12 Facts About Terepai Maoate

Terepai Maoate was a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party.

Terepai Maoate worked as a medical doctor before becoming Director of Clinical Services for the Ministry of Health in 1976.

Terepai Maoate was elected to the Cook Islands Parliament as MP for Ngatangiia in the March 1983 general election.

Terepai Maoate subsequently served as Minister of Health and Agriculture in the Democratic cabinet of Tom Davis, and between 1985 and 1989 was Deputy Prime Minister.

In 1998, Terepai Maoate became Leader of the Democratic party and Leader of the Opposition.

The 1999 election produced a hung Parliament, and following several coalition realignments, Terepai Maoate became prime minister.

Terepai Maoate was ousted by his former Deputy Prime Minister Robert Woonton on 11 February 2002, and subsequently became Leader of the Opposition.

In early 2003 the Democratic Party re-merged, and Terepai Maoate was reappointed to cabinet, replacing Cook Islands Party leader Geoffrey Henry as Deputy Prime Minister.

However, a coalition realignment in 2005 saw Terepai Maoate reappointed as Deputy Prime Minister again.

In December 2009 Terepai Maoate was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister in favour of Robert Wigmore, sparking a mass-resignation of Democratic Party cabinet members and the withdrawal of support for the government.

Terepai Maoate was replaced as Democratic Party leader by Wigmore in June 2010.

Terepai Maoate subsequently decided to run as an independent, but was unsuccessful.