Cook Islands PM defends sovereignty amid rising tensions

Amid the turbulent political events in the Cook Islands, Prime Minister Mark Brown has reaffirmed his nation’s sovereignty: “We need to stand on our own two feet”.

Tensions in Rarotonga have escalated due to multiple geopolitical and political controversies, including the cancelled passport project, a contentious partnership with China, and the no-confidence motion, which Brown defeated by a vote of 13 to 9.

Opposition members argue that Brown’s proposal for a separate Cook Islands passport signals a potential departure from New Zealand. But Brown insists they have never sought to sever ties with the New Zealand government.

During a parliamentary speech, Brown attributes the destabilisation of the Cook Islands to New Zealand’s “constant media barrage” and emphasises that economic independence is the primary goal, recalling how the nation achieved a high-income status under the OECD in 2020.

“My job is not to fly the New Zealand flag - My job is to fly my own country’s flag,” Brown says.

He also criticises the New Zealand government as controlling. He accuses the NZ media of labelling the Pacific island nation as "too dumb" to understand the implications of its own decisions.

Speaking to WIlliam Terite on Pacific Mornings, New Zealand’s Labour Party Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni points out that Brown is under pressure from the NZ government and his own people.

“Perhaps that's where those comments came from,” Sepuloni says. “There's certainly not an underestimation of the intelligence of the Cook Island people by New Zealand politicians, New Zealand academics or even the New Zealand government.

“I'm not always quick to come to the defence of the New Zealand government but on this particular issue, the concern that has been expressed by Winston Peters is valid.

“There are still a lot of questions to be answered by Mark Brown and the Cook Islands government.”

Watch Carmel Sepuloni’s full interview below.

Media and public response

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer recently participated in a protest in Rarotonga against the Cook Islands’ deal with China, which was followed by a small group of women calling for new leadership.

In response, Brown claims that New Zealand’s “one-sided messaging” about the Cook Islands’ political matters has caused instability in the country and effectively influenced opposition members.

Terite has strongly criticised Brown’s parliamentary speech, describing it as a “tantrum”.

Terite dismissed the notion that journalists view the Cook Islands as “too dumb”, insisting that the media should be allowed to question political leaders.

“The only dumb thing here was his comment - the media should be able to question our leaders and hold them accountable,” the Pacific Mornings host says.

“And to anyone that disagrees with that, I seriously question whether you know the definition of the fourth estate.

“This idea that the media is out to get him is absolute nonsense - I've heard people over the past few days blame the media for what's transpired - when did holding our leaders to account become a crime?

“Throwing a fit doesn’t equal transparency, and it definitely doesn’t make tough questions go away either.”

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Need for dialogue

International relations analyst Geoffrey Miller says broader geopolitical issues, such as a recent China naval live-firing incident, contribute to the growing tensions.

He highlights the importance of dialogue over confrontation, suggesting that while decisions on sovereignty strictly belong to the Cook Islands, ongoing communication with partners is paramount.

“Again, you've got a difference in views on this,” he says. “New Zealand's view, Winston Peter's view, is that the Cook Islands shouldn't have been going off and signing those agreements without New Zealand's say-so.

“China's view will be that the Cook Islands are a sovereign and independent state, as stated in that 2001 agreement.

“And so there will be a difference of views, but again, I think it's really important that those differences are discussed and openly debated behind closed doors.”