Albert Henry
Encyclopedia
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. Henry was also the founder and first leader of the Cook Islands Party
(CIP).
In the early 1960s, the New Zealand government had offered the Cook Islands four options concerning the future of the islands. They were (a) complete independence, (b) assimilation within New Zealand, (c) self-government while remaining associated with New Zealand via citizenship, and (d) membership in a future Polynesian federation. The third option was chosen by the Legislative Assembly of the Cook Islands, and the 1965 election was planned as an intervening election before the arrangements for self-government were finalised. Henry's CIP supported the third option that had been selected and campaigned as a party that would implement self-government while maintaining New Zealand citizenship for Cook Islanders.
Henry was not able to run for election to the Legislative Assembly
in the 1965 Cook Islands election
because he had not been a resident of the Cook Islands for three years. The CIP had Henry's sister, Marguerite Story
, run in the Te-au-o-Tonga riding as a "stand-in" for Henry. After the CIP formed the government, it quickly changed the residency requirement from three years to three months, and Story resigned the seat so that Henry could run in the by-election. Henry won the by-election in Te-au-o-Tonga and shortly afterwards he was selected as the first Premier of the Cook Islands
. (In return, Henry ensured that Story was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
.)
Henry was re-elected consistently in the election of 1968, 1972, 1974 and March 1978. Upon becoming elected Premier, Henry did much to unify the Cook Islands and to promote its newly awarded self-government. His government quickly approved the proposed constitution, which awarded self-rule to the Cook Islands while maintaining New Zealand citizenship for its residents. He was a charismatic orator in both Māori
and in English.
In 1973 Henry introduced a new national flag for the Cook Islands
, but the flag was replaced in 1979 after Henry resigned. He was also the prime initiator behind the creation of the House of Ariki
. Other achievements include enlarging Rarotonga
's airport, building the Rarotongan Resort (now the Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa), and helping to turn the Cook Islands into a significant international tourist destination. Henry also introduced a Universal Old Age Pension Scheme in 1966 in which every person 65 years and over received a small government-sponsored pension.
After the fraud was discovered, the 1978 election was handed to the opposition party, the Democratic Party
; later that year Henry was found guilty of electoral fraud
, and his knighthood was revoked. On 16 August 1979, Henry pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy and one charge of corruption relating to the use of $337,000 of Cook Islands Government money to fly hundreds of supporters from New Zealand to the Cook Islands in order to vote. He was fined the maximum of $1,400, ordered to pay $2,000 in court costs and placed on three years probation; he was also barred from political office for life.
All Blacks
team called at Rarotonga
en-route to their tour the United Kingdom and France. Wanting a local team to train against, Albert Henry, 17-years-old and just returned from New Zealand, was asked to get some boys together. A scratch team
was put together and the game was played on the Takamoa Grounds. The game ended in a scoreless tie. Henry was very active in forming rugby clubs, first with Tupapa, later with Arorangi where he was a teacher.
His body was taken around Rarotonga on the back of a pickup truck, and the road was lined with mourners. His grave can be found at the Avarua
CICC Church
.
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...
of 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...
. He was forced to resign from that post in a 1978 voting scandal for which he was later convicted of fraud. Henry was also the founder and first 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).
Political career
Henry became the Cook Islands' first elected Premier in 1965 after having lived in New Zealand for several years before returning to his home country. Before the country's accession to a self governing status, the country had been ruled by New Zealand since annexing the country in 1901. Global changes to post colonial attitude regarding nations colonized by colonial powers prompted New Zealand to alter its political course as regards to the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. The New Zealand government have wanted to let go of its colonial territories but prior to 1965, the Cook Islands had no political system, and the general population rarely took any interest as to what the country's future should be. Although Albert Henry was a resident of New Zealand, his interest to become politically involved in the Cook Islands was partially driven by those linked to the New Zealand government at the time. Over the years, the New Zealand government have wanted to let go of the Cook Islands from its administration but the Cook Islands and its people had never shown interest in severing this relationship.In the early 1960s, the New Zealand government had offered the Cook Islands four options concerning the future of the islands. They were (a) complete independence, (b) assimilation within New Zealand, (c) self-government while remaining associated with New Zealand via citizenship, and (d) membership in a future Polynesian federation. The third option was chosen by the Legislative Assembly of the Cook Islands, and the 1965 election was planned as an intervening election before the arrangements for self-government were finalised. Henry's CIP supported the third option that had been selected and campaigned as a party that would implement self-government while maintaining New Zealand citizenship for Cook Islanders.
