{{short description|Cook Island politician and prime minister}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Sir Geoffrey Henry | honorific_suffix = KBE | image = Geoffrey Henry in Oval Office 1990.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Henry in 1990 | office = 9th Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament | term_start = 18 February 2011 | term_end = 9 May 2012 | monarch = Elizabeth II | 1blankname = Queen's Representative | 1namedata = Sir Frederick Tutu Goodwin | predecessor = Mapu Taia | successor = Niki Rattle | order1 = 5th | office1 = Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands | 1blankname1 = Queen's Representative | 1namedata1 = Sir Frederick Tutu Goodwin | prime_minister1 = Robert Woonton<br>Jim Marurai | term_start1 = 19 November 2004 | term_end1 = 9 August 2005 | predecessor1 = Ngamau Munokoa | successor1 = Sir Terepai Maoate | 1blankname2 = Queen's Representative | 1namedata2 = Sir Frederick Tutu Goodwin | prime_minister2 = Robert Woonton | term_start2 = 11 February 2002 | term_end2 = 30 January 2003 | predecessor2 = Robert Woonton | successor2 = Sir Terepai Maoate | 1blankname3 = Queen's Representative | 1namedata3 = Sir Gaven Donne<br>Sir Graham Speight {{small|(Acting)}}<br>Sir Tangaroa Tangaroa | prime_minister3 = Geoffrey Henry<br>Sir Tom Davis | term_start3 = 16 November 1983 | term_end3 = 1985 | predecessor3 = Sir Pupuke Robati | successor3 = Terepai Maoate | order4 = 3rd and 6th | office4 = Prime Minister of the Cook Islands | term_start4 = 1 February 1989 | term_end4 = 29 July 1999 | monarch4 = Elizabeth II | 1blankname4 = Queen's Representative | 1namedata4 = Sir Tangaroa Tangaroa<br>Sir Apenera Short | deputy4 = Inatio Akaruru | predecessor4 = Pupuke Robati | successor4 = Joe Williams | term_start5 = 13 April 1983 | term_end5 = 16 November 1983 | monarch5 = Elizabeth II | 1blankname5 = Queen's Representative | 1namedata5 = Sir Gaven Donne | deputy5 = ''Vacant'' | predecessor6 = Sir Tom Davis | successor6 = Sir Tom Davis | birth_name = Geoffrey Arama Henry | birth_date = 16 November 1940 | birth_place = Aitutaki, Cook Islands | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2012|5|9|1940|11|16}} | death_place = Takuvaine, Rarotonga, Cook Islands | ethnicity = | known_for = | education = | alma_mater = Victoria University of Wellington | years_active = | title = | spouse = Lady Louisa Henry | party = Cook Islands Party }}
'''Sir Geoffrey Arama Henry''' {{post-nominals|KBE}} (16 November 1940 – 9 May 2012) was a Cook Island politician who was twice the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He was leader of the Cook Islands Party (CIP) from 1979 to 2006.
==Early life== Henry was a native of Aitutaki. His father was the deacon of the Cook Islands Christian Church on the island. He was also first cousin to Albert Henry.<ref>''The Christian Science Monitor'', 7 January 1982 – [https://www.csmonitor.com/1982/0107/010739.html Politics under the palms. For the tiny Cook Islands, scandals in miniature By Stewart McBride]</ref> He received a law degree from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. He was married to Lady Louisa Henry.
==Political career== Henry initially entered parliament in the opposition party aged 24 because of the corruption and excesses of the governing Cook Islands Party led by his cousin Albert Henry. However, in 1972 he joined the CIP: "family pressure was unbearable, and he could not personally tolerate being ostracised by the family again".<ref>Ron Crocombe, "Nepotism" in ''Cook Islands Politics: The Inside Story'' (Auckland: Polynesian Press, 1979) p. 30 at p. 33.</ref> Despite distrust from Albert Henry's powerful wife Elizabeth, his talent in a mediocre party meant he became finance minister.<ref>Michael Field, "A life of reeling political scandal", [[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|''The Dominion Post'' [Wellington]]], 19 May 2012, p. C6.</ref>
Henry became leader of the CIP in 1979 after his cousin Albert Henry was forced to resign. Geoffrey Henry's first tenure as Prime Minister was from 13 April 1983 to 16 November 1983. From 1983 to 1989 he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of the Cook Islands. Henry's second tenure as Prime Minister began on 1 February 1989 and ended on 29 July 1999, when he resigned rather than face the break-up of the CIP due to party dissidents who opposed his leadership.<ref name=resigns>{{cite news| url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10945 | title = Cook Island PM resigns | access-date = 25 January 2010 | date = 30 July 1999 | work= The New Zealand Herald}}</ref> Joe Williams replaced Henry as Prime Minister, but Henry remained as leader of the CIP.
