Parliament of the Cook Islands in the context of "Cabinet of the Cook Islands"

Rarotonga is the largest and most populous island of the country of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of 67.39 km (26.02 sq mi), and is home to 72% of the country's population, with 10,898 of a total population of 15,040. Avarua, on the north coast, is the location of the Parliament buildings and the capital of the Cook Islands. The country's international airport is also in Avarua, and Rarotonga is a popular tourist destination, with many resorts, hotels and motels.

Rarotonga has been populated by a Polynesian people since late in the 1st millennium. Captain John Dibbs, master of the colonial brig Endeavour, is credited as the European discoverer, on 25 July 1823 while transporting the missionary Reverend John Williams.

Henry Tuakeu Puna (born 29 July 1949) is a Cook Islands politician. He most recently served as the secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum from May of 2021 to 2024. He was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from November 2010 to October 2020. Since 2006 he has been leader of the Cook Islands Party.

Puna was elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands at the 2005 Manihiki by-election. He lost his seat at the 2006 election, but regained it in the CIP victory at the 2010 election which saw him elected prime minister. During his time as prime minister, he held various ministerial portfolios, including Foreign affairs, Marine Resources, and Energy.

The Cook Islands Party is a nationalist political party in the Cook Islands. It was the first political party founded in the Cook Islands, and one of the two major parties of the islands' politics since 1965.

From 1999 until 2005, it sometimes participated in coalition governments. In the 2006 elections, it came runner-up and largest opposition party in the islands. The party won both the 2010 and 2014 elections and currently forms the government. As a result of the 2018 elections, it is the second largest party in the Cook Islands Parliament. The leader of the party is the Prime Minister Mark Brown.

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 27 September 2006 in order to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The Democratic Party remained in power, winning 15 of 24 seats. A total of 8,497 voters turned out to vote.

The election was called two years early after the ruling Democratic party lost its majority in Parliament. In July 2006, Environment Minister Teina Bishop resigned from Cabinet and joined the opposition Cook Islands Party. Shortly afterwards, the Cook Islands Party won a by-election in Matevera, eliminating the government's majority. The government pre-empted a formal vote of no-confidence by dissolving Parliament and calling an election.

A general election was held in the Cook Islands on 17 November 2010 to elect 24 MPs to the Cook Islands Parliament. The Cook Islands Party won 16 seats, a two-thirds majority. Voter turnout was 78%.

A binding referendum on whether the number of MPs should be reduced from 24 was held at the same time as the election.

The politics of the Cook Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy within a constitutional monarchy. The monarch of New Zealand, represented in the Cook Islands by the King or Queen's Representative, is the head of state; the prime minister is the head of government of a multi-party system. The nation is self-governing and fully responsible for its internal and foreign affairs; it has run its own foreign and defence policy since 2001. Executive power is exercised by the government, while legislative power is vested in both the government and the parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislatures.

Manihiki is a Cook Islands electoral division returning one member to the Cook Islands Parliament. Its current representative is Henry Puna, who has held the seat since 2010.

The electorate consists of the island of Manihiki.

Robert Woonton (born 1949) is a Cook Islands politician and diplomat. He served as Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 11 February 2002 until 11 December 2004, and later as High Commissioner to New Zealand. He was a member of the centrist Democratic Party.

Woonton trained as a medical doctor. He was first elected to the Cook Islands Parliament at the 1994 election. He was re-elected at the 1999 election. Following the premiership of Joe Williams, he was appointed to the Cabinet of Terepai Maoate as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Transport. In February 2001 he was removed as Transport Minister, but retained his Foreign Affairs portfolio. In July 2001, following the sacking of Norman George, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.