Albert Taaviri Kaitara Nicholas (born 2 September 1971) is a

Cook Islands ) , image_map = Cook Islands on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , capital = Avarua , coordinates = , largest_city = Avarua , official_languages = , lan ...

politician and former

Cabinet Minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, � ...

. He is a member of the

Cook Islands Party The Cook Islands Party is a nationalist political party in the Cook Islands. It was the first political party founded in the Cook Islands, and one of the two major parties of the islands' politics since 1965. From 1999 until 2005 it sometimes ...

. He is the son of former MP

Albert (Peto) Nicholas Albert (Peto) Nicholas (9 May 1951 – 15 August 2012) was a Cook Islands politician. He was member of the Cook Islands Parliament for the seat of the seat of Avatiu/Ruatonga for 18 years. Nicholas was born on Rarotonga and educated at St Jos ...

. Nicholas was born on

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 13,007 of a total population of 17,434. The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings a ...

and educated at Avarua School and

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 ...

. He worked as a public servant for Customs before becoming self-employed. He first elected to parliament in the 2014 election as a representative of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He represents the seat of

Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston or RAPPA is a Cook Islands electoral division returning one member to the Cook Islands Parliament. The electorate was created in 1981, when the ''Constitution Amendment (No. 9) Act 1980–1981'' adjusted electorate ...

. In March 2015, Nicholas switched his support to the government of

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 th ...

in exchange for a cabinet post as Minister of Internal Affairs, Youth and Sport, the Ombudsman, and the Punanga Nui market. He was subsequently expelled from the Democratic Party. In 2016, he was part of the Cook Islands' delegation to the second Pacific Parliamentary Forum in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. In April 2017 he resigned from parliament in order to end speculation over his defection from the Democrats. He was re-elected in the resulting 2017 Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston by-election. He was re-elected at the 2018 election. On 21 September 2018 Nicholas was sacked from cabinet without explanation while overseas for health reasons. He was replaced by

Vaine Mokoroa Vaine Makiroa Mokoroa (born 28 December 1966) is a Cook Islands politician and Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the Cook Islands Party. Career Mokoroa was born in 1966 in Atiu. He has previously worked as a police officer, chief of staff in t ...

. In January 2019, Nicholas was charged in New Zealand with "unlawfully taking a motor vehicle", a rental car. He entered a plea of not guilty the following month, and was released on bail, returning to the Cook Islands. He failed to appear at a second hearing at Manukau District Court on 26 March, resulting in an arrest warrant being issued. He was nonetheless sworn back into parliament on 9 April. As of June 2019, the arrest warrant remains active, and Nicholas will be arrested if he returns to New Zealand. In February 2020 Nicholas was seriously injured in a car accident. In March 2020 Nicholas admitted that he had pledged his support to the government of Henry Puna in exchange for a bridge being built in his electorate. Following the election of Mark Brown as Prime Minister he was appointed Associate Minister for the Cook Islands Investment Corporation. He was re-elected at the 2022 Cook Islands general election.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas, Albert Taaviri Kaitara Living people 1971 births People from Rarotonga category:Cook Island civil servants Members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands Cook Islands Party politicians Democratic Party (Cook Islands) politicians Government ministers of the Cook Islands