Wilkie_Rasmussen

Wilkie Rasmussen

Wilkie Rasmussen

Cook Islands politician

Wilkie Olaf Patua Rasmussen (born 21 March 1958) is a Cook Islands politician and former Cabinet Minister. From 2013 to 2015 he was leader of the Cook Islands Democratic Party.

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Early life

Rasmussen was born in Omoka on Penrhyn Island. He attended the University of Auckland, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Bachelor of Laws.[1] After practising as a barrister and solicitor, he became Secretary to the Cook Islands Cabinet, then High Commissioner to New Zealand from 2000 to 2002.[2]

Political career

Rasmussen first stood for Parliament in 1985, contesting the seat of Penrhyn after Tangaroa Tangaroa resigned to become Queen's Representative.[3] He ran again as a candidate for the Democratic Alliance in the 1999 election, but was unsuccessful.[4] In 2002 he resigned as High Commissioner to New Zealand to contest the 2002 Penrhyn by-election as Cook Islands Party candidate, and was elected.[5]

Early in his political career he challenged the eligibility of two Government MPs to sit, on the grounds that they worked as paid consultants and were therefore public servants.[6] The challenge was ultimately unsuccessful.[7]

Cabinet

After being narrowly re-elected in the 2004 election, Rasmussen was brought into the coalition Cabinet of Jim Marurai, replacing Piho Rua as Minister of Culture and Tourism.[8] He was later elevated to foreign minister. He switched his allegiance to the Democratic Party shortly before the 2006 elections,[9] and as a result was elected unopposed.[10] He was elected deputy leader of the Democratic Party in August 2007, replacing Tepure Tapaitau.[11] In July 2008 he was nominated for the position of Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, but was unsuccessful.[12]

In December 2008 he agitated for both Prime Minister Jim Marurai and his deputy Terepai Maoate to step down.[13] On 28 July 2009 he was sacked for "disloyalty" by Marurai,[14] and subsequently expelled from Cook Islands Democratic Party on 25 August 2009.[15] He was reappointed to Cabinet as Minister of Finance & Economic Management and Attorney-General in the December 2009 reshuffle following the sacking of Terepai Maoate and resignation of Democratic party cabinet ministers.[16][17] A Democratic Party conference in June 2010 restored his membership and appointed him deputy leader.[18]

Rasmussen was co-president of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly until December 2009, when he was replaced by Charles Milupi of (Zambia).

He was re-elected at the 2010 election. He became Leader of the Opposition in February 2012 after Democratic party leader Robert Wigmore was granted medical leave from Parliament.[19] Following Wigmore's death in April 2012 he became acting leader of the Democratic Party.[20] His position as party leader was confirmed in August 2012.[21]

Rasmussen was defeated at the 2014 election, and stepped down as Democratic Party leader in April 2015.[22]

Post-retirement

Following his retirement from politics Rasmussen worked as a lawyer. On 11 June 2021 he was convicted of two counts of indecent assault[23] and one of perverting the course of justice.[24] In August 2021 he was fined $7000.[25] He was later disbarred as a lawyer.[24]

References

  1. [1]
    "Wilkie Rasmussen". Cook Islands Parliament. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
  2. [2]
    "Changes announced to Ministries". Cook Islands Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  3. [3]
    "By-Election, Good Turn for Penrhyn, Cook Islands, Says New MP Rasmussen". Pacific Islands Report. 9 July 2002. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  4. [4]
    "Penrhyn Win Gives Cook Islands Party 11 Seats, Coalition Holds". Pacific Islands Report. 24 June 1999. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  5. [5]
    "Rasmussen provisional winner in Cooks by-election". RNZ. 1 July 2002. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  6. [6]
    "Cooks opposition wants clarify seat vacancies". RNZ. 4 July 2003. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  7. [7]
    "Cook Islands court clears MP Norman George of double-dipping allegation". RNZ. 19 January 2004. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  8. [8]
    "Cook Islands Party MP gets sworn in as new minister for Tourism and Culture". RNZ. 3 May 2005. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  9. [9]
    "Cooks foreign minister Rasmussen switches party". RNZ. 11 August 2006. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  10. [10]
    Jonassen, Jon Tikivanotau M (2007). "Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events: Cook Islands". The Contemporary Pacific. 20: 216–222. doi:10.1353/cp.2008.0015. hdl:10125/22327.
  11. [11]
    "Cook Islands Democratic Party elects a new deputy leader". RNZ. 9 August 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  12. [12]
    "New Forum Secretary General promises to restore stability to the agency". RNZ. 23 August 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  13. [13]
    "Cook Islands Foreign Minister says Marurai and Maoate should step down". RNZ. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  14. [14]
    "Sacked Cook Islands Foreign Minister has no regrets". RNZ. 31 July 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  15. [15]
    "Rasmussen expelled from Cook Islands Democratic Party". RNZ. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  16. [16]
    "Cook Islands' latest Cabinet reshuffle shows more back room dealing – reformer". RNZ. 28 December 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  17. [17]
    "Cooks PM reassigns portfolios after December ructions". RNZ. 7 January 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  18. [18]
    "New leadership for Cook Islands Democratic Party". RNZ. 4 June 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  19. [19]
    "Rasmussen takes over as opposition leader". Cook Islands News. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  20. [20]
    "Salute to Wigmore". Cook Islands News. 14 April 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  21. [21]
    "Demos confirm leader, plan ahead". Cook Islands News. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  22. [22]
    "Cook Islands Democratic Party Leader Steps Down". Pacific Islands Report. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  23. [23]
    Caleb Fotheringham (11 June 2021). "Lawyer found guilty of indecent assault charges". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  24. [24]
    "No show from disbarred lawyer in appeal case". Cook Islands News. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  25. [25]
    Caleb Fotheringham (19 August 2021). "Lawyer and former politician convicted of indecent assault evades prison". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
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