Members of Parliament (1958 – present)

Members of Parliament (1958 – present)
Cook Islands Members of Parliament 2023
Members of Parliament 2023

The Cook Islands Legislative Assembly was established on October 25th, 1957 by the New Zealand Parliament.  Under the Cook Islands Amendment Act 1957 (Public Act No 103, Date of assent: 25 October 1957), the Legislative Council is reorganized by the New Zealand Parliament as the Legislative Assembly with 22 elected Members and 4 appointed Officials.

Fifteen of the Members were to be elected directly by secret ballot, and seven were to be elected by the Island Councils.  The very first General Election by universal suffrage in the Cook Islands was scheduled for October 13, 1958 to elect 27 Members to the new Legislative Assembly.

The Members of Parliament are elected by secret ballot on a “first-past the post” universal suffrage system.  In 1980-81, the Constitution was amended by redefining the Constituencies, thus increasing the number of Members to 24.

This was refined in 1991 where another Constituency in Rarotonga was further divided into two to reflect a 25 Members of Parliament.  The status quo remained until 2003 when the Overseas Constituency that was created under the 1980-81 Constitution Amendment, was abolished.

18th PARLIAMENT (2022) 

GENERAL ELECTIONS FOR THE 18TH PARLIAMENT – General Elections were held on August 1st to elect 24 Members to the 18th Parliament.  On Election night, the Cook Islands Party won 12 of the 24 seats in Parliament.  The Democratic Party won 5 seats, the Cook Islands United Party won 3 seats and the One Cook Islands Party won 1 seat.  The remaining 3 seats were won by Independent members.  A coalition arrangement between the CIP and the three independents was forged on July 1.

 

GOVERNMENT

Members of Parliament

Constituency

Party

Hon. Mark Brown

Takuvaine/Tutakimoa

Cook Islands Party

Hon. Robert Taimoe Tapaitau

Penrhyn

Cook Islands Party

Hon. Vainetutai Rose Toki-Brown

Teenui/Mapumai

Cook Islands Party

Hon. Vaine Makiroa Mokoroa

Nikao/Panama

Cook Islands Party

Hon. George Angene

Tupapa/Maraerenga

Cook Islands Party

Hon. Albert Nicholas

Ruatonga/Avatiu/Panama/Palmerston/Atupa

Cook Islands Party

Mr Tingika Elikana

Pukapuka/Nassau

Cook Islands Party

Ms Tehani Brown

Areora/Ngatiarua/Tengatangi

Independent

Mr Tereapii Maki Kavana

Arutanga/Reureu/Nikaupara

Cook Islands Party

Mr Tuakeu Tangatapoto

Mitiaro

Cook Islands Party

Mrs Akaiti Puna

Manihiki

Cook Islands Party

Mr Sonny Williams

Titikaveka

Cook Islands Party

Mr Tukaka Ama

Ngatangiia

Cook Islands Party

Mr Teokotai Herman

Vaipae/Vaipeka/Tautu

Cook Islands Party

Mr Stephen Matapo

Mauke

Independent

 

OPPOSITION

Members of Parliament

Constituency

Party

Hon. Tina Pupuke Browne

Rakahanga

Democratic Party

Mr Vaitoti Tupa

Matavera

Democratic Party

Mrs Agnes Armstrong

Ivirua

Democratic Party

Mrs Tetangi Matapo

Tamarua

Democratic Party

Mr Wesley Kareroa

Oneroa

Democratic Party

Mr Teariki Heather

Murienua

Cook Islands United Party

Mr Robert Heather

Akaoa

Cook Islands United Party

Mr Timi Varu

Ruaau

Cook Islands United Party

Mr Toanui Isamaela

Amuri/Ureia

One Cook Islands

 

GOVERNMENT OF THE COOK ISLANDS 

Ministerial Portfolios As at 22 December 2022

Honourable (Mr) Mark Stephen BROWN – Prime Minister

Minister Responsible for

  • Attorney General
  • Office of the Prime Minister
  • Foreign Affairs & Immigration
  • Public Service Commission
  • Police
  • Finance & Economic Management
  • Seabed Minerals
  • Tourism
  • Telecommunications

 

Honourable (Mr) Robert Taimoe TAPAITAU – Deputy Prime Minister

Minister Responsible for

  • Outer Island Special Projects
  • Transport
  • Energy and Renewable Energy
  • Marine Resources

 

Honourable (Mrs) Vainetutai Rose TOKI-BROWN

Minister Responsible for

  • Health
  • Parliamentary Services
  • Agriculture
  • Internal Affairs
  • Cook Islands National Superannuation

 

Honourable (Mr) Vaine Makiroa (Mac) MOKOROA

Minister Responsible for

  • Youth & Sports
  • Ombudsman
  • Education
  • Financial Supervisory Commission
  • Financial Services Development Authority
  • Audit/Public Expenditure Review Committee
  • Justice

 

Honourable (Mr) George Maggie ANGENE

Minister Responsible for

  • Corrective Services
  • Culture
  • House of Ariki
  • Punanga Nui
  • Head of State

 

Honourable (Mr) Albert NICHOLAS

Minister Responsible for

  • Infrastructure Cook Islands
  • Cook Islands Investment Corporation
  • National Environment Services
  • Business Trade and Investment Board

 

ASSOCIATE MINISTERS

 Honourable (Mr) Tingika ELIKANA

Associate Minister Responsible for

  • Justice
  • Finance & Economic Management
  • Foreign Affairs and Immigration
  • Tourism

 

Honourable (Ms) Tehani BROWN

Associate Minister Responsible for

  • Internal Affairs
  • Health

 

ASSISTANT MINISTERS

 Assistant Minister (Mr) Tereapii KAVANA

  • (Assisting Prime Minister Mark Brown)
  • Tourism

 

Assistant Minister (Mr) Tuakeu TANGATAPOTO

  • (Assisting Min. George Maggie Angene)
  • Culture

 

Assistant Minister (Mrs) Akaiti PUNA

  • (Assisting Deputy Prime Minister Robert Taimoe Tapaitau)
  • Manihiki Airport
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