Ngatupuna Matepi (1909–1977) was a Cook Islands politician. He served as a member of the
Legislative Assembly from 1958 until his death, had two spells in the cabinet between 1962 and 1965, and became the first official Leader of the Opposition in 1968.
Biography
Matepi was born in
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 ...
in 1909.
[ After finishing his education in New Zealand, he worked as a schoolteacher in ]Mangaia
Mangaia (traditionally known as A'ua'u Enua, which means ''terraced'') is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga. It is a roughly circular island, with an area of , from Rarotonga. Originally heavily popula ...
for 33 years. He then established several businesses, including a bakery, cinema and store.[Mr Ngatupuna Matepi]
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', November 1977, p97
Having previously served as a member of the Legislative Council, in the 1958 elections to the new Legislative Assembly Matepi successfully contested the Mangaia seat. In the 1961 elections he was indirectly elected to the Assembly by Mangaia Island Council. In 1962 he was appointed to the new Executive Committee. The following year he was a candidate to become the first Leader of Government Business in 1963, but lost a vote to Dick Charles Brown
Dick Charles Brown (1905 – 6 May 1969) was a Cook Islands businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly between 1958 and 1965, and became the territory's first Leader of Government Business in 1963.
Biography
B ...
by 11 votes to 10. Shortly afterwards he was also defeated in a vote to become the Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
, losing to Teariki Tuavera.
After Julian Dashwood
Robert Julian Dashwood (1899 – 5 September 1970) was a British-born Cook Islands writer and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly between 1963 and 1966 and served in the territory's first two cabinets.
Biography
Dashwood was ...
was sacked from the cabinet in 1964, Brown appointed Matepi as his replacement, giving him the portfolios of Health and Social Development.[Cook Is. Minister Fired–But No One Quite Knows Why]
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', October 1964, p35 He was directly elected again in 1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...
as a representative of the United Political Party
The United Political Party was a political party in the Cook Islands. It was founded shortly before the 1965 election and was led by the then-Leader of Government Business, D. C. Brown. It ran 16 candidates, 4 of which were elected; Brown himsel ...
but lost his place in the cabinet as 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 ...
won the elections. He was re-elected in 1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
as a United Cook Islanders
The United Cook Islanders was a political party in the Cook Islands. It was established on 16 February 1968 in order to challenge the then-dominant Cook Islands Party and provide a more organised opposition. The party was organised by David Hosk ...
candidate, after which he became Leader of the Opposition, serving for a year before handing over to Tangaroa Tangaroa
Sir Tangaroa Tangaroa (6 May 1921 – 23 May 2009) was a Cook Islands politician. Born as the only child to Akaruke and Puna, he helped raise his wife's children.
He started his professional life as a government radio operator (1939–1954). In ...
as part of an agreement to rotate the post between the party's MLAs. He joined 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 ...
after it was formed in 1971 and was re-elected again in 1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
and 1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
.
In 1977, Matepi was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...
.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matepi, Ngatupuna
1909 births
Cook Island educators
20th-century Cook Island businesspeople
Members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands
Government ministers of the Cook Islands
Democratic Party (Cook Islands) politicians
1977 deaths