McCully offers condolences at death of Sir Terepai Maoate

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully today expressed his condolences following the death of former Cook Island Prime Minister Sir Terepai Maoate.

“On behalf of New Zealand, my thoughts go out to Lady Marito, Sir Terepai’s wider family and to the people of the Cook Islands who have lost another key political figure this year,” Mr McCully says.

Sir Terepai, 77, was Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 1999 to 2002 and served in a number of other official roles, including Minister of Health, Foreign Minister, Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Prime Minister. He was also a medical practitioner.

“As a graduate from the University of Auckland and a leader in the Cook Islands, Sir Terepai cultivated close ties to New Zealand,” Mr McCully says.

In 2007, Sir Terepai was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth for his services to the community and public sector.