Ngamau Munokoa
OBE
11th Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
In office
5 November 2003 – 19 November 2004
RepresentativeFrederick Tutu Goodwin
Prime MinisterRobert Woonton
Preceded byTerepai Maoate
Succeeded byGeoffrey Henry
Minister for the Environment
In office
31 July 2009 – 23 December 2009
Prime MinisterJim Marurai
Preceded byKete Ioane
Succeeded byJim Marurai
Minister of Internal Affairs
In office
17 October 2008 – 23 December 2009
Succeeded byApii Piho
In office
1 December 1999 – 12 February 2002
Prime MinisterTerepai Maoate
Preceded byTupou Faireka
Succeeded byPeri Vaevae Pare
Minister of Agriculture
In office
15 September 2005 – 31 July 2009
Preceded byTupou Faireka
Succeeded byRobert Wigmore
Minister of Justice
In office
15 September 2005 – 17 October 2008
Preceded byTupou Faireka
Succeeded byKete Ioane
Minister of Works
In office
1 December 1999 – 12 February 2002
Prime MinisterTerepai Maoate
Preceded byTupou Faireka
Succeeded byTom Marsters
Member of the Cook Islands Parliament
for Nikao–Panama
In office
July 1996 – 14 June 2018
Preceded byNiroa Manuela
Succeeded byVaine Mokoroa
Personal details
Born (1944-08-13) 13 August 1944
Rarotonga
Political partyCook Islands Democratic Party

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.

Early life

Munokoa 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

Munokoa 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

Munokoa 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

  1. 1 2 3 "Aunty Mau hopes for fifth term". Cook Islands News. 15 November 2010. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  2. ↑ "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.
  3. 1 2 "Cook Islands no confidence motion dropped to avoid confusion". RNZ. 7 November 2003. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "Hon. Ngamau Mere Munokoa". Cook Islands parliament. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ "Portfolio Allocations". Pacific Islands Report. 2 December 1999. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  7. ↑ "Cook Islands Democratic party says it has numbers to form next government". RNZ. 16 November 2004. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  8. ↑ "TWO NEW MINISTERS JOIN COOK ISLANDS CABINET". Pacific Islands Report. 15 September 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  9. ↑ "Changes announced to Ministries". Cook Islands Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  10. ↑ "Ministers & their portfolios". Cook Islands News. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "Cooks Deputy Prime Minister replaced, prompting a walkout". RNZ. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  12. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ "Preliminary Results from Votes Counted 14-06-2018". Cook Islands Ministry of Justice. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  14. ↑ Melina Etches (17 October 2018). "Suffrage celebrated with two 'Madam Speakers'". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  15. ↑ "No. 59283". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2009. p. 29.
  16. ↑ "Aunty Mau named in New Year's honours". Cook Islands News. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  17. ↑ Jonathan Milne (23 October 2019). "Vaine Rangatira awards and recognition 2019". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
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