Ngamau Mere Munokoa OBE (born 13 August 1944), also known as "Aunty Mau", is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet Minister. She was the third woman ever elected to the Cook Islands Parliament,[1] the second appointed to Cabinet,[2] and the first to hold the post of Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister.[3] She is a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party.
Ngamau Munokoa | |
|---|---|
| 11th Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands | |
| In office 5 November 2003 – 19 November 2004 | |
| Representative | Frederick Tutu Goodwin |
| Prime Minister | Robert Woonton |
| Preceded by | Terepai Maoate |
| Succeeded by | Geoffrey Henry |
| Minister for the Environment | |
| In office 31 July 2009 – 23 December 2009 | |
| Prime Minister | Jim Marurai |
| Preceded by | Kete Ioane |
| Succeeded by | Jim Marurai |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | |
| In office 17 October 2008 – 23 December 2009 | |
| Succeeded by | Apii Piho |
| In office 1 December 1999 – 12 February 2002 | |
| Prime Minister | Terepai Maoate |
| Preceded by | Tupou Faireka |
| Succeeded by | Peri Vaevae Pare |
| Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office 15 September 2005 – 31 July 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Tupou Faireka |
| Succeeded by | Robert Wigmore |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 15 September 2005 – 17 October 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Tupou Faireka |
| Succeeded by | Kete Ioane |
| Minister of Works | |
| In office 1 December 1999 – 12 February 2002 | |
| Prime Minister | Terepai Maoate |
| Preceded by | Tupou Faireka |
| Succeeded by | Tom Marsters |
| Member of the Cook Islands Parliament for Nikao–Panama | |
| In office July 1996 – 14 June 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Niroa Manuela |
| Succeeded by | Vaine Mokoroa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 August 1944 Rarotonga |
| Political party | Cook Islands Democratic Party |
Early life
editMunokoa was born in Rarotonga and attended Arorangi, Avarua and Nikao Primary schools and Tereora College.[4] She trained for clerical work in Auckland, New Zealand in the hope of becoming a teacher, but returned to the Cook Islands in 1962 to open a shop.[1]
Political career
editMunokoa first ran for Parliament in 1994, but was unsuccessful.[1] She was elected in the 1996 Nikao–Panama by-election, defeating then-Cook Islands Party candidate Tina Browne.[5] In 1999 she was appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs and Works in the Cabinet of Sir Terepai Maoate.[6] She later served in the Cabinet of Robert Woonton, and in 2003 was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, becoming the first Cook Islands woman to hold the position.[3] She later resigned from Woonton's Cabinet following his decision to form a coalition with the rival Cook Islands Party,[7] but was reappointed in 2005 by Jim Marurai.[8] She continued to serve in Cabinet, holding various portfolios,[9][10] until December 2009, when she resigned over the sacking of Democratic Party leader Terepai Maoate.[11][12]
She was re-elected at the 2010 election, and again in 2014. She failed to be re-elected in the 2018 election, losing to Vaine Mokoroa.[13] Her 22-year career made her the longest-serving female MP.[14]
Recognition
editMunokoa was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.[15][16] In October 2019, she was inducted into the hall of fame at the inaugural Vaine Rangatira awards for Cook Islands women.[17]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Aunty Mau hopes for fifth term". Cook Islands News. 15 November 2010. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
- ^ "The new-look Cook Islands' cabinet". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 70, no. 1. 1 January 2000. p. 15. Retrieved 26 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b "Cook Islands no confidence motion dropped to avoid confusion". RNZ. 7 November 2003. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "Hon. Ngamau Mere Munokoa". Cook Islands parliament. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
- ^ Crocombe, R G; Crocombe, M T (1997). "The Cook Islands in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996". Retrieved 6 March 2011.
- ^ "Portfolio Allocations". Pacific Islands Report. 2 December 1999. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Cook Islands Democratic party says it has numbers to form next government". RNZ. 16 November 2004. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "TWO NEW MINISTERS JOIN COOK ISLANDS CABINET". Pacific Islands Report. 15 September 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Changes announced to Ministries". Cook Islands Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ "Ministers & their portfolios". Cook Islands News. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ "Cooks Deputy Prime Minister replaced, prompting a walkout". RNZ. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ^ "Cabinet Ministers Resign in Support of Party Leader". Democratic Party – Cook Islands. 23 December 2009. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
- ^ "Preliminary Results from Votes Counted 14-06-2018". Cook Islands Ministry of Justice. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- ^ Melina Etches (17 October 2018). "Suffrage celebrated with two 'Madam Speakers'". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ "No. 59283". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2009. p. 29.
- ^ "Aunty Mau named in New Year's honours". Cook Islands News. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ Jonathan Milne (23 October 2019). "Vaine Rangatira awards and recognition 2019". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 15 March 2021.