Foreign Affairs Minister rejects claim Aotearoa funding freeze to Cook Islands is ‘patronising’

Foreign Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters rejects suggestions that New Zealand’s pausing of development funding to the Cook Islands is patronising.

This follows New Zealand’s decision to pause $18.2 million in development assistance planned for the Cook Islands’ 2025/26 financial year.

The funding freeze was prompted by a lack of consultation with New Zealand after an agreement between the Cook Islands and China was made earlier this year.

Addressing the Cook Islands parliament recently, Prime Minister Mark Brown described New Zealand’s process as "patronising". But Peters dismisses Brown’s criticism.

"To accuse us of being patronising is wrong because our responsibility is to the New Zealand taxpayer, who I do include being a number of Pacific people who have got two and three jobs.

"They're paying taxes, and they would like to ensure that all the taxes that we pay, that they pay, are spent properly and within the rules.”

Watch Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters' full interview below.

With just over a month to go until celebrations in Rarotonga to commemorate 60 years of Cook Islands self-governance, Peters says discussions are still underway about who’ll attend on New Zealand’s behalf.

"It'll be majorly important that we send the highest representation, and that's under consideration, which will be announced before too long as we get near the date.”

Kiribati President Taneti Maamau. Photo/Supplied

Kiribati aid review ‘still ongoing’

When questioned about the status of New Zealand’s review of funding to Kiribati, Peters confirmed that it is still in progress but expressed concern after multiple visits were cancelled due to the unavailability of President Taneti Maamau, who is also Kiribati’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“Look, I've got a Minister of Finance to answer to. I make representations on behalf of our portfolio, and one needs to know what one's talking about.

“If you're being asked questions by the Minister of Finance and you haven't been there, you don't know, it makes it very difficult.”

Since taking office at the end of 2023, Peters has visited every Pacific Islands Forum country except Kiribati.

“And some of them more than once in an endeavour to reconnect because I inherited a portfolio where no one had gone during the post-Covid years at all.”

New Zealand has confirmed that it will not cut funding already agreed for Kiribati.