| Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the Cook Islands | |
since 22 March 2021 | |
| Inaugural holder | Marguerite Story |
| Formation | 1965 |
| |
|---|
The Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament is the presiding officer of the Cook Islands Parliament. The manage the House in accordance with its Standing Orders and according to the traditions of the Westminster system.
The Speaker is elected by the House at the beginning of a parliamentary term according to the provisions of the Cook Islands Constitution and the Standing Orders. Unlike other Westminster systems the Speaker does not have to be a Member of Parliament, though they must be qualified to be one. By law they may not be a Cabinet Minister. [2]
The Constitution requires that Parliament elect the person nominated by the Prime Minister, [3] however the parliament's Standing Orders include a process for contested elections. [4]
Following their election the Speaker must present themselves to the Queen's Representative to swear an oath of allegiance and lay claim to the privileges of the House. [5]
The Speaker holds office until they cease to be an MP (or, in the case of a Speaker who is not an MP, cease to be qualified to be one), become a Minister, are removed by a vote of the House, or Parliament is dissolved. [6]
The Speaker is assisted by a Deputy Speaker, elected by Parliament. [7] The current Deputy Speaker is Tingika Elikana. [1]
Eight people have held the office of Speaker since the creation of Parliament. [8] A full list of speakers is below.
| Name | Took office | Left office | Speaker's party | Governing party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marguerite Story | 1965 | 1979 | Unknown | Cook Islands Party |
| 2 | David Marama Hosking | 1979 | 1988 | Unknown | Mixed |
| 3 | Raututi Taringa | 1989 | 1999 | Unknown | Cook Islands Party |
| 4 | Ngereteina Puna | 1999 | 2001 | Unknown | Democratic Party |
| 5 | Harmon Pou | 24 July 2001 | 24 July 2001 | Unknown | Democratic Party |
| 6 | Sir Pupuke Robati | 24 July 2001 | 15 December 2004 | Democratic Party | Democratic Party |
| 7 | Norman George | 15 December 2004 | 2005 | Unelected | Democratic Party |
| Norman George, continued | 2005 | 2006 | Unelected | Cook Islands First Party | |
| 8 | Mapu Taia | 2006 | 2010 | Democratic Party | Democratic Party |
| 9 | Sir Geoffrey Henry | 18 February 2011 | 9 May 2012 | Cook Islands Party | Cook Islands Party |
| 10 | Niki Rattle | 22 May 2012 | 15 February 2021 | Unelected | Cook Islands Party |
| 11 | Tai Tura | 22 March 2021 | Cook Islands Party | Cook Islands Party |
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Niki Rattle was Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament from 22 May 2012 to 15 February 2021.