{{Short description|Cook Islands politician (born 1951)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Niki Rattle | image = Nikki Rattle (cropped).jpg | caption = | office = 10th Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament | term_start = 22 May 2012 | term_end = 15 February 2021 | predecessor = Geoffrey Henry | successor = Tai Tura | birth_name = | birth_date = 1951 | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Appointed | spouse = | children = | occupation = Registered Nurse }}
'''Niki Rattle''' (born 1951) was Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament from 22 May 2012 to 15 February 2021.<ref name=resign/>
Rattle was born in Manihiki.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/local/item/63542-speaker-enthralls-usp-audience|title=Speaker enthralls USP audience|publisher=Cook Islands News|date=2017-03-20|accessdate=2017-04-29}}</ref> She is a Registered Nurse. Before her appointment she served as Secretary of the Cook Islands Red Cross for 18 years.<ref name=resign>{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/politics/speakers-resignation-catches-mps-off-guard/ |title=Speaker's resignation catches MPs off-guard |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=16 February 2021 |accessdate=17 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redcross.org.ck/Secretary%20General.html |title=Secretary General Desk |publisher=Cook Islands Red Cross |date= |accessdate=2012-07-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419093233/http://redcross.org.ck/Secretary%20General.html |archive-date=19 April 2013}}</ref> She was appointed Speaker by Prime Minister Henry Puna on 22 May 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pacwip.org/resources/news/2012/niki-rattle-appointed-cook-islands-speaker.html |title=Niki Rattle appointed Cook Islands Speaker of Parliament |publisher=Pacific Women in Politics |date=2012-05-23 |accessdate=2012-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030211956/http://www.pacwip.org/resources/news/2012/niki-rattle-appointed-cook-islands-speaker.html |archive-date=30 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Career== Her appointment was criticised by the opposition, who felt that an elected MP should have filled the position.<ref>{{cite web |title=Opposition decries speaker's appointment |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/opposition-decries-speaker-rsquo-s-appointment/ |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=23 May 2012 |accessdate=27 January 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/lsquo-an-elected-speaker-has-limited-powers-rsquo/ |title='An elected speaker has limited powers' |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=23 May 2012 |accessdate=27 January 2021}}</ref> She was reappointed Speaker in 2014. She is in charge for ensuring the functions of parliament in accordance with the principals of the constitution, and the standing orders and procedures of parliament. Rattle stands for gender equality in parliament, as she was a President of the National Council of Women, President of the ''Women’s Counselling Centre'' before her appointment as a Speaker of Parliament. Rattle participated in the first Women's Practice Parliament in the Cook Islands in 2015 and again in 2017, and she introduced the roles and responsibilities of being a Member of Parliament to the women. She is actively engaged in the work of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Group.<ref>[http://www.spc.int/70-inspiring-pacific-women/niki-rattle/ Niki Rattle] Retrieved on 19 Feb 2018</ref>
On 15 February 2021 Rattle resigned as Speaker, saying that it was important that office-holders be "refreshed from time to time".<ref name=resign/> She was succeeded as Speaker by Tai Tura.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/politics/mauke-mp-tura-appointed-speaker-of-parliament/ |title=Mauke MP Tura appointed Speaker of Parliament |author=Melina Etches |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=23 March 2021 |accessdate=24 March 2021}}</ref>
In January 2022 she was appointed Ombudsman.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/economy/niki-rattle-appointed-new-ombudsman/ |title=Niki Rattle appointed new Ombudsman |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=28 January 2022 |access-date=29 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128215047/https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/economy/niki-rattle-appointed-new-ombudsman/ |archive-date=28 January 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{commons category}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rattle, Niki}} Category:Living people Category:1951 births Category:Speakers of the Cook Islands Parliament Category:Cook Island women in politics Category:Cook Island nurses Category:21st-century New Zealand women politicians Category:21st-century New Zealand politicians Category:People from Manihiki Category:Women legislative speakers
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