Agnes Armstrong | |
---|---|
Member of the Cook Islands Parliament for Ivirua | |
Assumed office 21 January 2019 | |
Preceded by | Tony Armstrong |
Personal details | |
Born | 10 June 1959 |
Political party | Cook Islands Democratic Party |
Spouse | Tony Armstrong |
Agnes Helen Armstrong (born 10 June 1959)[1] is a Cook Islands politician and member of the Cook Islands Parliament. She is a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party.
Armstrong is from Rarotonga and was educated at Nikao Side School and Tereora College.[1] She worked as a seafood retailer,[2] shipping agent,[3] and for Air New Zealand.[1] She moved to Mangaia in 2016 to start an orchard.[4] Her husband contested the 2017 Ivirua by-election following the retirement of Jim Marurai and was elected to Parliament.[5] Following his death in 2018 she contested the resulting 2019 Ivirua by-election and was elected in his place.[6][7] Shortly after the election, she attended the UNDP's Pacific Women in Power Forum with other female Cook Island's MP's.[8]
In December 2019 she was part of a protest by women MPs to permit the wearing of ei katu (floral crowns) in Parliament.[9] In February 2020 she was appointed spokesperson for Internal Affairs, and Outer Islands Special Projects.[10] In April 2020 Armstrong voluntarily took a 15% pay cut to help her constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] In June of that year she advocated for tariffs on imported fruit and vegetables to encourage local production.[12]
She was re-elected at the 2022 Cook Islands general election.[13]
References
- 1 2 3 "Agnes Helen ARMSTRONG". Cook Islands Parliament. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ↑ "Seafood specialists at Kai Moana". Cook Islands News. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ "Fitness centre opened on Enuamanu". Cook Islands News. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ "From business to politics". Cook Islands News. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ "Status Quo In Cook Islands After By-Election". Pacific Islands Report. 18 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ "Cook Islands Democratic Party looks to have secured Ivirua seat". RNZ. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ Rashneel Kumar (25 January 2019). "Council proud of female MPs". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ "Cook Islands women MPs in forum meet". Cook Islands News. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ "Positively blooming in parliament". Cook Islands News. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
- ↑ Melina Etches (19 February 2020). "Demos gunning for change". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ Rashneel Kumar (22 April 2020). "MPs take pay cut". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ Katrina Tanirau (30 June 2020). "Cry for tourists' return: 'We need more oxygen'". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ↑ "WARRANT DECLARING THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES AND THE NUMBER OF VOTES RECEIVED BY EACH CANDIDATE" (PDF). Cook Islands Gazette. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.