Mark Brown (Cook Islands) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Brown
Brown in 2023
12th Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 October 2020
Monarch	Elizabeth II Charles III
Deputy	Robert Tapaitau (2020-2024) Albert Nicholas (2024-present)
King's Representative	Tom Marsters
Preceded by	Henry Puna
Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
In office 14 June 2018 – 1 October 2020
Prime Minister	Henry Puna
Preceded by	Teariki Heather
Succeeded by	Robert Tapaitau
Personal details
Born	(1963-02-28) 28 February 1963 (age 62) Avarua, Cook Islands
Political party	Cook Islands Party
Alma mater	Massey University University of the South Pacific
Ministerial offices Minister of Finance and Economic Development Incumbent Assumed office 3 December 2010 Prime Minister Henry Puna Himself Preceded by Wilkie Rasmussen Attorney General of the Cook Islands Incumbent Assumed office 1 October 2020 Prime Minister Himself Minister for Energy and Renewable Energy In office 1 October 2020 – 2 June 2021 Prime Minister Himself Succeeded by Robert Tapaitau Minister for the Outer Islands In office 1 October 2020 – 2 June 2021 Prime Minister Himself Succeeded by Robert Tapaitau Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration In office 1 October 2020 – 8 February 2024 Prime Minister Himself Succeeded by Tingika Elikana Minister of Police Incumbent Assumed office 1 October 2020 Prime Minister Himself Minister of Financial Services Development Authority In office 1 October 2020 – 2 June 2021 Prime Minister Himself Succeeded by Vaine Mokoroa Minister of the Financial Intelligence Unit In office 3 December 2010 – 2 June 2021 Prime Minister Henry Puna Himself Preceded by Wilkie Rasmussen Succeeded by Vaine Mokoroa Minister of the Cook Islands Investment Corporation Incumbent Assumed office 3 December 2010 Prime Minister Henry Puna Himself Preceded by Robert Wigmore Minister of Telecommunications In office 3 December 2010 – 2 June 2021 Prime Minister Henry Puna Himself Preceded by Jim Marurai Succeeded by Patrick Arioka Minister of PERCA/Audit In office 3 December 2010 – 2 June 2021 Prime Minister Henry Puna Himself Preceded by Wilkie Rasmussen Succeeded by Vaine Mokoroa Minister of Superannuation In office 3 December 2010 – 2 June 2021 Prime Minister Henry Puna Himself Preceded by Wilkie Rasmussen Succeeded by Rose Toki-Brown Member of the Cook Islands Parliament for Takuvaine–Tutakimoa Incumbent Assumed office 17 November 2010 Preceded by Ngai Tupa Succeeded by

Mark Stephen Brown was born on February 28, 1963. He is a politician from the Cook Islands and currently serves as the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was the Deputy Prime Minister under Henry Puna. He is a member of the Cook Islands Party.

Mark Brown's Early Life and Education

Mark Brown was born in 1963 in Avarua, which is on the island of Rarotonga. He went to school at Nikao Maori School, Nikao Side School, and Tereora College in the Cook Islands. He also studied at Gisborne Boys' High School in New Zealand.

Studying for a Career in Public Service

Mark Brown has a special diploma in Public Sector Management from Massey University in New Zealand. He also earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of the South Pacific. These studies helped him prepare for a career in government and public service.

Working Before Politics

Before becoming a politician, Mark Brown worked as a public servant. He was a policy advisor for the Prime Minister's Office. He also led the Ministry of Agriculture. Besides his government work, he developed properties. He was also the Vice-President of the Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce. He even served as President of the Cook Islands Touch Association, which is a sports group.

Mark Brown's Political Journey

Mark Brown is an important leader in the Cook Islands Party (CIP). He is currently the vice-president of the party.

Starting in Politics

Mark Brown first tried to become a Member of Parliament for the Takuvaine–Tutakimoa area in the 2006 elections, but he was not successful then. However, he was elected in the 2010 election.

Becoming a Cabinet Minister

In December 2010, Mark Brown was chosen to be part of the Cabinet, which is a group of top government ministers. He became the finance minister. He was re-elected in the 2014 election and again in 2018. After the 2018 election, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. He took over this role from Teariki Heather.

Mark Brown as Prime Minister

Mark Brown became the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands in 2020. He has served two terms so far.

