Red White and Blue Americans have voted and there was a mixture of mad sad and glad reactions within and outside of the ‘land of the free’ - unless you are an immigrant, coloured or pregnant or so it appears from the outside looking in.

If there was something to be said from their election it was that it was clear cut. Although it was tightly contested in actual voter numbers, the required amounts of electoral points 270 was well over, that it did not require a re-count or any challenge from the opposition.  If the swing had gone blue with the exact same numbers, it was whispered that the reds would not have conceded and dissention would have prevailed.

It also looked like Americans are prepared to vote the devil they know, rather than the she-devil they don’t.  A female president is not high on the list of probabilities in the land that portrays freedom and equal opportunity, well at least in the movies which is viewed more real than reality.

When you look at the American electoral map it shows a red washout with only a handful of blue states scattered on the edges. The final electoral count is definitive at 312 to 226 but the population numbers were extremely close. Red 74,650,754 or 50.5% and Blue 70,916,946 or 47.9% votes. The individual states must be pro-rata per capita. This makes a lot of sense and one we could adopt here in the Cook Islands.

We have 15 islands that make up our nation of which 11 can vote a representative. The decision of government is decided by the party with the majority of voted electorates of the 24 that will become parliament. It has been suggested several times that we need less members in parliament for a lot of reasons. If every island is important and wants representation, the best way to do it would be a pro rata system.  The numbers might remain but reassign the voting weight and salaries accordingly. For instance, Rarotonga has 72 percent of the population with 10 representatives but the Northern group of seven percent population has six representatives.

Mangaia was once a thriving island of 700 but now houses 400 people.  The island has three members of parliament, where one village has approximately 40 voters. These politicians get the same count towards government seats, voting power and the same wages as an MP in Rarotonga (pop 10,800) with 1000 people in their constituency. Meanwhile, Pukapuka population 450 has one representative. This is hardly fair when it comes to representing the taxpaying population on matters that matter to the majority.

Atiu is interesting.  380 residents get two parliamentarians. A mother and daughter team whose husband / father was once the President of the ruling government party and also has the largest supermarket on the island. If there was a board game being played there it would probably be monopoly. As women, they do tick the boxes of female representation in government which looks good, but after all their travel to women leadership conferences around the world, I’ve yet to see them lead any here.

The former Deputy Prime Minister hailed from Rakahanga, a thriving community of 80. He was seen more suited to be able to hold the country up if the Prime Minister was out of action because he could persuade 40 people? He soon showed he was not best suited.

In small island populations it is hard to imagine personal standings do not impact on people’s better or honest judgements for who is best for the job. 

If we had a pro rata system it could look like having a number of points per head of population qualified to vote.  This might give candidates an incentive to promote and ensure that all those able to vote do so on the day.  The pay scale should also reflect the population. If your constituency is less than 100 there should be a difference in what you are paid compared to those overseeing 1000.  The point system should also be introduced so each party has to have a certain number to reach, that will ensure there is an even mix of population represented, because a government should represent the majority, no matter where they reside.

Who knows how the American election will affect us. Following the EU purse seine contract, a tuna treaty was made with the US. It was reported the US government would put 60 million per annum into the Pacific, so we might get paid four million per year, instead of one million. This MOU was to be finalised for 2025 and beyond.

It may all depend on a Turkish proverb which says when a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.