{{Short description|Cook Islands politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | honorific_suffix = | image = File:Rose Toki-Brown Oct 2020.jpg | caption = Rose Toki-Brown in October 2020 | office = Minister of Internal Affairs | prime_minister = Mark Brown | term_start = 2 June 2021 | term_end = | predecessor = Vaine Mokoroa | successor = | office2 = Minister of Health | term_start2 = 10 July 2018 | term_end2 = | prime_minister2 = Henry Puna <br/> Mark Brown | predecessor2 = Nandi Glassie | successor2 = | office3 = Minister of Justice | deputy3 = | prime_minister3 = Henry Puna <br/> Mark Brown | term_start3 = 10 July 2018 | term_end3 = 2 June 2021 | predecessor3 = Nandi Glassie | successor3 = Vaine Mokoroa | office4 = Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands | leader4 = | term_start4 = 15 October 2014 | term_end4 = 16 September 2016 | predecessor4 = Tai Tura | successor4 = Mona Ioane | constituency_MP5 = Teenui–Mapumai | parliament5 = Cook Islands | term_start5 = 9 July 2014 | term_end5 = | predecessor5 = Norman George | successor5 = | majority5 = | constituency_MP6 = | parliament6 = | term_start6 = | term_end6 = | predecessor6 = | successor6 = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|12|7|df=y}} | birth_place = Areora | death_date = | death_place = | party = Cook Islands Party <br /> Independent | alma_mater = | website = }} '''Vainetutai Rose Toki-Brown''' (born 7 December 1976) is a Cook Islands politician, and Cabinet Minister. In July 2016 she became the Cook Islands' first female Leader of the Opposition.<ref name="opplead">{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/59671-brown-to-lead-the-opposition |title=Brown to lead the opposition |author=Florence Syme-Buchanan |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=23 July 2016 |access-date=25 July 2016}}</ref>
==Career== Toki-Brown was born in Areora on Atiu.<ref name="parlbio">{{cite web |url=https://parliament.gov.ck/team/hon-vainetutai-rose-brown/ |title=Hon. Vainetutai Rose-Toki Brown |publisher=Parliament of the Cook Islands |date=31 October 2018 |access-date=11 July 2020}}</ref> She was a businesswoman and ran the 24 hours Super Brown Mega Store with her husband.<ref name="parlbio"/> She is the mother of fellow MP Te-Hani Brown.<ref name="Rashneel Kumar">{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/69721-mother-daughter-make-a-clean-sweep |title=Mother, daughter make a clean sweep |author=Rashneel Kumar |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=15 June 2018 |access-date=18 June 2018}}</ref>
Toki-Brown ran in the 2014 election as a candidate for the Cook Islands Party, defeating her uncle Norman George to win the Teenui–Mapumai seat.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/%E2%80%9Cuncle-norman-just-jealous-of-my-election-victory%E2%80%9D-says-rose-tokibrown/1344641 |title="Uncle Norman just jealous of my election victory" says Rose Toki-Brown |publisher=Radio Australia |date=18 July 2014 |access-date=21 June 2016}}</ref> An election petition by George was subsequently dismissed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/254926/two-more-cooks-petitions-dismissed |title=Two more Cooks petitions dismissed |publisher=RNZ Pacific |date=18 September 2014 |access-date=21 June 2016}}</ref> She was appointed Deputy Speaker in October 2014,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/item/48854-pm-announces-key-appointments/48854-pm-announces-key-appointments |title=PM announces key appointments |author=Emmanuel Samoglou |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=14 October 2014 |access-date=21 June 2016}}</ref> following then-opposition leader Teina Bishop's conviction for corruption in September 2016 (she resigned as Deputy Speaker after she was unanimously elected leader of the Opposition).<ref name="opplead"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/309349/cook-islands-opposition-has-new-female-leader |title=Cook Islands opposition has new female leader |publisher=RNZ International |date=25 July 2016 |access-date=25 July 2016}}</ref> Toki-Brown was replaced as Deputy Speaker by Mona Ioane.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/60717-ioane-now-deputy-speaker/60717-ioane-now-deputy-speaker |title=Ioane now deputy Speaker |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=16 September 2016 |access-date=4 July 2020}}</ref>
In June 2017 Toki-Brown rejoined the Cook Islands Party after being replaced by William (Smiley) Heather as leader of the opposition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/64805-rose-goes-back-to-cip |title=Rose goes back to CIP |author=Richard Moore |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=19 June 2017 |access-date=4 July 2017}}</ref> While originally planning to run for the CIP in the 2018 election, she became an independent after pressure was put on her over her daughter running for the rival Cook Islands Democratic Party.<ref name="Rashneel Kumar"/> She was elected, defeating both Democratic and Cook Islands Party candidates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.justice.gov.ck/index.php/2-uncategorised/74-elections-14th-june-2018 |title=Preliminary Results from Votes Counted 14-06-2018 |publisher=Cook Islands Ministry of Justice |date=14 June 2018 |access-date=18 June 2018}}</ref> Following the election she backed the Cook Islands Party government<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/radio-australia/programs/pacificbeat/cooks-gov/9978666 |title=Cook Islands Party forms government with crucial help of independents |author=Catherine Graue |publisher=ABC News |date=11 July 2018 |access-date=11 July 2020}}</ref> and was appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Health, Justice, Parliamentary Services and Agriculture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/item/70000-brown-dpm-in-new-cabinet/70000-brown-dpm-in-new-cabinet |title=Brown DPM in new cabinet |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=10 July 2018 |access-date=19 October 2018}}</ref> In July 2019 she briefly served as Acting Prime Minister, the first woman to do so.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/73369-cooks-first-woman-pm-for-one-week |title=Cooks' first woman PM – for one week |author=Losirene Lacanivalu |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=12 July 2019 |access-date=11 July 2020}}</ref>
In the Cabinet reshuffle following the appointment of Mark Brown as Prime Minister she retained all of her Cabinet portfolios.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/politics/item/78813-pm-takes-on-17-portfolios |title=PM takes on 17 portfolios |publisher=Cook Islands News |author=Emmanuel Samoglou and Rashneel Kumar |date=8 October 2020 |access-date=9 October 2020}}</ref> A second reshuffle in June 2021 saw her switch her Justice portfolio for Internal Affairs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/economy/pm-announces-cabinet-reshuffle/ |title=PM announces Cabinet reshuffle |author=Rashneel Kumar |publisher=Cook Islands News |date=3 June 2021 |access-date=5 June 2021}}</ref>
She was re-elected at the 2022 Cook Islands general election<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfem.gov.ck/images/documents/Statistics_Docs/Elections/Gaz_Public_Notice_9_Declaration_of_Result_of_Poll.pdf |title=WARRANT DECLARING THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES AND THE NUMBER OF VOTES RECEIVED BY EACH CANDIDATE |publisher=Cook Islands Gazette |date=11 August 2022 |access-date=13 August 2022}}</ref> and continued her support for Mark Brown.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/politics/super-browns-side-cip-in-coalition-talks/ |title='Super Browns' side CIP in coalition talks |publisher=Cook Islands News |author=Matthew Littlewood |date=5 August 2022 |access-date=6 August 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{commons category}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toki-Brown, Rose}} Category:Living people Category:1976 births Category:People from Atiu Category:Members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands Category:Cook Islands Party politicians Category:Cook Island women in politics Category:21st-century Cook Island women Category:21st-century Cook Island people Category:21st-century New Zealand women politicians Category:21st-century New Zealand politicians Category:Government ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Women government ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Interior ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Health ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Agriculture ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Justice ministers of the Cook Islands Category:Female interior ministers