Office2: | 11th Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament |
Term Start2: | 22 March 2021 |
Predecessor2: | Niki Rattle |
Office3: | Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands |
Term Start3: | 9 April 2019 |
Predecessor3: | Toka Hagai |
Constituency Mp5: | Mauke |
Parliament5: | Cook Islands |
Term Start5: | 17 November 2010 |
Term End5: | 1 August 2022 |
Predecessor5: | Mapu Taia |
Successor5: | Stephen Matapo |
Party: | Cook Islands Party |
Tutai Tura (born 3 October 1949)[1] is a Cook Islands politician and former member of the Cook Islands Parliament. Since March 2021 he has been Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament. He is a member of the Cook Islands Party. Tura was born on Rarotonga, and educated at Avarua School and Tereora College.[1] He trained as an electrician and worked for the government on Mauke.[1] He was first elected to Parliament at the 2010 election. Shortly after his election he called for wage increases to counteract the higher cost of living in Mauke.[2] In 2015 he was appointed Associate Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration.[3]
In April 2019 Tura was appointed Deputy Speaker.[4] In June 2020 he attempted to ban a Cook Islands News journalist from Parliament over a story about MPs' allowances.[5]
On 22 March 2021 Tura was elected Speaker, succeeding Niki Rattle.[6]
He did not stand at the 2022 Cook Islands general election.[7]