Dear Editor, Re-Cook Island Passport. Unwanted, full stop. I’m a proud Cook Islander and have a full understanding of the meaning of being a New Zealand citizen. What a privilege.

Other Pacific Islanders envy what we have. A New Zealand Passport and at the same time govern our ourselves.

Every now and then, we have Cook Island politicians coming through with their fantasies about being part of the UN. An organisation whereby member countries can vote on an issue and despite it being the majority, become worthless once vetoed by any of the five founding countries.

The organisation today is having difficulties implementing their own rules to protect humanity. If we did some research, we will of course find it’s nothing new.  Only independent countries can be part of the UN.

No thank you.

They want to talk about Cook Islands Identity call it exactly that, “Cook Islands Identity”. Add Indigenous if they like.

I’m sure government has done the calculations. Around 100,000 Cook Islanders in the Cook Islands including overseas at $300? It will earn them gross $30,000,000.00.

If the government is wishing for a quick real legacy in time for the 60 years celebration in 2025, please urgently address one or two of the following:

1. First home owners should be able to access finance at 3 per cent.

2. Small business owners and start up, access to finance at 4 per cent.

3. Make land available on Rarotonga for our people from the outer islands to build homes, so they can settle here and help grow our economy.

4. Seriously address the massive NCD problems we have in the Cook Islands.

5. A couple of foreign dentists have told me that only in the Cook Islands have they seen adult teeth already extracted from children.

6. The list goes on.

The House of Ariki sadly after all these years have achieved nothing that I know of for the people they represent.

The House of Ariki started the process of a proposal for government to legislate our customs more than 50 years ago and up to now, NOTHING!

They can at least start with the most important one, our land customs. All the ariki today are only there because of an ancestor’s achievement.

In fact, I don’t even think they understand the meaning of their role which is to lead and serve their tribes. Yes, serve.

Identity is more than a piece of paper. Speak the language, know your culture, genealogy, land rights, family connections, etc.

With what’s happening around the world, we need our New Zealand Passport more than ever. Security and all the blessings that come with it.

May God continue to bless us all and allow the rest of the world to live happily like us.

Yours sincerely,

Ellena Tavioni

On the face of things this may be thought to be a good thing to do. It certainly has a “feel good” factor about it. 

My wife is a dual US/NZ citizen. This means when departing from and arriving in NZ, she uses her NZ passport. When arriving and departing the US she uses her US passport. 

Why would Cook Islanders want to accept this extra travel inconvenience when what they have now works perfectly well? Why would Cook Islands border control want the hassle and cost of having to process an extra passport when it is not a vital need?

Graham Astley

Auckland

New Zealand