Henry was not able to run for election to the Legislative Assembly
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....
in the 1965 Cook Islands election
Cook Islands general election, 1965
General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 20 April 1965 to elect 22 MPs to the Cook Islands Legislative Assembly. The elections were won by the Cook Islands Party and saw Albert Henry become the Cook Islands' first Prime Minister....
because he had not been a resident of the Cook Islands for three years. The CIP had Henry's sister, Marguerite Story
Marguerite Story
Marguerite Henry Story was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Cook Islands from 1965 to 1979. Story was the first woman elected to the Cook Islands Parliament and was also the first woman in the Commonwealth to become speaker of a national parliament.Marguerite Henry was born in...
, run in the Te-au-o-Tonga riding as a "stand-in" for Henry. After the CIP formed the government, it quickly changed the residency requirement from three years to three months, and Story resigned the seat so that Henry could run in the by-election. Henry won the by-election in Te-au-o-Tonga and shortly afterwards he was selected as the first Premier 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...
. (In return, Henry ensured that Story was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
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....
.)
Henry was re-elected consistently in the election of 1968, 1972, 1974 and March 1978. Upon becoming elected Premier, Henry did much to unify the Cook Islands and to promote its newly awarded self-government. His government quickly approved the proposed constitution, which awarded self-rule to the Cook Islands while maintaining New Zealand citizenship for its residents. He was a charismatic orator in both Māori
Cook Islands Maori
The Cook Islands Māori language, also called Māori Kūki 'Āirani or Rarotongan, is the official language of the Cook Islands. Most Cook Islanders also call it Te reo Ipukarea, literally "the language of the Ancestral Homeland"....
and in English.
In 1973 Henry introduced a new national flag for the Cook Islands
Flag of the Cook Islands
The flag of the Cook Islands is based on the traditional design for former British colonies in the Pacific region. It is a blue ensign containing the Union Flag in the upper left, and on the right, fifteen stars in a ring. The Union Flag is symbolic of the nation's historic ties to the United...
, but the flag was replaced in 1979 after Henry resigned. He was also the prime initiator behind the creation of the House of Ariki
House of Ariki
The House of Ariki is a parliamentary body in the Cook Islands. It is composed of Cook Islands high chiefs , appointed by the Queen's Representative...
. Other achievements include enlarging Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
's airport, building the Rarotongan Resort (now the Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa), and helping to turn the Cook Islands into a significant international tourist destination. Henry also introduced a Universal Old Age Pension Scheme in 1966 in which every person 65 years and over received a small government-sponsored pension.
Knighthood
Henry was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1974 by Queen Elizabeth II. The knighthood was later revoked.Scandal
During the 1978 elections, Henry had become embroiled in a scandal involving overseas Cook Island voters. The 1978 election was the first in which Cook Islanders that lived in New Zealand were not permitted to vote in the Cook Islands election; The CIP had flown hundreds of its supporters from New Zealand to the Cook Islands so that they could vote in the election. There was also evidence that the CIP had bankrolled the tickets with revenue from the sale of postage stamps by the Cook Islands Philatelic Bureau.After the fraud was discovered, the 1978 election was handed to the opposition party, the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Cook Islands)
The Democratic Party is a liberal political party in the Cook Islands. It is currently the Opposition party in the Cook Islands Parliament.-Early years:...
; later that year Henry was found guilty of electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
, and his knighthood was revoked. On 16 August 1979, Henry pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy and one charge of corruption relating to the use of $337,000 of Cook Islands Government money to fly hundreds of supporters from New Zealand to the Cook Islands in order to vote. He was fined the maximum of $1,400, ordered to pay $2,000 in court costs and placed on three years probation; he was also barred from political office for life.
Sports
In 1924 the New ZealandNew 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...
All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
team called at Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
en-route to their tour the United Kingdom and France. Wanting a local team to train against, Albert Henry, 17-years-old and just returned from New Zealand, was asked to get some boys together. A scratch team
Scratch team
A scratch team is a team, usually in sport, brought together on a temporary basis, composed of players who normally play for different sides. A game played between two scratch teams may be called a scratch match....
was put together and the game was played on the Takamoa Grounds. The game ended in a scoreless tie. Henry was very active in forming rugby clubs, first with Tupapa, later with Arorangi where he was a teacher.
Death
His health having taken a turn for the worse since the electoral scandal that had cost him his job, his knighthood, and much of his reputation, Henry died on 1 January 1981, aged 73.His body was taken around Rarotonga on the back of a pickup truck, and the road was lined with mourners. His grave can be found at the Avarua
Avarua
Avarua is a town and district in the north of Rarotonga Island, the national capital of the Cook Islands...
CICC Church
Cook Islands Christian Church
The Cook Islands Christian Church is the largest religious denomination in the Cook Islands. The CICC is a Christian Congregationalist church and has approximately 18,000 members, including 56% of the residents of the Cook Islands...
.
Sources
- Kathleen Hancock (1979). Sir Albert Henry, His Life and Times (Methuen: Auckland, ISBN 0-456-02520-0)