean Island. In October 1975, these islands were divided by force of law into two separate colonies, and they became independent nations shortly thereafter: the Ellice Islands became Tuvalu in 1978, and the Gilbert Islands became part of Kiribati in 1979.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, also known as the Foreign Minister, is a senior minister in the New Zealand Government heading the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and responsible for relations with foreign countries.
Resident commissioner was or is an official title of several different types of commissioners, who were or are representatives of any level of government. Historically, they were appointed by the British Crown in overseas protectorates, or colonies, and some still exist in this capacity. The United States of America once had a resident commissioner in the Philippines and the Puerto Rico resident commissioner resides in Washington DC. State governments of today's Republic of India have a resident commissioner to represent them in New Delhi.
The Dominion of New Zealand was the historical successor to the Colony of New Zealand. It was a constitutional monarchy with a high level of self-government within the British Empire.
Fakaofo, formerly known as Bowditch Island, is a South Pacific Ocean atoll located in the Tokelau Group. The actual land area is only about 3 km2, consisting of islets on a coral reef surrounding a central lagoon of some 45 km2. According to the 2006 census 483 people officially live on Fakaofo. Of those present 70% belong to the Congregational Church and 22% to the Catholic Church.
The politics of Tokelau takes place within a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency. The head of state of Tokelau is King Charles III in right of his Realm of New Zealand, who is represented by an Administrator. The monarch is hereditary, the Administrator is appointed by the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Realm of New Zealand is the area over which the monarch of New Zealand is head of state. The realm is not a federation but is a collection of states and territories united under its monarch. New Zealand is an independent and sovereign state that has one territorial claim in Antarctica, one dependent territory (Tokelau), and two associated states. The Realm of New Zealand encompasses the three autonomous jurisdictions of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and Niue.
The chief justice of New Zealand is the head of the New Zealand judiciary, and presides over the Supreme Court of New Zealand. The chief justice of New Zealand is also the chief justice of Tokelau. Before the establishment of the Supreme Court in 2004, the chief justice was the presiding judge in the High Court of New Zealand, and was also ex officio a member of the Court of Appeal of New Zealand. The office is established by the Senior Courts Act 2016, which describes the chief justice as "senior to all other judges".
Tokelau, a dependent territory of New Zealand, adopted an official flag in 2009. Previously, the flag of New Zealand was used as the official flag for Tokelau.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) (Māori: Manatū Aorere) is the public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the government on foreign and trade policy, and promoting New Zealand's interests in trade and international relations.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tokelau:
There are six monarchies in Oceania where supreme power resides with an individual hereditary head, who is recognised as the head of state. Each is a constitutional monarchy, wherein the sovereign inherits his or her office, usually keeps it until death or abdication, and is bound by laws and customs in the exercise of their powers. Five of these independent states share King Charles III as their respective head of state, making them part of a global grouping known as the Commonwealth realms; in addition, all monarchies of Oceania are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The only sovereign monarchy in Oceania that does not share a monarch with another state is Tonga. Australia and New Zealand have dependencies within the region and outside it, although five non-sovereign constituent monarchs are recognized by New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and France.
The constitutional history of Tokelau comprises several acts and amendments. Tokelau comprises the three Pacific atolls of Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo. The constitutional history of the atoll group dates to its earliest human settlement of at least 1,000 years, much of this time involved an unwritten and oral tradition. It has been governed by many written acts and rules of governance since 1887. The history of Tokelau's laws has been recorded in Tokelau Subdelegated Legislation 1877–1948 and is also published by the Tokelau Law Project.
The Department of Island Territories was a New Zealand government department that was tasked with administrating New Zealand's three Pacific Islands territories—the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau—and the country's League of Nations mandate, Samoa. It was established on 3 October 1919 under the "External Affairs Bill" as the Department of External Affairs. In 1943, the Department was renamed the Department of Island Territories after a separate Department of External Affairs was created to conduct the country's external relations. In 1975, the Department was dissolved and its functions were absorbed back into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the successor to the External Affairs Department.
Don Higgins is a New Zealand public servant and diplomat who was appointed Administrator of Tokelau in June 2022. Higgins previously served as High Commissioner of New Zealand to the Solomon Islands, and from 2014 to 2016 as High Commissioner to Kiribati.
