Akaiti Puna
Akaiti Puna | |
|---|---|
Akaiti Puna in 2012 | |
| Member of the Cook Islands Parliament for Manihiki | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Puna |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 September 1952 |
| Political party | Cook Islands Party |
Akaitiiti O Te Rangi Puna (born 5 September 1952)[1] is a Cook Islands politician and member of the Cook Islands Parliament. She is a member of the Cook Islands Party. She is married to the former Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna and the sister of MP Tukaka Ama.[2]
Puna was born on Rarotonga and educated at Tereora College[1] and at Auckland Girls' Grammar School in New Zealand.[3] She began playing netball at school in New Zealand, and continued on her return to the Cook Islands, playing for Ngatangiia.[3] She served as manager for Netball Cook Islands at the 1981 South Pacific Mini Games,[3] and later served on its board.[4] From 1972 she worked for Air New Zealand.[5]
Following her husband's election as Prime Minister in the 2010 election Puna managed their pearl farm on Manihiki.[6] When he retired in 2021 in order to take up the job of Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum[7] she stood in his former seat of Manihiki in the resulting by-election,[8] and was elected.[9] She was elected with 82 votes, beating candidate Munokoa Maraeara of the Democratic Party and Temu Okotai who represented the independents, bringing the Cook Islands Party government majority in the parliament to 13 of the 24 seats.[10] She was sworn in as an MP on 31 May 2021.[11]
She was re-elected at the 2022 Cook Islands general election.[12] In February 2024, Puna was appointed Leader of the House of the Cook Islands Parliament.[13][14] She was elected after Pukapuka-Nassau MP Tingika Elikana became the Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Marine Resources.[15]
References
- ^ a b "Akaitiiti-o-te-Rangi PUNA". Cook Islands Parliament. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ Melina Etches (24 March 2023). "Brother-sister duo fulfil parents dream". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ a b c "For the love of the game- Akaiti Puna". Cook Islands Sports National Olympic Commission. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "It's all about commitment: netball". Cook Islands News. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "PUNA GETS COOK ISLANDS' HIGH COMMISSIONER'S JOB IN NEW ZEALAND". Pacific Islands Report. 28 September 1999. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "Thrust into the limelight". Cook Islands News. 11 December 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ Losirene Lacanivalu (24 March 2021). "Puna bids farewell with some words of advice". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ Rashneel Kumar (13 April 2021). "Akaiti Puna named CIP candidate". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
- ^ Rashneel Kumar (6 May 2021). "Akaiti Puna wins Manihiki by-election, CIP majority intact". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "Akaiti Puna the latest MP in Cooks parliament". RNZ. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ Caleb Fotheringham (1 June 2021). "Puna a Manihikian at heart". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Members of Parliament (1958 - present)". parliament.gov.ck. Parliament of the Cook Islands. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- ^ Lacanivalu, Losirene (28 February 2024). "New Deputy Speaker and Leader of the House set to be elected". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- ^ Lacanivalu, Losirene (28 February 2024). "New Deputy Speaker and Leader of the House set to be elected". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 5 July 2025.