Tangata Vavia

{{Short description|Cook Islands politician}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2017}}

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

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|honorific-suffix =

|image =

|caption =

|office =

|primeminister =

|term_start =

|term_end =

|predecessor =

|successor =

|office2 =

|term_start2 =

|term_end2 =

|primeminister2 =

|predecessor2 =

|successor2 =

|office3 =

|deputy3 =

|term_start3 =

|term_end3 =

|predecessor3 =

|successor3 =

|office4 = Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Transport

|primeminister4 = Jim Marurai

|term_start4 = 17 October 2008

|term_end4 = 23 December 2009

|predecessor4 =

|successor4 = William (Smiley) Heather

|office5 = Minister for Outer Islands Development

|term_start5 = 30 January 2003

|term_end5 = 5 November 2003

|primeminister5 = Robert Woonton

|predecessor5 =

|successor5 = Tapi Taio

|office6 =

|term_start6 = 16 September 2005

|term_end6 = 27 September 2006

|primeminister6 = Jim Marurai

|predecessor6 =

|successor6 =

|office7 = Minister of Justice

|term_start7 = 17 November 1999

|term_end7 = 11 February 2002

|primeminister7 = Terepai Maoate

|predecessor7 =

|successor7 = Norman George

|office8 =

|term_start8 = 30 January 2003

|term_end8 = 5 November 2003

|primeminister8 = Robert Woonton

|predecessor8 = Norman George

|successor8 =

|office9 = Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands

|leader9 =

|term_start9 = 1999

|term_end9 = 1999

|predecessor9 =

|successor9 =

|constituency_MP10 = Mitiaro

|parliament10 = Cook Islands

|term_start10 = 24 March 1994

|term_end10 = 14 June 2018

|predecessor10 =

|successor10 = Tuakeu Tangatapoto

|majority10 =

|birth_date = 8 September 1949

|birth_place = Mitiaro

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Cook Islands Democratic Party

|alma_mater =

|website =

}}

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.

Vavia was born in Mitiaro in the Cook Islands. He was educated in Mitiaro then at Avarua, Nikao, Nikao Side School and Tereora College.{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.gov.ck/members/vavia.html |title=Hon. Tangata Vavia |publisher=Cook Islands Parliament |accessdate=11 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001070238/http://www.parliament.gov.ck/members/vavia.html |archive-date=1 October 2010}} He worked as a postal clerk, then as a police constable before being elected to Parliament as member for Mitiaro in the 1994 elections.

Vavia was elected Deputy Speaker in 1999. He subsequently served in the Cabinet of Sir Terepai Maoate as Minister of Justice and Outer Islands.{{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}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/139247/cook-islands-deputy-pm-sacked |title=Cook Islands deputy PM sacked |publisher=RNZ |date=30 January 2003 |accessdate=5 July 2020}} A further coalition realignment in November of that year saw him resign his portfolios and join the opposition.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/146106/two-cook-islands-cabinet-ministers-resign |title=Two Cook Islands cabinet ministers resign |publisher=RNZ |date=6 November 2003 |accessdate=5 July 2020}}

In 2005, following the demise of Jim Marurai's "partnership government", he rejoined Cabinet as Minister for Outer Islands Administration.{{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}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/157536/viceroy-swears-in-two-new-cabinet-ministers-in-the-cook-islands |title=Viceroy swears in two new Cabinet ministers in the Cook Islands |publisher=RNZ |date=16 September 2005 |accessdate=5 July 2020}} He was re-elected in the 2006 election, and appointed Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Cook Islands Investment Corporation, and Transport.{{cite web |url=http://www.ciherald.co.ck/articles/t273c.htm |title=Changes announced to Ministries |publisher=Cook Islands Herald |accessdate=11 April 2009}}

Vavia resigned his portfolios in December 2009 in protest at the sacking from Cabinet 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 }} 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.[http://www.pina.com.fj/?p=pacnews&m=read&o=90752168654812b3054aa6bcd01d5f "Mitiaro recount favours Cooks Democrats"], PINA, 4 December 2014[http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2014/December/12-18-02.htm "Cook Islands Court Confirms Mitiaro Seat Belongs To Demos"], Cook Islands News, 17 December 2014 He subsequently lost the seat at the 2018 election.{{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}}