First Term as Prime Minister (2020–2022)

In June 2020, the previous Prime Minister, Henry Puna, announced he would step down. He suggested Mark Brown as his replacement. On October 1, 2020, after Henry Puna retired, Mark Brown was elected Prime Minister. He kept many important government roles for himself and also took on some of Puna's old roles. He later shared some of these roles with other ministers in 2021.

• Travel Bubble with New Zealand: In December 2020, Prime Minister Brown and New Zealand's Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced a "travel bubble." This allowed people to travel between the two countries without needing to quarantine.

• Cabinet Changes: On June 2, 2021, Prime Minister Brown made some changes to his Cabinet. He gave about half of his government roles to other ministers.

Second Term as Prime Minister (2022–Present)

Brown signing the book of condolence for Queen Elizabeth II at Lancaster House on 17 September 2022

Mark Brown was re-elected in the 2022 election. He was reappointed Prime Minister after gaining support from two independent politicians.

• Working with New Zealand and Australia: In February 2024, Prime Minister Brown suggested that the Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Australia should work together more closely on defense and security. This idea would add to the existing defense agreements the Cook Islands has with New Zealand.

• Cook Islands Passport Discussions: In October 2024, Prime Minister Brown talked about creating a separate Cook Islands passport. This idea was discussed at a meeting of the House of Ariki, which is a group of traditional leaders. New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, questioned this idea. He wondered if the people of the Cook Islands supported it and warned about how it might affect their special relationship with New Zealand. Prime Minister Brown said that a new passport would not change their relationship with New Zealand. The House of Ariki supported his idea.

• Passport Proposal Outcome: In December 2024, New Zealand clarified that the Cook Islands could not have its own passport, citizenship, and United Nations membership without becoming a fully independent country. Any big changes to their relationship would need a vote by the people of the Cook Islands. Many Cook Islanders living in New Zealand were worried about how this might affect their access to healthcare and other services. On February 6, 2025, Prime Minister Brown decided to stop pursuing the passport idea for now. He said they did not want to put their people's safety and security at risk.

Partnership Agreement with China (2025)

In February 2025, Prime Minister Brown visited China to sign a "Joint Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership." This agreement aimed to strengthen ties between the Cook Islands and China.

• Discussions with New Zealand: New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, said that New Zealand was not consulted about this agreement. New Zealand usually has a say in the Cook Islands' foreign affairs because of their special relationship. Prime Minister Brown explained that the agreement with China was not about security or defense. He felt that New Zealand did not need to be in the room for these discussions.

• Support for the Agreement: The Chinese Embassy and the Chinese Foreign Ministry supported the agreement. They said that other countries should not interfere. The Cook Islands Foreign Minister, Tingika Elikana, also confirmed that the Cook Islands Cabinet supported Prime Minister Brown and the agreement with China.

• Agreement Signed: On February 14, 2025, Prime Minister Brown and his team signed the strategic partnership agreement with China. Brown stated that this agreement "complements, not replaces" their relationship with New Zealand. However, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark criticized the agreement.

• Public Reaction and Political Challenges: On February 17, 2025, about 400 people protested against the passport idea and the China agreement. The protest was led by Teariki Heather, who is a leader of the Cook Islands United Party. On February 26, Heather tried to get a "motion of no confidence" passed against Brown in the Cook Islands Parliament. This motion would have removed Brown from his position, but it failed. Prime Minister Brown criticized New Zealand for what he called "one-sided messaging." He said that the Cook Islands is a partner with New Zealand, not a child.

• Future of Cook Islands-New Zealand Relations: After the China agreement, Winston Peters suggested that the relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand needed to be reviewed. He thought a new agreement should be signed to define their partnership. In April 2025, Prime Minister Brown told ABC News that any new agreement should show that the Cook Islands has become more independent. He said it should not "wind back the clock of colonialism." He believes the Cook Islands is a respected country that makes its own choices. A spokesperson for Peters said that Brown needed to convince his own people about seeking more independence.

• Aid Funding Discussions: In June 2025, there were reports that New Zealand had paused some aid funding to the Cook Islands. This was thought to be because of disagreements over the China partnership agreement. Prime Minister Brown stated that the Cook Islands was not involved in any agreements New Zealand might sign with China during New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's visit to Beijing that week.