Selina Napa

Napa was born on Mangaia and educated at Titikaveka School and Tereora College.[1] She has a long involvement in Netball, playing at a village level as a child before being part of the Cook Islands national netball team at the 1981 South Pacific Mini Games.[3] She played for the Cook Islands throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including at the 1987 World Netball Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and the 1989 World Games in Germany.[3] Eventually she rose to be team captain.[3] She later played for and coached the Titikaveka Pearls,[4] and was part of the selection panel for the Cook Islands women's national cricket team.[5]

Napa worked for the Business Trade and Investment board, and then as campaign manager for Titikaveka MP Robert Wigmore for four election campaigns.[6] She was later an administrator and spokesperson for the Democratic Party.[7] Following Wigmore's death she was elected to Parliament in the 2012 Titikaveka by-election, which was also contested by her brother.[8][9] In April 2013 she attended the inaugural Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Wellington, New Zealand.[10]

Napa was re-elected in the 2014 election. In 2015, she was appointed opposition spokesperson for Environment, Telecommunications, Tourism, and Youth and Sport.[11] In 2016, she was part of the Cook Islands' delegation to the second Pacific Parliamentary Forum.[12] She was re-elected again at the 2018 election. In December 2019 she was part of a protest by women MPs to permit the wearing of ei katu (floral crowns) in Parliament.[13] In February 2020 she was appointed Democratic Party spokesperson for Health, Environment, Justice, and the Trade and Investment Board.[14]

She lost her seat in the 2022 Cook Islands general election.[15]

Napa was awarded an MBE for services to sport, youth and the community in the 2007 New Year Honours.[16]