Vaine Mac Mokoroa, Minister of Justice, Government of the Cook Islands

Vaine Makiroa “Mac” Mokoroa is the minister of justice, education, youth, and sports in the Cook Islands. This is his second term as an elected official, and he has served as minister for seven years. Mokoroa’s background is in law enforcement, where he worked for 20 years before becoming chief of staff for the Office of the Prime Minister in 2008 and then secretary of infrastructure in 2012. In 2018, he entered the political arena, becoming a member of Parliament for the constituency of Nikao–Panama after which he was appointed a minister of the Crown in 2019. Mokoroa holds an MBA and BA in public administration from the University of the South Pacific as well as a diploma in international relations. He plays representative level rugby and rugby sevens for the Cook Islands. He and his wife, Rimmel, have two children and two grandchildren.