Cook Islands Prime Minister slams NZ aid freeze as ‘patronising’

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says New Zealand’s decision to pause development aid is patronising and will harm the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

In a ministerial statement to Parliament on Thursday (Cook Islands time), Brown confirmed that Wellington has suspended support for key sectors like health, education, and infrastructure.

It’s understood that $18.2 million of development funding, including $10 million for core sectors, has been frozen.

“Pausing the support to core sectors disproportionately impacts our most vulnerable citizens," Brown says. "It also disrupts long-term planning and the sustainability of vital public services.

“The relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand is defined by partnership, not paternalism. Decisions to unilaterally pause core sector support reflect a patronising approach inconsistent with modern partnership.

“Punitive financial gestures do not reflect the progress we have made or the trust that we expect.”

Watch Prime Minister Mark Brown address the Cook Islands Parliament below.

The funding freeze stems from what New Zealand considers a lack of consultation following the Cook Islands’ signing of a non-binding strategic partnership with China in February. The Cook Islands is a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand.

Brown says under the 2001 Joint Centenary Declaration between the two countries, the Cook Islands has the right to conduct its own foreign affairs and strategic arrangements, such as treaties and international agreements.

The Cook Islands says the China agreement covers cooperation in economic development, marine science, climate adaptation and infrastructure, with no arrangements for military or security ties, debt commitments or threats to national sovereignty.

Brown insists the Chinese agreement process followed standard diplomatic protocol. However, New Zealand has voiced concerns over the level of consultation prior to the signing of the Chinese agreement.

He says the Cook Islands' position has been that various consultations took place prior to the signing of our agreements, “albeit without the sharing of written text.”

“This practice is consistent with our engagement over the past decades with all our partners, including Australia and our regional neighbours. It is also worth noting that this has been New Zealand's practice, including its own strategic agreements with China.”

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, left, with NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters at the NZ High Commission in Rarotonga in February 2025. Photo/Supplied.

“Where we are finding a divergence of views is in the provision relating to the consultation obligations and rights of both parties to the declaration,” he says.

In Parliament, Opposition Leader Tina Browne disputes that Brown’s approach is open and transparent.

“As I recall it, the first opportunity that we members of Parliament found out about the Chinese agreements was in the news, not a briefing by you in Parliament,” she says.

But Brown says the agreements were made public once they were finalised between the two parties. Parliament was briefed at the first sitting after his return, and the documents were promptly published online.

He says the negotiations with China followed standard diplomatic protocols and were kept confidential until they concluded.

Brown acknowledges New Zealand’s concerns about consultation but defends the government’s approach, saying prior engagement occurred, consistent with longstanding practice between both countries.

Cook Islands Opposition Leader Tina Browne. Photo/Supplied.

“There has clearly been a misunderstanding in the interpretation of the consultation requirements.”

Brown says the Cook Islands will not respond to New Zealand's funding pause with hostility but with dignity.

“Mutual respect must be the foundation of our free association,” he says. “We will engage with all who respect our sovereignty and share our vision for the Cook Islands. We are asserting a balanced, principled approach that advances our national interests.”

Brown also expresses disappointment at the political commentary from New Zealand, saying it undermines official efforts to rebuild trust.

As the country prepares to celebrate 60 years of self-government in August, Brown reaffirms its sovereign right to pursue its own foreign policy.

He says the Cook Islands government is “navigating this moment with care, wisdom and transparency”.