Tangata Vavia

Tangata Mouauri Vavia (born 8 September 1949) is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party.

Tangata Vavia
Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Transport
In office
17 October 2008 – 23 December 2009
Prime MinisterJim Marurai
Succeeded byWilliam (Smiley) Heather
Minister for Outer Islands Development
In office
30 January 2003 – 5 November 2003
Prime MinisterRobert Woonton
Succeeded byTapi Taio
In office
16 September 2005 – 27 September 2006
Prime MinisterJim Marurai
Minister of Justice
In office
17 November 1999 – 11 February 2002
Prime MinisterTerepai Maoate
Succeeded byNorman George
In office
30 January 2003 – 5 November 2003
Prime MinisterRobert Woonton
Preceded byNorman George
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands
In office
1999–1999
Member of the Cook Islands Parliament
for Mitiaro
In office
24 March 1994 – 14 June 2018
Succeeded byTuakeu Tangatapoto
Personal details
Born8 September 1949
Mitiaro
Political partyCook Islands Democratic Party

Vavia was born in Mitiaro in the Cook Islands. He was educated in Mitiaro then at Avarua, Nikao, Nikao Side School and Tereora College.[1] He worked as a postal clerk, then as a police constable before being elected to Parliament as member for Mitiaro in the 1994 elections.[1]

Vavia was elected Deputy Speaker in 1999. He subsequently served in the Cabinet of Sir Terepai Maoate as Minister of Justice and Outer Islands.[2] He lost his position when Robert Woonton replaced Maoate, but was reappointed briefly in 2003 when Woonton's coalition with the Cook Islands Party fell apart.[3] A further coalition realignment in November of that year saw him resign his portfolios and join the opposition.[4]

In 2005, following the demise of Jim Marurai's "partnership government", he rejoined Cabinet as Minister for Outer Islands Administration.[5][6] He was re-elected in the 2006 election, and appointed Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Cook Islands Investment Corporation, and Transport.[7]

Vavia resigned his portfolios in December 2009 in protest at the sacking from Cabinet of Democratic Party leader Terepai Maoate.[8][9] He was re-elected at the 2010 election. At the 2014 general election, he received exactly the same number of votes as his Cook Islands Party opponent in his Mitiaro constituency. A by-election was held in November, then retroactively cancelled by court order before the ballots could be counted. In December, Vavia was awarded the seat by the court following a recount of the July results.[10][11] He subsequently lost the seat at the 2018 election.[12]

References
  1. "Hon. Tangata Vavia". Cook Islands Parliament. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  2. "Portfolio Allocations". Pacific Islands Report. 2 December 1999. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  3. "Cook Islands deputy PM sacked". RNZ. 30 January 2003. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  4. "Two Cook Islands cabinet ministers resign". RNZ. 6 November 2003. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  5. "TWO NEW MINISTERS JOIN COOK ISLANDS CABINET". Pacific Islands Report. 15 September 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  6. "Viceroy swears in two new Cabinet ministers in the Cook Islands". RNZ. 16 September 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  7. "Changes announced to Ministries". Cook Islands Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  8. "Cooks Deputy Prime Minister replaced, prompting a walkout". RNZ. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  9. "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.
  10. "Mitiaro recount favours Cooks Democrats", PINA, 4 December 2014
  11. "Cook Islands Court Confirms Mitiaro Seat Belongs To Demos", Cook Islands News, 17 December 2014
  12. "Preliminary Results from Votes Counted 14-06-2018". Cook Islands Ministry of Justice. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
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