Geoffrey Henry
Encyclopedia
Sir
Geoffrey Arama Henry KBE (born 1940) is a Cook Island
politician who was twice the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
. He was leader of the Cook Islands Party
(CIP) from 1979 to 2006.
. He received a law degree from Victoria University of Wellington
in New Zealand
. He is married to Lady Louisa Henry.
was forced to resign. Geoffrey Henry's first tenure as Prime Minister was from 13 April 1983 to 16 November 1983. From 1983 to 1989 he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of the Cook Islands
. Henry's second tenure as Prime Minister began on 1 February 1989 and ended on 29 July 1999, when he resigned rather than face the break-up of the CIP due to party dissidents who opposed his leadership. Joe Williams
replaced Henry as Prime Minister, but Henry remained as leader of the CIP.
In November 2004, Henry became the Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Finance in a coalition government led by Robert Woonton
. Henry continued in this position until 2006, when he retired from politics and as leader of the CIP. Henry Puna
succeeded Henry as leader of the CIP.
On 13 June 1992, while serving as Prime Minister, Henry was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.
is named in Henry's honour.
On 18 February 2011 he was elected Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament
.
aeroplane at the Auckland International Airport
after Henry made a comment during boarding about being a terrorist. Henry was asked to leave the New Caledonia
-bound aircraft, but was not arrested. Henry later stated that he had become angry when required by security procedures to remove his jacket a second time despite an injured shoulder; as he boarded, he joked to the flight attendant, “Somebody back there thinks I am a terrorist." Henry refused to apologise for the incident, stating that "I don’t even look like Osama Bin Laden or one of his lieutenants." Henry blamed his removal from the flight on the Air New Zealand pilot, who refused to fly with Henry on board; Henry argued that the pilot overreacted and should have applied "a modicum of commonsense" to the situation.
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Geoffrey Arama Henry KBE (born 1940) is a Cook Island
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
politician who was twice the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands is the official rsponsible for heading Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's government in the Cook Islands, a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. The office was established in 1965, when self-government was first granted to the islands...
. He was leader of 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....
(CIP) from 1979 to 2006.
Early life
Henry is a native of AitutakiAitutaki
Aitutaki, also traditionally known as Araura, Ararau and Utataki, is one of the Cook Islands, north of Rarotonga. It has a population of approximately 2,000. Aitutaki is the second most visited island of the Cook Islands. The capital is Arutanga on the west side.-Geography:Aitutaki is an "almost...
. He received a law degree from Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He is married to Lady Louisa Henry.
Political career
Henry became leader of the CIP in 1979 after his cousin Albert HenryAlbert Henry
Albert Royle Henry was the first Premier of the Cook Islands. He was forced to resign from that post in a 1978 voting scandal for which he was later convicted of fraud...
was forced to resign. Geoffrey Henry's first tenure as Prime Minister was from 13 April 1983 to 16 November 1983. From 1983 to 1989 he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of the Cook Islands
Parliament of the Cook Islands
The Parliament of the Cook Islands is the legislature of the Cook Islands. Originally established under New Zealand colonial rule, it became the national legislature on independence in 1965....
. Henry's second tenure as Prime Minister began on 1 February 1989 and ended on 29 July 1999, when he resigned rather than face the break-up of the CIP due to party dissidents who opposed his leadership. Joe Williams
Joe Williams (Cook Islands)
Joe Williams, QSO, is a Cook Islands politician who served briefly as Prime Minister of the Cook Islands in 1999. Williams trained as a doctor, and has principally resided in Auckland, New Zealand....
replaced Henry as Prime Minister, but Henry remained as leader of the CIP.
In November 2004, Henry became the Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands is the second most senior officer in the government of the Cook Islands. From 1965 to 1981, the position was called the Deputy Premier. When the office of Premier was renamed to Prime Minister in 1981, the Deputy Premier became the Deputy Prime...
and Minister of Finance in a coalition government led by Robert Woonton
Robert Woonton
Dr Robert Woonton was the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 11 February 2002 until 11 December 2004, and is a member of the centrist Democratic Party. A medical doctor by training, he became a Member of Parliament for the island of Manihiki...
. Henry continued in this position until 2006, when he retired from politics and as leader of the CIP. Henry Puna
Henry Puna
Henry Tuakeu Puna is the current Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. He is leader of the Cook Islands Party.-Early life:Puna grew up in Aitutaki. He was educated on Aitutaki and Rarotonga before studying law at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the University of Tasmania in Australia...
succeeded Henry as leader of the CIP.
On 13 June 1992, while serving as Prime Minister, Henry was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II.
Post-political career
On 16 April 2009, Henry was elected to a four-year term as president of the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee. The Sir Geoffrey Henry National Culture Centre in AvaruaAvarua
Avarua is a town and district in the north of Rarotonga Island, the national capital of the Cook Islands...
is named in Henry's honour.
On 18 February 2011 he was elected Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament
Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament
The Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament is the presiding officer of the Cook Islands Parliament. The manage the House in accordance with its Standing Orders and according to the traditions of the Westminster system....
.
Air New Zealand "terrorist" incident
In August 2010, Henry was removed from an Air New ZealandAir New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
aeroplane at the Auckland International Airport
Auckland International Airport
Auckland Airport is the largest and busiest airport in New Zealand with over 13 million passengers a year, expected to more than double by 2025...
after Henry made a comment during boarding about being a terrorist. Henry was asked to leave the New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
-bound aircraft, but was not arrested. Henry later stated that he had become angry when required by security procedures to remove his jacket a second time despite an injured shoulder; as he boarded, he joked to the flight attendant, “Somebody back there thinks I am a terrorist." Henry refused to apologise for the incident, stating that "I don’t even look like Osama Bin Laden or one of his lieutenants." Henry blamed his removal from the flight on the Air New Zealand pilot, who refused to fly with Henry on board; Henry argued that the pilot overreacted and should have applied "a modicum of commonsense" to the situation.