{{short description|Cook Islands politician}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Sir Pupuke Robati | honorific_suffix = KBE | image = | caption = | order2 = 5th | office2 = Prime Minister of the Cook Islands | term_start2 = 29 July 1987 | term_end2 = 1 February 1989 | monarch2 = Elizabeth II | deputy2 = Terepai Maoate | 1blankname2 = Queen's Representative | 1namedata2 = Sir Tangaroa Tangaroa | predecessor2 = Tom Davis | successor2 = Geoffrey Henry | office1 = 6th Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament | term_start1 = 24 July 2001 | term_end1 = 15 December 2004 | monarch1 = Elizabeth II | 1blankname1 = Queen's Representative | 1namedata1 = Frederick Tutu Goodwin | predecessor1 = Harmon Pou | successor1 = Norman George | office3 = 4th Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands | prime_minister3 = Tom Davis | term_start3 = 25 July 1978 | term_end3 = 13 April 1983 | predecessor3 = Apenera Short | successor3 = Geoffrey Henry | office4 = | leader4 = | term_start4 = | term_end4 = | predecessor4 = | successor4 = | constituency_MP12 = Rakahanga | parliament12 = Cook Islands | term_start12 = 20 April 1965 | term_end12 = 7 September 2004 | predecessor12 = ''None'' <small>(Seat established)</small> | successor12 = Piho Rua | majority12 = | birth_date = 9 April 1925 | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|4|26|1925|4|9|df=y}} | death_place = Auckland, New Zealand | profession = | occupation = | spouse = | party = Democratic Party | alma_mater = Fiji School of Medicine | resting_place = Rakahanga }}
'''Sir Pupuke Robati''', KBE (9 April 1925 – 26 April 2009) was a Cook Island politician. He served as Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 29 July 1987 to 1 February 1989.
Robati was from the island of Rakahanga. He completed his primary and secondary schooling in Manihiki and Rarotonga. He studied medicine at the Fiji School of Medicine and graduated as a surgeon in 1948.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/63221/1/akangateiteianga.pdf |title=Akangateiteianga: A brief record of achievements |author=John J. Hermann |publisher=U.S.P Centre |location=Rarotonga |date=8 December 1987 |page=8 |accessdate=29 July 2020}}</ref> On returning to the Cook Islands, he worked in Rarotonga, Mangaia, and Atiu, eventually rising to be director of public health.<ref name=cinobit>{{cite news |title=A colourful politician who held all posts |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=5 May 2009 |via=GaleOnefile}}</ref> In 1966, he received training from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Otago in New Zealand and graduated with a Diploma of Public Health.<ref name = "death"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-326080071/view?sectionId=nla.obj-334435883&partId=nla.obj-326102919#page/n137/mode/1up |title=People |work=Pacific Islands Monthly |volume=38 |issue=2 |page=136 |date=1 February 1967 |accessdate=10 July 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19661128.2.71 |title=DIPLOMA OF HEALTH |work=The Press |page=12 |date=28 November 1966 |access-date=6 June 2022 |via=Papers Past}}</ref>
==Political career==
Robati was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Cook Islands in the 1965 election as an independent representing the district of Rakahanga. He was re-elected in the 1968 election, and in 1972 he joined the newly created Democratic Party. He was re-elected in eight more general elections as a candidate for the Democratic Party.<ref name = "death"/>
Beginning in 1978, Robati was the Deputy Premier in the Cabinet of Premier Tom Davis. On 29 July 1987, he succeeded Davis as Prime Minister after Davis failed three times to pass a budget through Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118146756?searchTerm=Pupuke%20Robati |title=Cook Islands: PM deposed after crisis |work=Canberra Times |page=5 |date=30 July 1987 |accessdate=10 July 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> During his 18 months as Prime Minister, the Parliament of the Cook Islands enacted a constitutional amendment that added a preamble to the constitution which recognised the "heritage of Christian principles" in the Cook Islands and declared that the people of the Cook Islands "remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day, being the day of the week, which, according to a person's belief and conscience, is the Sabbath of the Lord."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfem.gov.ck/images/documents/CEO_docs/Legislations/Constitution-of-the-Cook-Islands/Constitution%20of%20the%20Cook%20Islands%20as%20at%2017%20July%201997%20with%20amendments%20incorporated.pdf |title=The Constitution of the Cook Islands (Reprinted as at 17 July 1997 with amendments incorporated): Preamble |publisher= |date= |accessdate=10 July 2020}}</ref>
The defeat of the Democratic Party in the election of 1989 ended Robati's tenure as Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120905830?searchTerm=Pupuke%20Robati |title=Coalition ousted in Cook poll |publisher=Canberra Times |date=22 January 1989 |page=5 |accessdate=10 July 2020 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> From 2001 to 2004, he was the Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament. In the 2004 election, Robati lost his seat to the independent candidate Piho Rua. The election was later subject to an unsuccessful electoral petition.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/152064/cook-island-mps-retain-seats-following-appeals |title=Cook Island MPs retain seats following appeals |publisher=Radio New Zealand International |date=3 December 2004 |accessdate=10 July 2020}}</ref> This defeat marked the end of its political career. At the time of his defeat, he was the longest serving Cook Islands MP.<ref name = "death">{{cite web |url=http://www.cinews.co.ck/2009/April/Wed29/local.htm#13 |title=Former prime minister passes away |publisher=Cook Island News |author=Moana Moeka’a |date=29 April 2009 |accessdate= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826163719/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2009/April/Wed29/local.htm |archive-date=26 August 2012}}</ref>
Robati was a boxer, and in 1944 was the Cook Islands' champion bantamweight boxer.{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}} He was the chair of the Cook Islands' federation of amateur boxing for more than 30 years.<ref name=cinobit/>
Robati died in Auckland, New Zealand.<ref name=cinobit/> He was buried on Rakahanga.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cinews.co.ck/2009/May/Wed06/local.htm |title=State funeral service for Sir Pupuke tomorrow |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=6 May 2009 |accessdate= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511192912/http://www.cinews.co.ck/2009/May/Wed06/local.htm#1 |archive-date=11 May 2009}}</ref>
==Recognition== In 1977, Robati was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |authorlink1=Alister Taylor |authorlink2=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=432}}</ref> He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1991 New Year Honours. In 2001, he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2001/01/03/former-cook-islands-prime-minister-robati-knighted |title=FORMER COOK ISLANDS PRIME MINISTER ROBATI KNIGHTED |publisher=Racific Islands Report |date=3 January 2001 |accessdate=10 July 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{CookIsPMs}} {{Cook Islands Democratic Party |state=autocollapse}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robati, Pupuke}} Category:1925 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Prime ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Speakers of the Cook Islands Parliament Category:Deputy prime ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Cook Island male boxers Category:Cook Island knights Category:Democratic Party (Cook Islands) politicians Category:People from Rakahanga Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:Fiji School of Medicine alumni Category:University of Otago alumni Category:Cook Island medical doctors Category:20th-century New Zealand politicians Category:20th-century medical doctors Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen