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Teariki Heather
Teariki William Heather (born 30 July 1959) is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet minister who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 2013 to 2018. Previously a member of the Cook Islands Party, he is now the leader of the Cook Islands United Party. Early life Heather was born on Rarotonga and educated at Arorangi Primary school and Tereora College. He is the younger brother of Democratic Party MP William (Smiley) Heather. He was a businessman before entering politics. Political career In March 2003 Heather founded the Cook Islands National Party with the aim of securing political reform, including a shorter Parliamentary term. The party launched a high-profile court case against MPs Norman George and Paora Teiti in an effort to have them unseated for performing consultancy work for the government, which was seen as making them public servants and thus ineligible to hold office, but the case was unsuccessful. Heather contested the 2003 Rua'au by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Puna
Henry Tuakeu Puna (born 29 July 1949) is a Cook Islands politician, and the current secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. He was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from November 2010 to October 2020. Since 2006 he has been leader of the Cook Islands Party. Puna was elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands at the 2005 Manihiki by-election. He lost his seat at the 2006 election, but regained it in the CIP victory at the 2010 election which saw him elected prime minister. During his time as prime minister, he held various ministerial portfolios, including Foreign affairs, Marine Resources, and Energy. In June 2020 Puna announced his intention to stand down as prime minister in September to compete for the role of secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. He stepped down from office on 1 October 2020. On 4 February 2021 he was elected as secretary-general, replacing Meg Taylor. Early life Puna grew up in Aitutaki. He was educated on Aitutaki and Rarotonga b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tereora College
Tereora College is a secondary school in Nikao, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. It is the oldest secondary school in the Cook Islands and the national college of the Cook Islands for Year 9-13 students. The school was first established in 1895 by the London Missionary Society. It closed in 1911 by the New Zealand colonial administration. It was re-opened in 1954 as a public school. The junior school offers the Cook Islands National Curriculum, while the senior school offers levels 1 - 3 of the New Zealand National Certificate of Educational Achievement. The school buildings were built in the 1950s, but by 2015 were old and damp. In 2015 during the celebrations of the Cook Islands' 50th anniversary of self-government, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced an $11.7 million gift to redevelop the college. The redevelopment was to be designed by two former students who had studied architecture in New Zealand, and run in partnership with the Cook Islands investment Corporation. N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2022 Cook Islands General Election
General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 1 August 2022. A referendum on legalising medical cannabis was held on the same day. Background In the 2018 general election, the Democratic Party won a plurality with 11 seats but fell short of the 13 required to form a government. The incumbent Cook Islands Party (CIP), led by then-prime minister Henry Puna won 10 seats; the One Cook Islands Movement (OCI) secured a single seat, and independents won the remaining two. The CIP remained in government due to the support of the OCI and independents. In October 2020, Puna resigned as prime minister to run for secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. Deputy prime minister Mark Brown succeeded Puna as prime minister and leader of the Cook Islands Party. Brown appointed Robert Tapaitau deputy prime minister. Electoral system The 24 members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands were elected from single-member electorates by first-past-the-post voting. Campaign The Progre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2019 Ivirua By-election
A by-election was held in the Cook Islands constituency of Ivirua on 21 January 2019. The by-election was called following the death of sitting MP Tony Armstrong. The election was contested by four candidates: Agnes Armstrong, wife of former MP Tony Armstrong, for the Democratic Party; former deputy Prime Minister Teariki Heather for the Cook Islands United Party, Daryl Rairi for the Cook Islands Party, and independent Jason Teremoana. The by-election was won by Agnes Armstrong Agnes Helen Armstrong (born 10 June 1959) is a Cook Islands politician and member of the Cook Islands Parliament. She is a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party. Armstrong is from Rarotonga and was educated at Nikao Side School and Tereo .... References {{Cook Islands elections, state=expanded By-elections in the Cook Islands Ivirua by-election Ivirua by-election January 2019 events in Oceania ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2018 Cook Islands General Election
General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 14 June 2018 to elect the 24 members of the 15th Cook Islands Parliament. The nationalist, Cook Islands Party, led by the Prime Minister, Henry Puna, attempted to win a third consecutive term in government. However, the elections resulted in a hung parliament, with the opposition Democratic Party led by Tina Browne becoming the largest party, although Browne failed to win a seat, losing in Rakahanga constituency. The Democratic Party won 11 seats, the Cook Islands Party 10 seats, One Cook Islands Movement one seat, with independent candidates winning two seats. Following the election, the Cook Islands Party joined forces with the independents and One Cook Islands to retain power. Electoral system The Cook Islands a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand. Its government uses the Westminster system, with the 24 members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands elected from sing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2014 Cook Islands General Election
