David Farrar: Let’s do full independence!

Radio NZ reports:

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says he will only re-work constitutional ties with New Zealand if the new agreement makes it clear his country is now “more independent” – risking a fresh brawl with Wellington.

Ele Ludemann: No benign strategic environment

It’s more than 20 years since then-Prime Minister Helen Clark said we had a benign strategic environment.

Whether that was correct then is debatable, but there should be no debate that it is not correct now.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: America's Pacific paradox leaves the door open to China

Perhaps geography is still destiny after all. The closer a Pacific nation sits to American shores, the more Washington seems to care about Chinese influence.

At its eastern edge, Washington still enforces Trump’s version of the Monroe Doctrine with vigour. This doctrine holds that any intervention in the Americas by foreign powers is a hostile act against the United States. Meanwhile, in the South Pacific, it appears content to create opportunities for Beijing’s expansion.

Dr Michael John Schmidt: Chinese cooking.

The China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is by now notoriously associated with corruption. Here are a three notable examples:

1 Malaysia’s 1MDB Scandal: The BRI has been linked to corruption in Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal, where Chinese officials allegedly agreed to bail out the state development fund by inflating the cost of infrastructure projects.

Kerre Woodham: With any perks come responsibilities

The news that Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is heading to China today on the country's first state visit, where he's expected to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, has come as news to our Foreign Minister, news to our government, and indeed news to some of the Cook Island people.

The excellent Barbara Dreaver on 1News broke the story on Wednesday night. As she reported, the impending visit has taken the Beehive by surprise, as it's a potential breach of constitutional arrangements between the Cook Islands and Aotearoa New Zealand.

David Farrar: If Cooks wants to have their own foreign policy....

If Cooks wants to have their own foreign policy, then let them be independent – of our aid

Radio NZ reports:

The New Zealand government says the Cook Islands has failed to properly consult it on proposed agreements its Prime Minister Mark Brown will be signing in China this week.

Point of Order: Megan Woods stays mum about levy-fetching energy bill.....

.....but she brings out megaphone for news of million-dollar handouts

Point of Order looked again on the government’s official website for statements from Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods about two energy-related bills that were rushed into law last week.

We can’t say she has been silent, because she had lots to say in parliament about the need for urgency in enacting these bills.

But she has yet to post press statements on the government’s official website to explain what she has been doing, apparently putting the onus on the public to wade through Hansard’s record of parliamentary proceedings to find out what she is up to.

Barry Soper: Why Kiwi taxpayers are paying Covid wage subsidy in Cook Islands

 

What's so special about businesses in the Cook Islands?

Well, they must have something worth preserving that our businesses here don't have. Their Prime Minister, Mark Brown, told Heather du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB Drive last night that kind donors from this country are paying the Covid wage subsidy through until the end of March with support packages being planned by the Government there to go through until the end of June.

The kind donors are of course New Zealand taxpayers.