[2] He was educated at Tereora College and at Rutherford High School in Auckland.
[2] He dropped out of school, and after working a variety of jobs joined the New Zealand Army in 1976 at the age of 17.
After being medically discharged in 1991, he returned to Rarotonga, where he married and started a tourism business.
[3] His re-election at the 2018 election was challenged on the basis of alleged bribery, but the electoral petition was unsuccessful.
[4] In February 2020 he was appointed Democratic Party spokesperson for Police and Marine Resources.