William (Smiley) Heather

{{Short description|Cook Islands politician}}

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

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}

{{Infobox officeholder

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|office3 = Minister of Transport

|primeminister3 = Jim Marurai

|term_start3 = 26 December 2009

|term_end3 = 2 December 2010

|predecessor3 = Tangata Vavia

|successor3 = Tom Marsters

|office4 = Minister for Infrastructure and Planning

|leader4 =

|term_start4 = 26 December 2009

|term_end4 = 2 December 2010

|predecessor4 = Tangata Vavia

|successor4 = Teariki Heather

|constituency_MP5 = Ruaau

|parliament5 = Cook Islands

|term_start5 = 27 September 2006

|term_end5 = 1 August 2022

|predecessor5 = Vaine Wichman

|successor5 = Timi Varu

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|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1958|7|7}}

|birth_place = Rarotonga

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|party = Cook Islands Democratic Party

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William Kati (Smiley) Heather (born 7 July 1958){{cite web |url=https://parliament.gov.ck/team/mr-william-heather-jnr/ |title=William HEATHER |publisher=Cook Islands Parliament |access-date=14 August 2022}} is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet Minister. He represented the seat of Ruaau in the Cook Islands Parliament from 2006 to 2022 and is Deputy Leader of the Cook Islands Democratic Party. He is the older brother of Cook Islands Party MP Teariki Heather.{{cite web |url=http://www.cinews.co.ck/2010/March/Wed10/local.htm#1003040110 |title=Enough Heathers |publisher=Cook islands News |date=5 March 2010 |accessdate=13 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707010413/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2010/March/Wed10/local.htm#1003040110 }}

Heather was born in Rarotonga and educated at Arorangi Primary School and Tereora College in the Cook Islands and Onslow College in Wellington, New Zealand.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/69448-political-candidate-profiles |title=Political candidate profiles |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=25 May 2018 |accessdate=27 June 2020}} From 1980 to 1997 Heather played for the Cook Islands national rugby union team. He worked as a public servant in the Cook Islands Ministry of Works, Energy and Physical Planning (MOWEPP) from 1992, and in 1997 became Director of Road Works. He was elected to Parliament as a member of the Democratic Party in the 2006 snap election. Following the election, he was appointed Democratic Party whip.

In December 2009 he was appointed to Cabinet as Minister for Transport, Infrastructure & Planning, and Energy{{cite web |url=http://www.cinews.co.ck/2010/January/Wed06/local.htm#1001060113 |title=Ministerial portfolio allocations (as of January 5) |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=6 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110090835/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2010/January/Wed06/local.htm |archivedate=10 January 2010 |accessdate=8 January 2010}} following the sacking of Terepai Maoate and resignation of Democratic party cabinet ministers.{{cite web|url=http://www.cinews.co.ck/2009/December/Wed30/local.htm#0912240106 |title=PM appoints new ministers |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=26 December 2009 |accessdate=1 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105035904/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2009/December/Wed30/local.htm |archivedate=5 January 2010 }} As a result, he was expelled from the Democratic Party on 8 April 2010.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/189631/cooks-democratic-party-expels-four-members-still-in-government |title=Cooks Democratic Party expels four members still in government |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |date=8 April 2010 |accessdate=26 June 2020}}

He was re-elected at the 2010 election as a Democratic candidate. In August 2012 he was elected Deputy Leader of the Democratic party.{{cite web |url=http://www.cinews.co.ck/2012/August/Wed15/other.htm#1208150709 |title=Demos confirm leader, plan ahead |publisher=Cook Islands News |url-status=dead |date=15 August 2012 |accessdate=20 August 2012 |archive-date=1 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130301063749/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2012/August/Wed15/other.htm#1208150709 }} He was re-elected in the 2014 election, and in April 2015 was elected leader of the Democratic Party.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2015/04/17/cook-islands-democratic-party-chooses-new-leader |title=Cook Islands Democratic Party Chooses New Leader |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=17 April 2015 |accessdate=30 June 2020}} In June 2017 he became leader of the opposition again.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/64793-smiley-steps-back-into-old-role |title='Smiley' steps back into old role |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=16 June 2017 |accessdate=4 July 2017}}

Heather was re-elected at the 2018 election. In February 2020 he was appointed Democratic Party spokesperson for Corrective Services, Infrastructure and the Public Service Commission.{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/75992-demos-gunning-for-change |title=Demos gunning for change |author=Melina Etches |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=19 February 2020 |accessdate=3 July 2020}} In march 2021 he was appointed deputy leader, replacing Terepai Maoate Jnr.{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/heather-replaces-maoate-as-demos-deputy-leader/ |title=Heather replaces Maoate as Demos deputy leader |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=5 March 2021 |accessdate=6 March 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 |archive-date=12 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812050512/http://mfem.gov.ck/images/documents/Statistics_Docs/Elections/Gaz_Public_Notice_9_Declaration_of_Result_of_Poll.pdf |url-status=dead }}