Cook Islands National Party
Encyclopedia
The Cook Islands National Party was a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...

. The party was launched on 24 March 2003 by Teariki Heather
Teariki Heather
Teariki William Heather is a Cook Islands politician and Cabinet Minister. He represents the constituency of Akaoa for the Cook Islands Party....

, a Rarotonga businessman. Its policies included a shorter parliamentary term.

In July 2003 the party sought a declaratory judgement from the High Court that the seats of MPs Norman George
Norman George
Norman George is a Cook Islands politician and former Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister, and Cabinet Minister....

 and Paora Teiti were vacant after it was learned that the two were being paid as government consultants. The court subsequently ruled that the consultancy work did not constitute holding a position in the public service, and both retained their seats.

Heather contested the 2003 Rua'au by-election
Rua'au by-election 2003
The Rua'au by-election was a by-election in the Cook Islands seat of Rua'au. It took place on 14 August 2003, and was precipitated by the death of Democratic Party MP Maria Heather....

 as a National Party candidate, but was unsuccessful.

The party was disbanded in February 2004 when Heather joined the Cook Islands Party
Cook Islands Party
The Cook Islands Party is a nationalist political party in the Cook Islands. It was the first political party founded in the Cook Islands, and one of the two major parties of the Islands' politics since 1965....

.
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