Tepure Tapaitau
Tepure Tapaitau QSM was a Cook Islands politician, Cabinet Minister, and Deputy Leader of the Cook Islands Democratic Party and also the first Cook Islander to become the Commissioner of Police.
Tapaitau trained with the FBI in the United States before studying law at the University of Auckland. He served as Police Commissioner before entering politics. He was elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands at the 1994 election, representing the seat of Penrhyn. He served as a Minister in the Cook Islands Party government of Geoffrey Henry, holding the portfolios of marine resources, police and attorney-general. In 1997, he was accused by opposition MP Norman George of misappropriating government materials to build a house in his electorate, but was cleared. He continued to serve in the Cabinet of Democratic Party Prime Minister Terepai Maoate, serving as Minister for Police and Minister of Marine Resources.
In 2002 he was disqualified from Parliament, precipitating a by-election, which he lost. He stood again for the seat as a Democratic Party candidate at the 2004 election, but was unsuccessful. Despite holding the position of deputy leader of the Democratic Party, he did not contest the 2006 election.
In October 2006 he was appointed High Commissioner to New Zealand, a position he held until 2010. In August 2007 he was replaced as Deputy Leader by Wilkie Rasmussen.
Tapaitau was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the 1989 New Year Honours.
Tapaitau died in Cairns, Australia.
