Akaiti Puna

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Akaiti Puna
AkaitiPuna2012.jpg
Akaiti Puna in 2012
Member of the Cook Islands Parliament
for Manihiki
Assumed office
5 May 2021
Preceded byHenry Puna
Personal details
Political partyCook Islands Party

Akaiti Puna is a Cook Islands politician and member of the Cook Islands Parliament. She is a member of the Cook Islands Party.

Puna is the wife of former Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna. She was educated in New Zealand, at Auckland Girls' Grammar School.[1] She began playing netball at school in New Zealand, and continued on her return to the Cook Islands, playing for Ngatangiia.[1] She served as manager for Netball Cook Islands at the 1981 South Pacific Mini Games,[1] and later served on its board.[2] From 1972 she worked for Air New Zealand.[3]

Following her husband's election as Prime Minister in the 2010 election Puna managed their pearl farm on Manihiki.[4] When he retired in 2021 in order to take up the job of Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum[5] she stood in his former seat of Manihiki in the resulting by-election,[6] and was elected.[7] She was sworn in as an MP on 31 May 2021.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "For the love of the game- Akaiti Puna". Cook Islands Sports National Olympic Commission. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  2. ^ "It's all about commitment: netball". Cook Islands News. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  3. ^ "PUNA GETS COOK ISLANDS' HIGH COMMISSIONER'S JOB IN NEW ZEALAND". Pacific Islands Report. 28 September 1999. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Thrust into the limelight". Cook Islands News. 11 December 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  5. ^ Losirene Lacanivalu (24 March 2021). "Puna bids farewell with some words of advice". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  6. ^ Rashneel Kumar (13 April 2021). "Akaiti Puna named CIP candidate". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  7. ^ Rashneel Kumar (6 May 2021). "Akaiti Puna wins Manihiki by-election, CIP majority intact". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  8. ^ Caleb Fotheringham (1 June 2021). "Puna a Manihikian at heart". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 2 June 2021.


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