Tangata Vavia | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Transport | |
| In office 17 October 2008 –23 December 2009 | |
| Prime Minister | Jim Marurai |
| Succeeded by | William (Smiley) Heather |
| Minister for Outer Islands Development | |
| In office 30 January 2003 –5 November 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Robert Woonton |
| Succeeded by | Tapi Taio |
| In office 16 September 2005 –27 September 2006 | |
| Prime Minister | Jim Marurai |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 17 November 1999 –11 February 2002 | |
| Prime Minister | Terepai Maoate |
| Succeeded by | Norman George |
| In office 30 January 2003 –5 November 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Robert Woonton |
| Preceded by | Norman George |
| Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands | |
| In office 1999–1999 | |
| Member of the Cook Islands Parliament for Mitiaro | |
| In office 24 March 1994 –14 June 2018 | |
| Succeeded by | Tuakeu Tangatapoto |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 September 1949 Mitiaro |
| Political party | Cook Islands Democratic Party |
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. [1] He worked as a postal clerk,then as a police constable before being elected to Parliament as member for Mitiaro in the 1994 elections. [1]
Vavia was elected Deputy Speaker in 1999. He subsequently served in the Cabinet of Sir Terepai Maoate as Minister of Justice and Outer Islands. [2] 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. [3] A further coalition realignment in November of that year saw him resign his portfolios and join the opposition. [4]
In 2005,following the demise of Jim Marurai's "partnership government",he rejoined Cabinet as Minister for Outer Islands Administration. [5] [6] He was re-elected in the 2006 election,and appointed Minister for Infrastructure and Planning,Cook Islands Investment Corporation,and Transport. [7]
Vavia resigned his portfolios in December 2009 in protest at the sacking from Cabinet of Democratic Party leader Terepai Maoate. [8] [9] 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. [10] [11] He subsequently lost the seat at the 2018 election. [12]