At the stroke of a pen, 50 nautical miles outside of every island that makes up the country we now call the Cook Islands was protected. This also allowed for pockets of commercial activity, managed in balance with the environment and aimed at creating revenue for our country and its people.

At the stroke of a pen, homosexuality, or at least sodomy, was decriminalised, and though being lesbian wasn’t even considered in the 1969 Crimes Act, that too was reframed.

Sometimes we underestimate the power of legislation and of Parliament. But when Parliament only sits for 12 days in a year, what does that say about the democracy we live under and the legislation that government and its agencies utilise every day to do their work? If Parliament sits for only 12 days in a year, out of the 42 projected, how do we ensure that the wheels of this bus keep turning smoothly and not squeak?

A slowing down and bumpy ride affects us all, caused by rusty legislation, old and archaic wording, and settings that are not fit for purpose in a dynamic and ever-changing digital 2024.

We have a Crown Law Office that desperately needs double its budget and personnel, and an Ombudsman’s Office that, after reading its latest report, needs more budget, people, and legal support. Meanwhile, an Opposition party is among the top three groups using public funds to travel the world.

I also read a report back to Parliament that left me wondering about the value of such trips –especially those including spouses, though allowed. What benefit are these trips to our country and its people? Much like the few other reports that make interesting reading for those of us who take the time or are interested.

Maybe, in light of the calls for moratoriums – especially around the seabed, seafloor, and the potential for seabed harvesting – we are missing the moratorium we need right now. If we are to call for a halt to anything, would it not be the travel of government that has now exceeded public accounts well beyond what any of us would consider appropriate or in line with the outputs we as a country receive? It’s very difficult to do your job if you’re not in the country. Apart from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, where travel is an essential part of the portfolio, maybe a moratorium on travel is something we should consider.

This is why the proxy vote currently being considered by our Members of Parliament must be carefully weighed, as it could result in them being out of the country even more than they already are. Proxy votes happen here in Aotearoa, but they are used for Members of Parliament who are absent from the House with permission when votes are counted late at night, after long sittings that stretch into 10pm and start at 7am. Members of Parliament here sit for three weeks in nearly every month, with a three-week break in the middle of the year when they focus on their electorates and the work of those who voted for them. Personally, I have seen over 100 pieces of legislation passed through the House here, and even now, I am working with our Atiu Warrior cousin, Teanau Tuiono, as he progresses legislation to rectify the injustice of citizenship taken from Samoan citizens in the 1980s by an act of Parliament.

That is the power of legislation, the power of Parliament, and why our Members of Parliament’s core job is to ensure the work of Parliament is a priority – not cutting down trees, digging graves, or travelling the world.

Maybe I’m wrong, and maybe the focus should be on travel and trees. However, I do wonder: if regulations are not fit for purpose, why don’t we have our local Member of Parliament take a paper to Parliament and amend them? Or what could the National Environment Service actually achieve if its legislation were fit for purpose in the climate-change world we live in right now, and not based on a piece of legislation written in 2003 – and how much the word has changed, but not our legislation over the past 21 years.