Rose Toki-Brown

Vainetutai Rose Toki-Brown (born 7 December 1976) is a Cook Islands politician, and Cabinet Minister. In July 2016 she became the Cook Islands' first female Leader of the Opposition.[1]

Rose Toki-Brown
Rose Toki-Brown in October 2020
Minister of Internal Affairs
Assumed office
2 June 2021
Prime MinisterMark Brown
Preceded byVaine Mokoroa
Minister of Health
Assumed office
10 July 2018
Prime MinisterHenry Puna
Mark Brown
Preceded byNandi Glassie
Minister of Justice
In office
10 July 2018 – 2 June 2021
Prime MinisterHenry Puna
Mark Brown
Preceded byNandi Glassie
Succeeded byVaine Mokoroa
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands
In office
15 October 2014 – 16 September 2016
Preceded byTai Tura
Succeeded byMona Ioane
Member of the Cook Islands Parliament
for Teenui–Mapumai
Assumed office
9 July 2014
Preceded byNorman George
Personal details
Born (1976-12-07) 7 December 1976
Areora
Political partyCook Islands Party
Independent

Career

Toki-Brown was born in Areora on Atiu.[2] She was a businesswoman and ran the 24 hours Super Brown Mega Store with her husband.[2] She is the mother of fellow MP Te-Hani Brown.[3]

Toki-Brown ran in the 2014 election as a candidate for the Cook Islands Party, defeating her uncle Norman George to win the Teenui–Mapumai seat.[4] An election petition by George was subsequently dismissed.[5] She was appointed Deputy Speaker in October 2014,[6] following then-opposition leader Teina Bishop's conviction for corruption in September 2016 (she resigned as Deputy Speaker after she was unanimously elected leader of the Opposition).[1][7] Toki-Brown was replaced as Deputy Speaker by Mona Ioane.[8]

In June 2017 Toki-Brown rejoined the Cook Islands Party after being replaced by William (Smiley) Heather as leader of the opposition.[9] While originally planning to run for the CIP in the 2018 election, she became an independent after pressure was put on her over her daughter running for the rival Cook Islands Democratic Party.[3] She was elected, defeating both Democratic and Cook Islands Party candidates.[10] Following the election she backed the Cook Islands Party government[11] and was appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Health, Justice, Parliamentary Services and Agriculture.[12] In July 2019 she briefly served as Acting Prime Minister, the first woman to do so.[13]

In the Cabinet reshuffle following the appointment of Mark Brown as Prime Minister she retained all of her Cabinet portfolios.[14] A second reshuffle in June 2021 saw her switch her Justice portfolio for Internal Affairs.[15]

She was re-elected at the 2022 Cook Islands general election[16] and continued her support for Mark Brown.[17]

References
  1. Florence Syme-Buchanan (23 July 2016). "Brown to lead the opposition". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. "Hon. Vainetutai Rose-Toki Brown". Parliament of the Cook Islands. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  3. Rashneel Kumar (15 June 2018). "Mother, daughter make a clean sweep". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  4. ""Uncle Norman just jealous of my election victory" says Rose Toki-Brown". Radio Australia. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  5. "Two more Cooks petitions dismissed". RNZ Pacific. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  6. Emmanuel Samoglou (14 October 2014). "PM announces key appointments". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  7. "Cook Islands opposition has new female leader". RNZ International. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  8. "Ioane now deputy Speaker". Cook Islands News. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  9. Richard Moore (19 June 2017). "Rose goes back to CIP". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  10. "Preliminary Results from Votes Counted 14-06-2018". Cook Islands Ministry of Justice. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  11. Catherine Graue (11 July 2018). "Cook Islands Party forms government with crucial help of independents". ABC News. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  12. "Brown DPM in new cabinet". Cook Islands News. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  13. Losirene Lacanivalu (12 July 2019). "Cooks' first woman PM – for one week". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  14. Emmanuel Samoglou and Rashneel Kumar (8 October 2020). "PM takes on 17 portfolios". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  15. Rashneel Kumar (3 June 2021). "PM announces Cabinet reshuffle". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  16. "WARRANT DECLARING THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES AND THE NUMBER OF VOTES RECEIVED BY EACH CANDIDATE" (PDF). Cook Islands Gazette. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  17. Matthew Littlewood (5 August 2022). "'Super Browns' side CIP in coalition talks". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
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