I do not know about you but I am asking myself what is going on? Is Prime Minister Mark Brown’s family being held hostage? Does he have a gun against his head? Why else would he persist against mounting public pressure to push for a passport for the Cook Islands? Ruta Mave writes.

People are saying it is political suicide to pursue this line of thinking but he continues to assure that he will get his way without losing benefits.

Ten years ago, we were reporting former PM Henry Puna’s obsession with making the Cook Islands an independent nation from New Zealand, eyeing a seat on the United Nations while retaining NZ citizenship. Here we are again with his protégé doing the same and the answer then as it is now is a resounding no, you cannot have both. Either choose independence and walk without crutches from New Zealand or remain status quo.

It was said back then that Puna was insisting so we could apply to represent ourselves at the United Nations which would require someone to live in New York permanently to service the meetings, etc. It was not hard to guess who that someone would be then or now, but if it happens, who pays for this lavish lifestyle?

Permanent representatives are ambassadors appointed by their state or government to represent the country at UN headquarters in New York. The UN building is built on 18 acres land gifted by the Rockefeller family which was once the site of a slaughterhouse, in the Turtle Bay neighbourhood of Midtown Manhattan.

The UN is funded 74 per cent by governments, the general assembly usually meet every September and they continue through until all issues are addressed.

It is all very well to say we want to be an UN member country but what can we offer them? We can’t provide enough police to do stop point checks and licences at the same time, how can we provide peace keepers. We don’t grow enough food to feed our own people so we don’t import so much, how can we donate food to others? We spend more time as a developed nation begging for money, how can we fund other countries?

Or maybe Brown is being a magician? Distracting the public by threatening to cut them into two pieces, maintaining that the head and feet are still alive and kicking as he spins the boxes on one hand. Meanwhile, we are not seeing him pulling rabbits out of his hat behind his cloak of darkness?

There is an uproar on social media, everyone is talking about wanting to keep the New Zealand passport threatening with electoral change but while Mark Brown continues his high profile pushing of the passport issue into everyone’s faces over the festive year, we should be asking what is he doing in the background?

His jaunt to New Zealand to sell his mineral mining idea has reported as well received. Other reports differ. It was supposed to be an informative balanced presentation, not promotional. Reports from people, who were there, said both sides of the argument were not proportionately represented and that the government were selling the reasons to mineral mine, not informing. Are you entertained?

While people think passports, there is no more mention of our Cook Islands flag reportedly being used as part of the Russian dark fleet, where Finland confiscated a ship carrying our flag. If we were part of the UN, what sort of answer would we be giving to them? Oh, we didn’t know who they are or what they are doing, we just take their money and turn a blind eye? Or it is not our fault we don’t sanction who gets to wave our flag, we leave it up to a private company? How can Brown talk about pride and independence if we are happy to let any Tom Dick or Ivanoff use our flag? The same can be said for those who house their millions in our banks.

Despite the public passion for keeping the NZ passport, the elections are a year away and by then the short-term individual need of free tree cutting and grants to fishing clubs will be the order of the day. The public is fickle and Brown knows it, he is throwing up smoke and mirrors and the illusion of grandeur and it looks shocking and unbelievable, but then hiding up his sleeve he will pull out an ace or two, align himself as the king of hearts and ride into another four-year term.

Editor’s note – Prime Minister Mark Brown has clarified that the Cook Islands is not qualified for UN membership. “There are a number of criteria that the UN requires for membership and according to them, we don’t meet those requirements.”