Local lawyer Marie Francis makes history as the first woman to be appointed to head the powerful Public Expenditure Review Committee, a financial watchdog that’s charged with investigating cases involving public monies.
Earlier this year PERC members tendered their resignations to Minister responsible Sir Terepai Maoate. Although Sir Terepai requested the former members to reconsider their decision and remain on the committee, they collectively decided to the contrary.
Since then Sir Terepai has been considering a number of possible candidates before settling on Francis to chair PERC. Other members include former financial secretary Kevin Carr and Michael Innes-Jones one of the original members of PERC when it was first formed. Both Carr and Innes-Jones have wide financial and accounting experience.
Sir Terepai said it gave him great pleasure to appoint Francis to head the committee “as a young Cook Islands woman who made a commitment to her country when she returned permanently some years ago with her family.”
Sir Terepai added that Francis’ appointment is acknowledgement of the Democratic Party Government policy of providing qualified Cook Islanders with the opportunities to prove themselves and excel. It also demonstrates the Government’s commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for women.
“I am also very pleased that Kevin and Michael, two people with very solid backgrounds in finance, are also onboard. This is a team that will work well together and the wide scope of their skills complement each other,” says Sir Terepai.
The three PERC candidates have indicated a willingness to work within the reduced PERC budget and the Minister of Finance says he appreciates this commitment to good governance.
Francis graduated with an LLB from the University of Otago in 2000 and then spent a number of years working for the New Zealand Department of Labour primarily as an employment mediator and then also as the Pacific Coach for the national Mediation Service. Throughout that time she also trained in Alternative Dispute Resolution and qualified as a mediator. Marie moved back to the Cook Islands at the beginning of 2006, a move which was motivated by her desire to bring her four children home and also to bring back the skills and experience from working with the NZ government. She worked for 6 months with a private practitioner in Avarua before being employed as legal counsel for Portcullis TrustNet (Cook Islands) where she has worked for the past two years. Marie is also currently working with the newly formed Te Vaerua Community Rehabilitation Service and providing them with legal support.
Carr was financial secretary from July 1998 to February 2007. He has served on various boards, including Bank of the Cook Islands and National Superannuation. Prior to coming to the Cook Islands, Mr. Carr was the CEO of the NZ Housing Corporation.
For 24 years Mr. Innes-Jones has been senior partner in his own NZ accounting practice. For two and a half years he served as auditor general in Samoa. He was for two years resident director of KPMG accountants Rarotonga. He has completed sundry consulting work in the Pacific Islands, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Tonga. Innes-Jones was an original member of PERC. He currently conducts a small accounting practice in the Cook Islands. Innes-Jones is a permanent Cook Islands resident.
Source: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister |
