Harrison Cooke
Harrison Cooke | |
|---|---|
 Sen. Harrison Cooke | |
| Senator for Zian-3 | |
| Assumed office March 14th, 2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Harrison Testerman Cooke September 12, 1980 Elkford, Zian, Zamastan |
| Political party | Green Liberal Party |
| Spouse | Maria Cooke |
Harrison Cooke is a Zamastanian politician and lawyer who has served as the senator for Zian's 3rd district in Congressional Hall since March 14th, 2011, replacing Senator Stephen Trompille after he passed away. He is a member of the Green Liberal Party. Cooke is the chair and ranking member of multiple Senate committees and sub-committees, including, Environment and Public Works, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Peacekeeping and Narcotics Affairs.
Early life and education
Born in Elkford, Cooke's family moved to Arinals when he was five years old, as his father was a janitor at a local primary school. He left Heggesberg High School aged eighteen, and worked in a variety of jobs including as a retail manager and a tourism representative in Tofino before becoming a parliamentary case worker for Senator Cain Blackwater.
Political career
Senate (2011-present)
Cooke was appointed Senator by Zian's governor Marc Delatte in March 2011 after the death of Stephen Trompille.
Political positions
Cooke has been a long-time supporter of transgender rights, and reforming the Gender Recognition Act in Zian to make it easier for people to self identify. He has stated that "I've always stood up for trans rights and I always will - there’s no chance I'll desert a community that’s integral to our wider movement for equality.". He has also condemned transphobia within the GLP on various occasions.
He supports Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention to be available in the healthcare system both at a federal and private level. He has said that those opposing PrEP's introduction to healthcare were being homophobic, and has accused the Zamastanian government of "putting more hurdles in the way of the rollout of PrEP."
Like most of the GLP, Cooke is also a passionate advocate of unilateral nuclear disarmament, stating that "Opposition to nuclear weapons is fundamental to the future of the world," and has repeatedly called for cooperation with the Blue Conservatives for the purposes of dismantling the military's nuclear systems.
He has also called for far greater action to be taken in relation to climate change, saying that "this must be done to preserve the future."
Cooke is a member of the Inter-Congressional Alliance on Yuan. In September 2021, Cooke said he was troubled by President Atticus Moreau's relationship with Yuan which he claimed "opened the doorway to misinformation from Shanghan". He also claimed Beleroskov, Syraranto, and the Slavic Union has a history of disinformation running in Zamastan and claimed that the Jade Tribune "lends credibility and legitimacy to dangerous propaganda".
Personal life
Cooke is married to Maria Cooke, a Professor of International Studies at the University of Tofino. The couple married in 2003 and have three children.
Cooke has expressed his fanfare for the Tofino United FC, sometimes attending Congressional debates and hearings in Tofino United gear and often livestreaming his reactions to games on his Owler and FriendSpot accounts. His reaction to the national football team's quarterfinals loss to Shoassau during the 2022 Dabatta World Cup became a viral video.