In November 2004, Henry became the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in a coalition government led by Robert Woonton.<ref>[http://www.cook-islands.gov.ck/view_release.php?release_id=721 "Sir Geoffrey sworn in as deputy prime minister"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001070053/http://www.cook-islands.gov.ck/view_release.php?release_id=721 |date=1 October 2010 }}, Cook Islands Government Press Release, 16 November 2004.</ref> Henry continued in this position until 2006, when he retired from politics and as leader of the CIP.<ref name="RNZI_25862">{{cite web |url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=25862 |title=Sir Geoffrey Henry retires from Cook Islands politics |date=3 August 2006 |work=Radio New Zealand International |access-date=1 October 2011}}</ref> Henry Puna succeeded Henry as leader of the CIP.
===Honours and awards=== In 1977, Henry was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |author-link1=Alister Taylor |author-link2=Deborah Coddington |chapter=Recipients of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal 1977: nominal roll of New Zealand recipients including Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |page=428}}</ref> On 13 June 1992, while serving as Prime Minister, Henry was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.
==Post-political career== On 16 April 2009, Henry was elected to a four-year term as president of the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee.<ref>[http://www.cookislandsnews.com/2009/April/Wed22/local.htm#1 "Sir Geoffrey new CISNOC head"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515180437/http://www.cookislandsnews.com/2009/April/Wed22/local.htm#1 |date=15 May 2009 }}, ''Cook Islands News'' 22 April 2009.</ref> The Sir Geoffrey Henry National Culture Centre in Avarua is named in Henry's honour.
On 18 February 2011 he was elected Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cinews.co.ck/2011/February/Wed23/local.htm#1102190105 |title=Sir Geoffrey back in parliament |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=19 February 2011 |access-date=9 March 2011 |archive-date=31 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831061116/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2011/February/Wed23/local.htm#1102190105 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On 9 May 2012, Henry died at the age of 71 at his home in Takuvaine, Rarotonga. In the days preceding his death he had been receiving treatment for cancer.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120712120846/http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/13649037/ex-cook-islands-pm-dies/ "Ex-Cook Islands PM dies"], ''Yahoo! News New Zealand'', 10 May 2012.</ref>
==2010 Air New Zealand "terrorist" incident== In August 2010, Henry was removed from an Air New Zealand aeroplane at the Auckland International Airport after Henry made a comment during boarding about being a terrorist.<ref name=airnz>{{cite web |url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/55251/former-cook-islands-pm-in-terror-alert |title=Former Cook Islands PM in terror alert |date=26 August 2010 |work=Radio New Zealand |access-date=1 October 2011}}</ref> Henry was asked to leave the New Caledonia-bound aircraft, but was not arrested.<ref name = airnz/> Henry later stated that he had become angry when required by security procedures to remove his jacket a second time despite an injured shoulder; as he boarded, he joked to the flight attendant, "Somebody back there thinks I am a terrorist."<ref name = airnz2>Nerys Case, [http://www.cinews.co.ck/2010/September/Wed01/local.htm#1008270109 "No terrorist"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911085351/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2010/September/Wed01/local.htm#1008270109 |date=11 September 2010 }}, ''Cook Islands News'', 1 September 2010.</ref> Henry refused to apologise for the incident, stating that "I don’t even look like Osama bin Laden or one of his lieutenants."<ref name = airnz2/> Henry blamed his removal from the flight on the Air New Zealand pilot, who refused to fly with Henry on board; Henry argued that the pilot overreacted and should have applied "a modicum of commonsense" to the situation.<ref name = airnz2/>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
{{Cook Islands Party |state=autocollapse}} {{CookIsPMs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Geoffrey}} Category:1940 births Category:2012 deaths Category:Prime ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Deputy prime ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Education ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Finance ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:Members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands Category:Speakers of the Cook Islands Parliament Category:Cook Island lawyers Category:People from Aitutaki Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni Category:Cook Islands Party politicians Category:Deaths from cancer in the Cook Islands Category:Cook Island knights