Selina Napa


Selina Matenga-Napa is a Cook Islands politician and member of the Cook Islands Parliament. She is a member of the Cook Islands Democratic Party.

Early life and sporting career

Napa is a sportswoman and daughter of former MP Dr Teariki Matenga. She has a long involvement in Netball, playing at a village level as a child before being part of the Cook Islands team at the 1981 South Pacific Mini Games. She played for the Cook Islands national netball team throughout the 1980's and 1990's, including at the 1987 World Netball Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and the 1989 World Games in Germany. Eventually she rose to be team captain. She later played for and coached the Titikaveka Pearls, and was part of the selection panel for the Cook Islands women's national cricket team.

Political career

Napa worked for the Business Trade and Investment board, and then as campaign manager for Titikaveka MP Robert Wigmore for four election campaigns. She was later an administrator and spokesperson for the Democratic Party. Following Wigmore's death she was elected to Parliament in the 2012 Titikaveka by-election, which was also contested by her brother. In April 2013 she attended the inaugural Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Wellington, New Zealand.
Napa was re-elected in the 2014 election. In 2015, she was appointed opposition spokesperson for Environment, Telecommunications, Tourism, and Youth and Sport. In 2016, she was part of the Cook Islands' delegation to the second Pacific Parliamentary Forum. She was re-elected again at the 2018 election. In December 2019 she was part of a protest by women MPs to permit the wearing of ei katu in Parliament.
In February 2020 she was appointed Democratic Party spokesperson for Health, Environment, Justice, and the Trade and Investment Board.

Honours

Napa was awarded an MBE for services to sport, youth and the community in the 2007 New Year Honours.