| The Right Honourable Peter Shannel Agovaka MP |
|
|---|---|
| Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Relations | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 27 August 2010 |
|
| Prime Minister | Danny Philip (until 16 November 2011); then Gordon Darcy Lilo |
| Minister for Commerce, Industries and Employment | |
| In office 9 August 2006 – 21 December 2007 |
|
| Prime Minister | Manasseh Sogavare |
| Minister for Provincial Government and Constituency Development | |
| In office 21 April 2006 – 4 May 2006 |
|
| Prime Minister | Snyder Rini |
| Leader of the Independent Members | |
| In office January 2008 – 25 September 2008 |
|
| Member of Parliament for Central Guadalcanal |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 April 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Walton Naezon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 November 1959 Bemuta Village, Guadalcanal Province |
| Political party | Association of Independent Members, then Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party |
Peter Shannel Agovaka (born 1 November 1959 in Bemuta Village, Guadalcanal Province[1]) is a Solomon Islands politician.
He studied at Telecom College in Papua New Guinea, then at the North Sydney Institute of Engineering in Australia, before working as a Community Affairs Officer for Gold Ridge Mining Limited in Solomon Islands.[2]
His career in national politics began when he was elected to Parliament as the member for Central Guadalcanal in the April 2006 general election. He was appointed Minister for Provincial Government and Constituency Development in Snyder Rini's government, but lost his Cabinet position when Rini resigned before a motion of no confidence in Parliament in May. In August, however, the new Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, appointed him Minister for Commerce, Industries and Employment, a position he held until the Sogavare government was overthrown by a motion of no confidence in December 2007. Under Derek Sikua's ensuing premiership, Agovaka was, for a time, Leader of the Independent Members of Parliament, from January to September 2008.[3]
He retained his seat in Parliament in the August 2010 general election, as a member of the newly formed Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party, and was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Relations in Prime Minister Danny Philip's Cabinet.[4][5] When Gordon Darcy Lilo replaced Philip as Prime Minister in November 2011, Agovaka retained his position in government.[6]
Agovaka has also served on a number of parliamentary committees, and chairs the Constitution Review Committee since July 2009.[7]