Overseas (Cook Islands electorate)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Overseas seat was a Cook Islands electoral division returning one member to the Cook Islands Parliament. It was abolished in 2003.
Overseas | |
---|---|
Former constituency for the Parliament of the Cook Islands | |
Former constituency | |
Created | 1981 |
Abolished | 2003 |
Number of members | 1 |
The electorate was created in 1981 by the Constitution Amendment (No. 9) Act 1980-1981 and covered "The islands comprising New Zealand and all other areas outside the Cook Islands".[1] It was established to provide representation for the growing number of Cook Islanders temporarily living abroad, especially in New Zealand, who previously had had to fly home to vote.[2] At the time it was created, roughly 24,000 Cook Islanders lived overseas, versus 22,000 in the Cook Islands, and their votes had been crucial in deciding the 1978 election.[2] The creation of a specific seat was seen as a way of both providing for and limiting their influence.[3]
The electorate was always controversial; the first person elected to it, Fanaura Kingstone, had planned to resign from it the day after she was elected. She changed her mind when she was appointed to Cabinet.[4] Cook Islanders voted on its future as part of the 1994 Cook Islands referendum[5] but voted to retain it by 56 to 43 percent. In 2002 2,000 people signed a petition calling for its abolition, along with other reforms;[6] the same year a survey on Rarotonga found strong support for abolition.[7]
In April 2003 the Cook Islands Parliament passed the Constitution Amendment (No. 26) Act 2003[8] abolishing the seat.[9] A savings clause allowed the incumbent, Joe Williams, to retain his seat until the end of the Parliamentary term.[10]