General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 9 July 2014, determining the membership of the 14th Cook Islands Parliament. The Cook Islands Party (CIP) initially appeared to have retained its majority, winning 13 seats, while the Democratic Party won eight and the new One Cook Islands Movement won two, with one seat tied. However, the result in one constituency the CIP had won was overturned in court, with the Democratic Party awarded the seat, while the tied seat was also awarded to the Democratic Party after one ballot was invalidated, resulting in a hung parliament. Background The previous elections were held on 17 November 2010. The term of the Parliament was due to expire four years after that date, on 17 November 2014. Elections had to be held no later than three months after that date, with 17 February 2015 being the latest date. However, on 17 April 2014 the Queen's Representative, Tom Marsters, dissolved Parliament, setting an election date of 9 July. Marsters ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2010 Cook Islands General Election
General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 17 November 2010 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The elections were won by the Cook Islands Party, which won 16 of the 24 seats. Voter turnout was 78%. A binding referendum on whether the number of MPs should be reduced from 24 was held at the same time as the election. Parliament will sit for the first time following the election in February 2011. Background The Democratic Party government of Prime Minister Jim Marurai, which had governed since 2004, effectively collapsed in December 2009 after Finance Minister Terepai Maoate was sacked for his mishandling of a bid to buy the Toa fuel tank farm. This resulted in a mass-resignation of Democratic Party cabinet members, the expulsion of Marurai and his supporters, and the withdrawal of support for the government. Marurai then refused to reconvene Parliament in order to forestall a confidence vote. A formal split in the Democratic Party was averted in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2006 Akaoa By-election
The Akaoa by-election was a by-election in the Cook Islands seat of Akaoa. It took place on 29 November 2006, and was precipitated by the seat being a dead tie in the 2006 general election. After a judicial recount, the High Court ordered a by-election. Both general election candidates contested the by-election. The poll was won by the Cook Islands Party's Teariki Heather Teariki William Heather (born 30 July 1959) is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet minister who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 2013 to 2018. Previously a member of the Cook Islands Party, he is now the leader of .... The by-election attracted a higher number of votes than the general election, in part because of a slight increase in enrolments. References {{reflist By-elections in the Cook Islands 2006 elections in Oceania 2006 in the Cook Islands Rarotonga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2006 Cook Islands General Election
General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 27 September 2006 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The Democratic Party remained in power, winning 15 of 24 seats. A total of 8,497 voters turned out to vote. The election was called two years early after the ruling Democratic party lost its majority in Parliament. In July 2006, Environment Minister Teina Bishop resigned from Cabinet and joined the opposition Cook Islands Party. Shortly afterwards, the Cook Islands Party won a by-election in Matevera, eliminating the government's majority. The government pre-empted a formal vote of no-confidence by dissolving Parliament and calling an election. Cook Islands Party leader Sir Geoffrey Henry announced his retirement during the campaign, resulting in his replacement as leader of the opposition by Tom Marsters. Cook Islands Party MP Wilkie Rasmussen switched his allegiance to the Democratic Party during the campaign, and the CIP was unable to nominate a rep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parliament Of The Cook Islands
The Parliament of the Cook Islands ( rar, Pāremeta te Kuku Airani) is the legislature of the Cook Islands. Originally established under New Zealand’s United Nations mandate it became the national legislature on independence in 1965. The Parliament consists of 24 members directly elected by universal suffrage from single-seat constituencies. Members are elected for a limited term, and hold office until Parliament is dissolved (a maximum of four years). It meets in Avarua, the capital of the Cook Islands, on Rarotonga. The Cook Islands follows the Westminster system of government, and is governed by a cabinet and Prime Minister commanding a majority in Parliament. The Speaker of the House is currently Tai Tura. The Deputy Speaker is Tingika Elikana. History The Cook Islands Parliament ( rar, Kuku Airani Pāremeta) is descended from the Cook Islands Legislative Council established in October 1946. Established to provide for political representation and better local ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2004 Cook Islands General Election
General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 7 September 2004. Initial results showed the Democratic Party winning by a wide margin, but close results led to 11 electoral petitions being filed, delaying the date Parliament could sit until mid-December. In the interim, Prime Minister Robert Woonton announced that he was forming a coalition government with the rival Cook Islands Party. This led to a split within the Democrats, with Woonton and four other MPs leaving to form the Demo Tumu Party. With 14 MPs, the coalition had a comfortable majority in Parliament. The results of the electoral petitions saw the seat of Titikaveka change hands while Woonton's seat was a dead tie. Woonton subsequently resigned in order to fight a by-election, causing his government to be dissolved. He was succeeded by his deputy, Jim Marurai. Results By electorate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2003 Rua'au By-election
The Rua'au by-election was a by-election in the Cook Islands seat of Rua'au. It took place on 14 August 2003, and was precipitated by the death of Democratic Party MP Maria Heather. Three candidates contested the by-election: the Democratic Party's Geoffrey Heather, husband of the former MP; the Cook Islands Party's Vaine Wichman, and Cook Islands National Party leader Teariki Heather Teariki William Heather (born 30 July 1959) is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet minister who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 2013 to 2018. Previously a member of the Cook Islands Party, he is now the leader of .... The poll was won by Geoffrey Heather. Results References By-elections in the Cook Islands 2003 elections in Oceania 2003 in the Cook Islands {{oceania-election-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
