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Tom John MarstersRepresentative of the King in the Cook Islands since 27 July 2013
Date of Birth: 04.08.2019
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Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Political Career
- Member of Parliament and Minister
- Dismissal and Return
- Representative of the Queen
Early Life and Education
Mark Brown was born on the Cook Islands and attended the Avele Agricultural College in Samoa and the Grimsby Institute of Technology in the United Kingdom.
Political Career
Public Servant and Party ActivistBefore entering politics, Brown worked as a public servant. From 1968 to 1999, he served as Secretary General of the Cook Islands Party.
Member of Parliament and Minister
Brown was first elected to Parliament in a 1991 by-election. He served as Minister of Works in Geoffrey Henry's Cabinet but resigned in 1997 in protest against budget cuts. He later served as a minister in Robert Woonton's first coalition Cabinet from 2002, but was dismissed in 2003 after the government coalition was reshuffled. He returned to Cabinet after the 2004 elections when Woonton attempted to form a new coalition. Under Jim Marurai's Cabinet, Brown held the portfolios of Foreign Affairs, Transport, Youth, and Sports.
Dismissal and Return
In August 2005, Marurai dismissed Cook Islands Party leader Geoffrey Henry from Cabinet, prompting the party to reassess its role in government. A month later, Brown was also dismissed, and the coalition was formally dissolved. Brown returned to government in December 2010 after the Cook Islands Party won the 2010 elections. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Representative of the Queen
On July 27, 2013, Brown was appointed Queen's Representative, succeeding Frederick Tutu Goodwin.
