By Talaia Mika, Cook Islands New
Mark Brown, left, and Winston Peters in Rarotonga. 8 February 2024 Photo: RNZ Pacific / Eleisha Foon
Prime Minister Mark Brown has defended the proposal of a Cook Islands passport, addressing concerns about its potential impact on New Zealand citizenships and responding to comments made by New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters.
In an interview with Pacific Media Network (PMN) this week, Peters emphasised that it is important to understand the people's needs, not the politicians', in response to Brown's proposal.
PM Brown, at the opening of Te Kura Nui A Te Are Ariki - the House of Ariki Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week, said that he was considering introducing a Cook Islands passport in the near future, while maintaining the New Zealand passport.
Peters questioned, "What would the people in the Cook Islands want to do? What do they want? That might not be what the politicians want."
Cook Islands News contacted the Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday (Friday NZ time) to request comments on Peters' response to his passport proposal.
PM Brown assured: "The Cook Islands is not doing anything that will change our constitutional relationship with NZ."
Cook Islands is a self-governing state in "free association" with New Zealand, alongside Niue. Although the Cook Islands conducts its own affairs, New Zealand has a constitutional responsibility to respond to requests for assistance with foreign affairs, disasters and defence from the Government of the Cook Islands, according to New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Cook Islands has an international legal personality and conducts its own international relations, including establishing diplomatic relationships with many countries. Cook Islanders hold New Zealand citizenship, and there is a significant Cook Islands diaspora in New Zealand.
During the PMN interview, Peters underscored the importance of letting Pacific island nations decide their future while recognising the strategic stakes for Aotearoa New Zealand.
His comments not only highlighted Brown's proposal for local passport but also in response to Niue's Prime Minister, Dalton Tagelagi, who also expressed his desire to become fully independent at some stage, although he does not see this happening anytime soon.
"Be careful what you wish for because at no time in any way have we sought to interrupt the independence of their culture, their procedures. We've done our best and I think have done a marvellous job," Peters said.
"I've seen, I've travelled the world, I see extensively how things have been so disastrous. I've seen failed states. And look, our support for Tokelau for the Cook Islands and Niue has been massive.
"I'm not going to let anybody think they can say that we haven't done our very best as New Zealand taxpayers.
"We've got New Zealand taxpayers working two to three jobs, many of them are Pasifika people. And they would expect that their people back home are appreciative of the effort that their taxes make to their country."
Tuaine Unuia, O-Tari-Kura o te Are Ariki (Clerk of the House of Ariki), earlier this week said the Ui Ariki supported the Prime Minister's plan for a Cook Islands passport "for our own identity for our iti tangata".
OPM press secretary Jaewynn McKay told the newspaper that "at this stage, we have no comment on the introduction of a Cook Islands passport".
"The Prime Minister will be announcing several initiatives for our 60th celebrations in the coming months once further details have been finalised. There are a couple of working groups exploring various proposals, and we look forward to sharing more in due course."
Additional reporting from PMN