| Office3: | Minister of Solidarity |
| President3: | Édouard Fritch |
| Term Start3: | 25 March 2015 |
| Term End3: | 13 January 2017 |
| Predecessor3: | Nuihau Laurey |
| Successor3: | Jacques Raynal |
| Office4: | Minister of Health |
| President4: | Édouard Fritch |
| Term Start4: | 25 March 2015 |
| Term End4: | 13 January 2017 |
| Predecessor4: | Nuihau Laurey |
| Successor4: | Jacques Raynal |
| Term Start5: | 30 May 1996 |
| Term End5: | 11 September 2001 |
| Predecessor5: | Michel Buillard |
| Successor5: | Armelle Merceron |
| Office6: | Minister for Scientific Research |
| Term Start6: | 30 May 1996 |
| Term End6: | 11 September 2001 |
| Predecessor6: | Simone Grand |
| Successor6: | Louise Peltzer |
| Term Start7: | 18 May 1994 |
| Term End7: | 28 June 1995 |
| Predecessor7: | Michel Buillard |
| Successor7: | Simone Grand |
| Office8: | Minister for the Environment |
| Term Start8: | 18 May 1994 |
| Term End8: | 30 May 1996 |
| Predecessor8: | Pierre Dehors |
| Successor8: | Karl Meuel |
| Office9: | Minister for Employment |
| Term Start9: | 28 June 1995 |
| Term End9: | 30 May 1996 |
| Predecessor9: | Raymond Van Bastolaer |
| Successor9: | Lucette Taero |
| Party: | Tahoera'a Huiraatira Tapura Huiraatira |
Patrick Howell is a French Polynesian civil servant, politician, and former Cabinet Minister. He is a member of Tapura Huiraatira.
Howell trained as a dental surgeon and worked at the Teva I Uta medical center in the early 1980s before becoming head of dental hygiene services in French Polynesia.[1] In 1993 he became director of public health.[1] In the 1980s he campaigned against French nuclear testing and for the creation of a health register for test workers as part of the Tomite No Te Rai Hau ("Blue Skies Committee").[2]
In May 1994 he was appointed Minister for the Environment and Scientific Research in the government of Gaston Flosse.[1] [3] In a cabinet reshuffle in June 1995 he became Minister of Employment, while retaining his Environment portfolio.[3] In May 1996 he was appointed Minister of Health and Scientific Research, positions he held until September 2001.[3]
In 2008 he was elected a municipal councillor in Punaauia.[1]
In September 2014 he was appointed as Minister of Health and Solidarity in the government of Édouard Fritch.[4] As he was a senior civil servant at the time, he had to wait at least six months before taking up his ministerial duties.[5] In the intervening period his portfolios were managed by Vice-president Nuihau Laurey, and he was employed as a technical advisor in his office.[6] He formally took office on 25 March 2015.[7] In May 2015 he and five other Ministers were deemed to have resigned from the Tahoera'a after ceasing to attend their political council.[8] In May 2015 he was appointed as one of the French Polynesian government's delegates to the newly-formed Nuclear Tests Information Commission, tasked with investigating the health and environmental impact of French nuclear testing.[9] In October 2015 he established a health study of the inhabitants of Hao and Makemo, which were used as support bases for the tests.[10]
In October 2016 he was selected as Tapura's candidate for French Polynesia's 3rd constituency in the 2017 French legislative election.[11] He surrendered his ministerial portfolios in January 2017 so he could focus on the campaign.[12] [13] He led in the first round,[14] but lost to Moetai Brotherson in the second.[15]