Agnes Armstrong
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Agnes Armstrong | |
|---|---|
 Agnes Armstrong in 2019 | |
| Member of the Cook Islands Parliament for Ivirua | |
| Assumed office 21 January 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Tony Armstrong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 June 1959 |
| Party | Cook Islands Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Tony Armstrong |
Agnes Helen Armstrong (born 10 June 1959)[1] is a Cook Islands politician and member of the Cook Islands Parliament. She is a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party.
Armstrong is from Rarotonga and was educated at Nikao Side School and Tereora College.[1] She worked as a seafood retailer,[2] shipping agent,[3] and for Air New Zealand.[1] She moved to Mangaia in 2016 to start an orchard.[4] Her husband contested the 2017 Ivirua by-election following the retirement of Jim Marurai and was elected to Parliament.[5] Following his death in 2018 she contested the resulting 2019 Ivirua by-election and was elected in his place.[6][7] Shortly after the election, she attended the UNDP's Pacific Women in Power Forum with other female Cook Island's MP's.[8]
In December 2019 she was part of a protest by women MPs to permit the wearing of ei katu (floral crowns) in Parliament.[9] In February 2020 she was appointed spokesperson for Internal Affairs, and Outer Islands Special Projects.[10] In April 2020 Armstrong voluntarily took a 15% pay cut to help her constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] In June of that year she advocated for tariffs on imported fruit and vegetables to encourage local production.[12]
She was re-elected at the 2022 Cook Islands general election.[13]
