Patrick Arioka

{{Short description|Cook Islands politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

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|office3 = Minister of Telecommunications

|primeminister3 = Mark Brown

|term_start3 = 2 June 2021

|term_end3 = 1 August 2022

|predecessor3 = Mark Brown

|successor3 =

|office4 = Minister of Tourism

|primeminister4 = Mark Brown

|term_start4 = 8 October 2020

|term_end4 = 1 August 2022

|predecessor4 = Henry Puna

|successor4 =

|constituency_MP5 = Murienua

|parliament5 = Cook Islands

|term_start5 = 14 June 2018

|term_end5 = 1 August 2022

|predecessor5 = James Beer

|successor5 = Teariki Heather

|majority5 =

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|birth_date = 24 July 1971

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|party = Cook Islands Party

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}}

Patrick Arioka (born 24 July 1971){{cite web |url=https://parliament.gov.ck/team/mr-patrick-arioka/ |title=Hon. Patrick Akaiti ARIOKA |publisher=Cook Islands Parliament |access-date=14 August 2022}} is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet Minister. He is a former member of the Cook Islands Parliament, representing the seat of Murienua. He is a member of the Cook Islands Party.

Arioka was born on Rarotonga and educated at Avatea School, Avarua School, and Atiu College. He studied tropical agriculture at the University of the South Pacific campus in Alafua, followed by a Master in Business Administration. He worked as a forestry officer for the government, and then as a policy advisor. He served on the board of the Cook Islands Red Cross Society from 2006 to 2018, and from 2016 to 2018 was its president.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/local/item/59285-red-cross-ready-for-any-emergency |title=Red Cross ready for any emergency |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=4 July 2016 |access-date=20 October 2018}}

Arioka served as campaign manager for unsuccessful CIP candidate Kaota Tuariki in the 2014 Murienua by-election.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/item/44627-by-election-win-was-lsquo-sweet-rsquo-for-demos |title=By-election win was 'sweet' for Demos |author=Emmanuel Samoglou |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=25 February 2014 |accessdate=20 October 2018}} He contested the seat himself at the 2014, losing to the Democratic party's James Beer.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/47614-election-demos-in-the-driver-s-seat |title=Election: Demos in the driver's seat |publisher=Cook Islands News |author=Emmanuel Samoglou |date=17 July 2014 |accessdate=20 October 2018}} He entered parliament after winning the seat at the 2018 election.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/69722-demo-spokesman-loses-out |title=Demo spokesman loses out |publisher=Cook Islands News |author=Cameron Scott |date=15 June 2018 |access-date=20 October 2018}} Following the election he was appointed associate agriculture minister.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/70028-appointment-talk-keeps-the-wireless-humming |title=Appointment talk keeps the 'wireless' humming |publisher=Cook Islands News |author=Cameron Scott |date=12 July 2018 |accessdate=20 October 2018}}

On 8 October 2020 Arioka was appointed to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Brown as Minister of Tourism and the Business Trade and Investment Board.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/78813-pm-takes-on-17-portfolios |title=PM takes on 17 portfolios |publisher=Cook Islands News |author=Emmanuel Samoglou and Rashneel Kumar |date=8 October 2020 |accessdate=9 October 2020}} A further reshuffle on 2 June 2021 saw him gain the Telecommunications portfolio.{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/economy/pm-announces-cabinet-reshuffle/ |title=PM announces Cabinet reshuffle |author=Rashneel Kumar |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=3 June 2021 |access-date=5 June 2021}}

He lost his seat in the 2022 Cook Islands general election.{{cite web |url=http://www.mfem.gov.ck/images/documents/Statistics_Docs/Elections/Gaz_Public_Notice_9_Declaration_of_Result_of_Poll.pdf |title=WARRANT DECLARING THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES AND THE NUMBER OF VOTES RECEIVED BY EACH CANDIDATE |publisher=Cook Islands Gazette |date=11 August 2022 |access-date=13 August 2022}} In January 2023 he was appointed to the board of the Cook Islands Investment Corporation.{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/local/business/former-govt-mp-joins-ciic-board/ |title=Former Govt MP joins CIIC Board |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=11 February 2023 |access-date=12 February 2023}}