Ngamau Munokoa

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=100%}}

|image =

|caption =

|order = 11th

|office = Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands

|1blankname = Representative

|1namedata = Frederick Tutu Goodwin

|primeminister1 = Robert Woonton

|term_start = 5 November 2003

|term_end = 19 November 2004

|predecessor1 = Terepai Maoate

|successor1 = Geoffrey Henry

|office2 = Minister for the Environment

|term_start2 = 31 July 2009

|term_end2 = 23 December 2009

|primeminister2 = Jim Marurai

|predecessor2 = Kete Ioane

|successor2 = Jim Marurai

|office3 = Minister of Internal Affairs

|deputy3 =

|primeminister3 =

|term_start3 = 17 October 2008

|term_end3 = 23 December 2009

|predecessor3 =

|successor3 = Apii Piho

|primeminister4 = Terepai Maoate

|deputy4 =

|term_start4 = 1 December 1999

|term_end4 = 12 February 2002

|predecessor4 = Tupou Faireka

|successor4 = Peri Vaevae Pare

|office6 = Minister of Agriculture

|primeminister6 =

|term_start6 = 15 September 2005

|term_end6 = 31 July 2009

|predecessor6 = Tupou Faireka

|successor6 = Robert Wigmore

|office7 = Minister of Justice

|deputy7 =

|primeminister7 =

|term_start7 = 15 September 2005

|term_end7 = 17 October 2008

|predecessor7 = Tupou Faireka

|successor7 = Kete Ioane

|office9 = Minister of Works

|primeminister9 = Terepai Maoate

|deputy9 =

|term_start9 = 1 December 1999

|term_end9 = 12 February 2002

|predecessor9 = Tupou Faireka

|successor9 = Tom Marsters

|constituency_MP10 = Nikao–Panama

|parliament10 = Cook Islands

|term_start10 = July 1996

|term_end10 = 14 June 2018

|predecessor10 = Niroa Manuela

|successor10 = Vaine Mokoroa

|majority10 =

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1944|8|13|df=y}}

|birth_place = Rarotonga

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Cook Islands Democratic Party

|alma_mater =

|website =

}}

Ngamau Mere Munokoa {{post-nominals|country=NZL|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,{{cite web |url=http://www.cinews.co.ck/2010/November/Wed17/other.htm#1011151503 |title=Aunty Mau hopes for fifth term |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=15 November 2010 |accessdate=26 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617063458/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2010/November/Wed17/other.htm |archive-date=17 June 2012}} the second appointed to Cabinet,{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-352881888/view?sectionId=nla.obj-354532133&partId=nla.obj-352884934#page/n14/mode/1up |title=The new-look Cook Islands' cabinet |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=70 |issue=1 |page=15 |date=1 January 2000 |accessdate=26 July 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}} and the first to hold the post of Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/146116/cook-islands-no-confidence-motion-dropped-to-avoid-confusion |title=Cook Islands no confidence motion dropped to avoid confusion |publisher=RNZ |date=7 November 2003 |accessdate=26 July 2020}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.gov.ck/members/munokoa.html |title=Hon. Ngamau Mere Munokoa |publisher=Cook Islands parliament |accessdate=9 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001070107/http://www.parliament.gov.ck/members/munokoa.html |archive-date=1 October 2010 |url-status=dead }} 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.

Political career

Munokoa first ran for Parliament in 1994, but was unsuccessful. She was elected in the 1996 Nikao–Panama by-election, defeating then-Cook Islands Party candidate Tina Browne.{{cite web |last1=Crocombe |first1=R G |last2=Crocombe |first2=M T |title=The Cook Islands in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996 |volume=9 |number=1| year=1997| url=http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/13144/2/v9n1-218-227-politicalrev.pdf.txt |accessdate=6 March 2011}} In 1999 she was appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs and Works in the Cabinet of Sir Terepai Maoate.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/1999/12/02/government-cook-islands |title=Portfolio Allocations |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=2 December 1999 |accessdate=5 July 2020}} 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. She later resigned from Woonton's Cabinet following his decision to form a coalition with the rival Cook Islands Party,{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/151741/cook-islands-democratic-party-says-it-has-numbers-to-form-next-government |title=Cook Islands Democratic party says it has numbers to form next government |publisher=RNZ |date=16 November 2004 |accessdate=5 July 2020}} but was reappointed in 2005 by Jim Marurai.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2005/09/16/two-new-ministers-join-cook-islands-cabinet |title=TWO NEW MINISTERS JOIN COOK ISLANDS CABINET |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=15 September 2005 |accessdate=5 July 2020}} She continued to serve in Cabinet, holding various portfolios,{{cite web |url=http://www.ciherald.co.ck/articles/t273c.htm |title=Changes announced to Ministries |publisher=Cook Islands Herald |accessdate=11 April 2009}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/local/ministers-their-portfolios/ |title=Ministers & their portfolios |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=5 August 2009 |accessdate=15 March 2021}} until December 2009, when she resigned over the sacking of Democratic Party leader Terepai Maoate.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/187947/cooks-deputy-prime-minister-replaced,-prompting-a-walkout |title=Cooks Deputy Prime Minister replaced, prompting a walkout |publisher=RNZ |date=24 December 2009 |accessdate=5 July 2020}}{{cite web |url=http://www.democookislands.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=129:cabinet-ministers-resign-in-support-of-party-leader&catid=1:latest-news |title=Cabinet Ministers Resign in Support of Party Leader |publisher=Democratic Party – Cook Islands |date=23 December 2009 |accessdate=25 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709011911/http://www.democookislands.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=129%3Acabinet-ministers-resign-in-support-of-party-leader&catid=1%3Alatest-news |archive-date=9 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.justice.gov.ck/index.php/2-uncategorised/74-elections-14th-june-2018 |title=Preliminary Results from Votes Counted 14-06-2018 |publisher=Cook Islands Ministry of Justice |date=14 June 2018 |accessdate=18 June 2018}} Her 22-year career made her the longest-serving female MP.{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/local/suffrage-celebrated-with-two-madam-speakers/ |title=Suffrage celebrated with two 'Madam Speakers' |publisher=Cook Islands News |author=Melina Etches |date=17 October 2018 |accessdate=15 March 2021}}

Recognition

Munokoa was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.{{London Gazette |issue=59283 |date=31 December 2009 |page=29 |supp=y }}{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/local/aunty-mau-named-in-new-year-rsquo-s-honours/ |title=Aunty Mau named in New Year's honours |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=31 December 2009 |accessdate=15 March 2021}} In October 2019, she was inducted into the hall of fame at the inaugural Vaine Rangatira awards for Cook Islands women.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/features/weekend/item/74660-vaine-rangatira-awards-and-recognition-2019 |title=Vaine Rangatira awards and recognition 2019 |author=Jonathan Milne |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=23 October 2019 |access-date=15 March 2021}}