Nicole Bouteau

Nicole Bouteau
Bouteau in 2017
Personal details
Born1969 (age 55–56)
Political partyIa Ora te Nuna'a
Tapura Huiraatira
Alliance for a New Democracy
No Oe E Te Nunaa

Nicole Bouteau (born 1969) is a French Polynesian politician. She is a member of the Assembly of French Polynesia and a former Minister of Tourism.[1] She is the daughter of artist Fauura Bouteau.[2]

Education

Bouteau has a masters degree from the University of French Polynesia.[1]

Political career

Bouteau is a member of the Assembly of French Polynesia, representing the Windward Islands (Iles du vent) in 2003-2008 and since May 2013. She is a member of the Tapura Huiraatira party but has previously been a member of Rassemblement pour une majorité autonomiste and A Ti'a Porinetia [fr]. In April 2003 she founded the No Oe E Te Nunaa party.[3] At the 2004 election president Gaston Flosse lost his majority, and Bouteau sided with pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru.[4] Following the collapse of Temaru's government she united with Philip Schyle to contest the Windward Islands by-elections as the Alliance for a New Democracy (ADN).[5][6] As ADN leader she voted to topple Flosse's government,[7] but abstained on the presidential vote which followed.[8] In August 2006 she was forced to vacate her seat in the Assembly due to election funding irregularities.[9] Following her disqualification she ran for the French National Assembly,[10] but was unsuccessful.[11] She subsequently contested the 2008 election as the leader of No Oe E Te Nunaa. The party was the only party to cross the 5% threshold in the first round of voting, but refused to form an alliance for the second round,[12] and failed to win any seats.

In 2009 she ran for a seat in the European Parliament.[13]

She held the position of Minister of Tourism in 2001-2002 and 2017-2021 (Ministre du Tourisme et de l’Artisanat traditionnel March-May 2001; Ministre du Tourisme, de l’Environnement et de la Condition féminine, March 2001-April 2002; Ministre du Tourisme, des Transports internationaux, chargée des Relations avec les institutions, January 2017-May 2018; Ministre du tourisme, du travail en charge des transports internationaux et des relations avec les institutions, May 2018-November 2021.[1] She resigned in November 2021 in protest after Tearii Alpha, a minister opposing government policy on Covid vaccination, was allowed to stay in the government.[14][15]

She is also a member of the municipal council for the commune of Papeete, the capital city of French Polynesia, elected most recently in June 2020.[16]

In the 2022 French legislative election, she contested French Polynesia's 1st constituency but lost to Tematai Le Gayic.[17]

In September 2022 she joined Teva Rohfritsch and Philip Schyle in resigning from Tapura Huiraatira, citing disappointment with Edouard Fritch's government.[18] In December 2022 she and Rohfritsch founded the Ia Ora te Nuna'a party.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Nicole Bouteau". Assemblée de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Fauura Bouteau, chevalier dans l'ordre de Tahiti Nui" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 10 March 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  3. ^ "NEW POLITICAL PARTIES IN NEW CALEDONIA, FRENCH POLYNESIA". Pacific Islands Report. 15 April 2003. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  4. ^ "HISTORIC WIN FOR OPPOSITION IN FRENCH POLYNESIA". Pacific Islands Report. 4 June 2004. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  5. ^ "SEVEN PARTIES CROWD RACE FOR TAHITI ASSEMBLY". Pacific Islands Report. 12 January 2005. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  6. ^ "ALTERNATIVE PARTY WAITS ON TAHITI CHESS BOARD". Pacific Islands Report. 3 February 2005. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  7. ^ "FLOSSE GOVERNMENT TOPPLED". Pacific Islands Report. 18 February 2005. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  8. ^ "TEMARU REGAINS FRENCH POLYNESIA PRESIDENCY". Pacific Islands Report. 4 February 2005. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Leader of political party in French Polynesia forced to vacate assembly seat". RNZ. 7 August 2006. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Disqualified French Polynesia MP to run for French assembly". RNZ. 22 February 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Tahoeraa candidates win French Polynesia's first round of French assembly election". RNZ. 3 June 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  12. ^ "TAHITI PREPARES FOR SECOND ROUND OF VOTING". Pacific Islands Report. 1 February 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  13. ^ "European election campaign to end for weekend polls". RNZ. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Fritch names Bouissou as new VP of French Polynesia". RNZ. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Nicole Bouteau démissionne de ses fonctions de ministre du tourisme". Polynésie la 1ère (in French). 7 November 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Tableau du conseil municipal" (PDF). Commune de Papeete. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  17. ^ Perdrix, Caroline (2022-06-10). "Législatives : le face-à-face Nicole Bouteau – Tematai Le Gayic - Radio1 Tahiti" (in French). Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  18. ^ "Three former key Tapura members ponder founding new party in Tahiti". RNZ. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Ex-ministers form new party in French Polynesia". RNZ. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2023.