Brown was born in 1963[1] in Avarua on Rarotonga,and educated at Nikao Maori School,Nikao Side School,Tereora College and Gisborne Boys' High School in New Zealand.[2] He holds a Diploma in Public Sector Management from Massey University in New Zealand and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of the South Pacific.[2] He has worked as a public servant,including as a policy advisor for the Prime Minister's Office and as head of the Ministry of Agriculture,and as a property developer.[2] He has served as Vice-President of the Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce,and President of the Cook Islands Touch Association.
Brown was appointed to Cabinet in December 2010 as finance minister.[4][5] He was re-elected at the 2014 election,and again in 2018. Following the 2018 election he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister,replacing Teariki Heather.[6]
In December 2019 a private prosecution for fraud was lodged against Brown and Prime Minister Henry Puna,alleging that a government-chartered aircraft had been misused.[7] In March 2021 the charges were dismissed by the High Court.[8]
Prime Minister,2020– present
First term,2020–2022
In June 2020 Prime Minister Henry Puna announced his intention to stand down in September in order to compete for the role of Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum.[9] He nominated Brown as his replacement. On 1 October,following the retirement of Henry Puna,he was elected Prime Minister.[10] He retained almost all of his and Puna's portfolios in his initial Cabinet,surrendering only Education and Tourism to other Ministers.[11] He plans to re-allocate major portfolios such as Finance and Foreign Affairs to other Ministers in 2021.[12]
In mid-December 2020,Prime Minister Brown and his New Zealand counterpartJacinda Ardern announced that a travel bubble between New Zealand and the Cook Islands would be established next year,facilitating two-way quarantine-free travel between the two countries.[13]
A cabinet reshuffle on 2 June 2021 saw him distribute half his portfolios to other Ministers.[14]
He was re-elected at the 2022 election and reappointed Prime Minister after securing the support of two independents.[15][16][17]
In early February 2024,Brown advocated a trilateral defence and security co-operation arrangement between the Cook Islands,New Zealand,and Australia. This proposed agreement would supplement the Cook Islands' existing defence and security arrangements with New Zealand.[18]
Cook Islands passport proposal
In mid October 2024,Brown advocated the introduction of a separate Cook Islands passport during the 53rd session of the House of Ariki Annual General Meeting but declined to explain whether this would affect the New Zealand citizenship status of Cook Islanders.[19] In response,New Zealand Foreign MinisterWinston Peters questioned whether the people of the Cook Islands supported Brown and other politicians' proposal for a separate Cook Islands passport,warning of its implications for the territory's status as an associated state. Brown responded that the Cook Islands passport proposal would not affect the territory's constitutional relationship with New Zealand. Tuaine Unuia,the Clerk of the House of Ariki,said that the House supported Brown's proposal.[20]
On 23 December,the office of Foreign Minister Peters clarified that the Cook Islands would not be able to have its own passport,citizenship and United Nations membership without becoming an independent country. Any changes to the territory's constitutional relationship with New Zealand would have to be decided by the Cook Islanders via a referendum.[21][22] According to BBC News,several Cook Islanders residing in New Zealand questioned whether Brown and the Cook Islands government had consulted the public over the proposal and expressed concern that any possible change to the Cook Island's sovereignty would affect their access to healthcare and other services in New Zealand.[22] On 6 February 2025,Brown formally abandoned the Cook Islands passport proposal in the face of strident opposition from the New Zealand government,stating "We don't want to jeopardise our people and the safety and security of Cook Islanders. We will now put this onto the back burner."[23]
2025 Partnership agreement with China
In early February 2025,Brown confirmed that he would undertake a five day visit to China between 10 and 14 February to sign a "Joint Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" with the Chinese government. The partnership agreement was criticised by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters,who said that Brown and the Cook Islands government had not consulted New Zealand on the matter. Due to the free association relationship between New Zealand and Cook Islands,New Zealand has oversight over the island state's foreign affairs and defence.[24][25] In response to criticism,Brown said that the partnership agreement did not involve security and defence issues,stating "there is no need for New Zealand to sit in the room with us while we are going through our comprehensive agreement with China. We have advised them on the matter,but as far as being consulted and to the level of detail that they were requiring,I think that's not a requirement."[26][25]
On 14 February,Brown and the Cook Islands delegation ratified a strategic partnership agreement with China.[30] Following the agreement,Brown said that the Cook Islands' partnership agreement with China "complements,not replaces" its relationship with New Zealand. [31] In response,Peters' office stated that the New Zealand government would be considering the agreement carefully in light of its interests and constitutional relationship with the Cook Islands.[30] The partnership agreement was criticised by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark,who said that Brown "seems to have signed behind the backs of his own people as well as of New Zealand."[32]
On 17 February,400 protesters led by Cook Islands United Party leader Teariki Heather protested against Brown's passport proposal and Chinese partnership agreement during the opening of the Cook Islands Parliament.[33] On 26 February,Heather lodged a motion of no confidence against Brown in the Cook Islands Parliament.[34] The motion failed by a margin of 13 to 9 votes. In response Brown criticised New Zealand for allegedly spreading disinformation,stating:
This is not about consultation. This is about control. We cannot compete with New Zealand. When their one-sided messaging is so compelling that even our opposition members will be swayed. We never once talked to the New Zealand government about cutting our ties with New Zealand but the message our people received was that we were cutting our ties with New Zealand. We have been discussing the comprehensive partnership with New Zealand for months. But the messaging that got out is that we have not consulted. We are a partner in the relationship with New Zealand. We are not a child."[35]
Following the China partnership agreement dispute, Peters suggested that Cook Islands-New Zealand relations needed to be reset, and that a new agreement stating the "overall parameters and constraints of the free association model" needed to be signed. In response, Brown told ABC News on 3 April 2025 that the new agreement should reflect the fact that the Cook Islands had become more independent over the decades and should not "wind back the clock of colonialism." He said:
If there's anything, I would see a review of our arrangement which recognises the fact that the Cook Islands — not only is it one of the first countries to achieve high income status in the region, but it's one that is well-respected within the region for being able to have its own voice (and) a country that does make its own choices."[36]
In response, a spokesperson for Peters said that Brown needed to make the case for Cook Islands independence to his people before proceeding with plans to seek further independence from New Zealand.[36]
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