Peri Vaevae Pare

Peri Vaevae Pare (died 27 May 2020)[1] was a Cook Islands politician and Cabinet Minister. He was stripped of his seat in Parliament after being convicted of corruption in 2005.

Peri Vaevae Pare
Minister of Police
In office
14 December 2004 – 29 September 2005
Prime MinisterJim Marurai
Succeeded byJim Marurai
Minister of Health
In office
15 February 2002 – 6 January 2006
Prime MinisterRobert Woonton
Jim Marurai
Preceded byTerepai Maoate
Succeeded byTerepai Maoate
In office
5 August 2001 – 10 December 2001
Prime MinisterTerepai Maoate
Succeeded byTerepai Maoate
Minister of Internal Affairs
In office
15 February 2002 – 14 December 2004
Prime MinisterRobert Woonton
Minister of Social Services
In office
15 February 2002 – 14 December 2004
Attorney-General
In office
5 August 2001 – 10 December 2001
Prime MinisterTerepai Maoate
Member of the Cook Islands Parliament
for Matavera
In office
16 June 1999 – 2 June 2006
Preceded byMataio Mataio Aperau
Succeeded byKiriau Turepu
Personal details
Died27 May 2020
Rarotonga
Political partyCook Islands Democratic Party
Cook Islands First Party

Pare was the brother of musician Noo Pare and would often host musicians visiting Rarotonga.[1] He previously worked as a Chief Laboratory Officer at Rarotonga Hospital.[2]

He was elected to Parliament as a member of the Democratic Alliance Party in the 1999 Cook Islands general election. In August 2001 he was appointed to the Cabinet of Terepai Maoate as Attorey-General and Minister of Health,[3][4][5] but was sacked in December.[6] After Robert Woonton replaced Maoate in February 2002 he was appointed as Minister of Health, Social Services, and Internal Affairs.[7] Shortly after becoming Health Minister he delayed and then cancelled a proposed xenotransplantation trial being promoted by former Prime Minister Joe Williams.[8] The trial involved injecting pig cells into humans as a means of fighting diabetes and had been moved to the Cook Islands as it could not legally take place in New Zealand.[9]

Pare was re-elected at the 2004 election,[10] and supported Woonton in his efforts to form a coalition with the Cook Islands Party. As a result he was expelled from the Democratic Party, and joined Woonton's newly formed Demo Party Tumu (later known as Cook Islands First).[11] After Woonton's resignation as Prime Minister was appointed to the Cabinet of Jim Marurai as Minister of Health and Police. In October 2006 he was investigated by police for wrongful use of public funds and surrendered his police portfolio.[12] He was subsequently prosecuted and convicted on three charges of using documents to defraud.[13] In January 2006 while he was waiting an appeal he was asked to resign from Cabinet.[14] In June 2006 his conviction was upheld and he was sentenced to come up for sentencing if called upon within 12 months.[15] As a result of his conviction he lost his seat, precipitating the 2006 Matavera by-election, and ultimately, the 2006 Cook Islands general election.[16]

Pare died in quarantine in May 2020 while returning to the Cook Islands during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

References
  1. "'Cherish every moment' – family". Cook Islands News. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  2. "Who's who in Cabinet". Cook Islands Government. Archived from the original on 10 October 2004. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  3. "COOK ISLANDS PRIME MINISTER MAOATE NAMES WOONTON DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER". Pacific Islands Report. 6 August 2001. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  4. "NO DEBATE YET, BUT COOK ISLANDS BUDGET HAS CHANGED". Cook Islands Report. 20 August 2001. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  5. ""I'LL WORK WITH ANYONE," SAYS COOK ISLANDS PRIME MINISTER MAOATE". Pacific Islands Report. 27 November 2001. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  6. "DENGUE MOSQUITOES BELIEVED ON RAROTONGA". Pacific Islands Report. 17 December 2001. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  7. "COOK ISLANDS PRIME MINISTER WOONTON'S AND NORMAN GEORGE'S LONG PORTFOLIO". Pacific Islands Report. 18 February 2002. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  8. "COOK ISLANDS GOVERNMENT DOES U-TURN ON PIG CELL TRIALS". Pacific Islands Review. 29 March 2002. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  9. Tapu Misa (12 March 2002). "Dialogue: Where doctors rule a brave new world". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  10. "Senior Cook Islands politician appears to lose seat in General Elections". RNZ. 13 September 2004. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  11. "Cook Islands prime minister forms new party". RNZ. 1 December 2004. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  12. "Cooks police probe cabinet minister Vaevae Pare". RNZ. 3 October 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  13. "Former Cooks minister convicted of fraud-related charges". RNZ. 24 November 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  14. "CONVICTED COOKS MINISTER ASKED TO RESIGN". Pacific Islands Report. 31 January 2006. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  15. Pare v Police and Police v Pare, [2006 CKCA 7] (2 June 2006).
  16. Jonassen, Jon Tikivanotau M. "Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007: Cook Islands" (PDF). The Contemporary Pacific. 20 (1): 216–22. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
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