George was first elected to the Parliament of the Cook Islands in 1983. He represented the electorate of Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua for 21 years. Repeated conflicts over leadership and cabinet posts saw him quit, found, and rejoin parties, moving from the Cook Islands Democratic Party to the Alliance and back, then to the New Alliance Party before returning to the Democrats. After losing his seat in the 2004 election and serving as Speaker, he represented the seat of Teenui–Mapumai for eight years, initially as an independent, then as a member of the Cook Islands Party, then as an independent again.
George was born in Atiu in the Cook Islands. He worked as a police officer, first for the Cook Islands Police Service and then for the New Zealand Police.[1] In 1977 he won an apology and a settlement for damages and costs from then-Broadcasting Minister Tupui Henry over allegations that he and another man were "agitators" and "disturbing elements in a public place".[2] In 1979 he was appointed as the Cook Islands' first Consul-General to New Zealand.[3] He returned to Rarotonga in 1982 where he worked as a lawyer.[1]
In 1991 George contested the Democratic Party leadership, losing by a single vote to Terepai Maoate.[7] A subsequent dispute over spending saw him removed as party whip and then expelled from the party.[7] He established the Alliance Party, which subsequently won two seats in the 1994 elections. The Alliance rejoined the Democrats, but a further struggle over the leadership between George and Terepai Maoate saw George split off again in 1997 to form the New Alliance Party. At the 1999 elections the party won four seats.[8] George announced that he was forming a coalition with Prime Minister Geoffrey Henry, and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.[9] He retained the position when Henry resigned in favour of Joe Williams,[10] but was sacked in October 1999 after he defected to the opposition.[11] He subsequently supported Terepai Maoate as Prime Minister and was reappointed as Deputy Prime Minister.[12][13]
As Deputy Prime Minister, George made controversial statements that businessmen were involved in drug-smuggling,[14] proposed removing customary land-rights from expatriate Cook Islanders,[15] and demanded that newspapers be licensed.[16] He was sacked by Maoate in July 2001 following disagreements over the budget and portfolio allocations.[17] Initially the coalition remained intact,[18] but by December 2001 George reportedly planned to put forward a motion of no confidence in Maoate.[19] In February 2002 he supported Maoate's ousting by Robert Woonton, and was appointed to Woonton's Cabinet.[20] While Geoffrey Henry became Deputy Prime Minister, George was rewarded with a long list of Ministerial portfolios, including Justice, Attorney-General, Energy, Environment, and Outer Islands Development.[21]
The New Alliance Party subsequently merged with the Democratic Alliance Party,[22] but George was sacked from Cabinet again in November 2002.[23] A series of scandals over conflicts of interest,[24] the apparent sale of a residency permit to New Zealand developer Mark Lyon,[25] and a court case over "double dipping"[26] saw George decline in popularity. When the Democratic Party did not select him as a candidate for the 2004 elections,[27] he split from the party and established the Tumu Enua Party, but failed to win reelection.[28]
George was re-elected at the 2010 election and was one of four candidates for the post of Deputy Prime Minister.[31] He did not gain that position, and after he failed to gain a Cabinet post he refused to attend the swearing-in ceremony at Parliament.[32] He subsequently resigned from the Cook Islands Party and became an independent again.[33] In February 2012 he attempted to rejoin the Democratic Party to contest the leadership,[34] but his application to rejoin was refused.[35] He was eventually allowed to rejoin in November 2013.[36] He ran for re-election at the 2014 election, but lost his seat to his niece, Rose Toki-Brown.
In September 2013 following repeated complaints over his conduct as a lawyer George was barred from taking on land cases before the Cook Islands Court for three years, and barred from appearing before the Cook Islands Court of Appeal for 18 months.[38] In October 2015 he was permanently barred from the land court after failing to obey the suspension.[39]
In December 2019 George launched a private prosecution for fraud against Prime Minister Henry Puna and Deputy Prime Minister Mark Brown, alleging that a government-chartered aircraft had been misused. The case is still unresolved.[42]
References
^ ab"Norman George". Cook Islands Parliament. Archived from the original on 1 October 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
^"'Sorry, sergeant', says the minister". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 48, no. 1. 1 January 1977. p. 27. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"People". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 50, no. 5. 1 May 1979. p. 50. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^""Strongest" cabinet in the Cooks". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 55, no. 10. 1 October 1984. p. 61. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Exit Sir Tom..."Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 58, no. 9. 1 September 1987. p. 37. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^ ab"Bad Boy George". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 63, no. 3. 1 March 1993. p. 17-19. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
^Florence Syme-Buchanan (1 July 1999). "Cook Islands king maker crows". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 69, no. 7. p. 50-51. Retrieved 24 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.