Mark Brown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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12th Prime Minister of the Cook Islands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 1 October 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarchs |
Elizabeth II Charles III | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Robert Tapaitau | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
King's Representative | Tom Marsters | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Henry Puna | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 14 June 2018 – 1 October 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Henry Puna | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Teariki Heather | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Robert Tapaitau | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Avarua, Cook Islands | 28 February 1963||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Cook Islands Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater |
Massey University University of the South Pacific | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mark Stephen Brown (born 28 February 1963) is a Cook Islands politician and Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He had previously served as Deputy Prime Minister under Henry Puna. He is a member of the Cook Islands Party.
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 is currently vice-president of the CIP. [3] He unsuccessfully contested the electorate of Takuvaine–Tutakimoa in the 2006 elections, but was elected at the 2010 election.
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]
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 counterpart Jacinda 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]