Robert Wigmore
Robert George Wigmore (8 September 1949 – 13 April 2012) was a Cook Islands politician and former Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands and Cabinet Minister. He was leader of the Cook Islands Democratic Party.
Wigmore was born on Rarotonga.[1] He was educated in Titikaveka, and worked as a farmer.[2] In 1985 he was elected President of the Cook Islands Producers Federation.[2] He was first elected to Parliament as a Democratic Party candidate for the seat of Titikaveka at the 1999 election. He served as an under-secretary to Prime Minister Robert Woonton before being appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture in November 2002.[3] At the 2004 election he apparently won his seat on the night, but the result was overturned three months later by an electoral petition.[4] In the intervening period there was a leadership dispute within the Democratic party, in which Wigmore remained neutral.[5]
In 2005, in a further ruling on the 2004 electoral petition, the Cook Islands Court of Appeal upheld a High Court finding that Wigmore had bribed piggery owners in his electorate in an effort to gain their vote.[6][7]
At the 2006 election, Wigmore's election in the seat of Titikaveka was declared invalid by an electoral petition. He was re-elected in a by-election on 7 February 2007.[8]
Wigmore rejoined the Cabinet in July 2009, replacing former Tourism Minister Wilkie Rasmussen who had been sacked for disloyalty.[9] On 23 December 2009, Wigmore was appointed Deputy Prime Minister, replacing former Prime Minister and Democratic Party leader Terepai Maoate.[10] He was subsequently expelled from the Democratic party,[11] but a party conference in June 2010 restored his membership and appointed him party leader, with Rasmussen as his deputy.[12] He served as Foreign Minister and Minister of Agriculture until the 2010 election.[13]
Wigmore was re-elected at the 2010 election. In December 2011 he took a leave of absence from Parliament to allow him to be treated for prostate cancer in New Zealand.[14] He died on 13 April 2012.[2]
References
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External links
- Profile at Cook Islands Parliament.
