We are now opting to live a life of hand outs with no drive or inclination to give ourselves a hand up. We win the beggars award because we have so many hands out to so many countries

I can’t help wonder if Prime Minister Mark Brown thinks he is at a Tupperware party where he goes with his begging bowl in hand to every nation of the United Nations and sells his sob story of our country being acutely vulnerable to life and weather, and could you help us, please?

Each country responds with the promise from Brown that if they fill his bowl with dollars now, they will be able to keep the bowl to fill up with the promise of gold from our deep-sea ocean.

But, says Brown let’s keep a lid on it and don’t let anyone else know because you are special and this is a one-time deal. The problem with Tupperware parties is after a while you end up with a collection of bowls with no lids or lids that don’t fit properly to seal the deal.

At what point will we be hosting the bringers of bowls calling in the promises of our voted leader?

Is it all just lid service?

Empty promises from a wolf wearing sheep clothing pretending to be the sweet innocent victim when underneath is a wily cunning poet of deceptive descriptions. 

Because when they hear the spiel of vulnerability and poverty then witness the excessive expenditure by our politicians on themselves.  Will they exclaim “Now hang on a minute, I thought you said you were helpless?”

The report of the Cooks looking for Saudi Arabia funding quoted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration as saying “… to calibrate their support without further exacerbating the financial scarring and catastrophic impact covid, climate change and the Russia-Ukraine crisis has had on the Cook Islands”

We have a ‘catastrophic’ impact of Covid?

Was it due to all those politicians who voted themselves a 45% pay increase who did not go on to the government subsidy of $8 per hour.  

If there is ‘financial scarring’ it is from the internal theft by not so honourable members fleecing the tax paying coffers.

This statement of ‘poor Pacific me’ from a government who drive $50,000 trucks, renovate offices for $75,000, pay themselves a $5000 dress allowance to wear jandals and payout $1.7 million for cars to impress leaders of other poor Pacific nations.

Is sickening.

The go to catch phrase - climate change is bandied around when we are the least affected Pacific nation but we are fleecing the green fund the most.

If that is not enough, we have to throw in the Russian Ukraine war, why? Have we voiced concern about the plight of their grain economy? Or is it because they might miss out on their morning doughnuts?

This stand-alone statement of misconception is crippling us from gaining any self-respect and esteem.

It embarrasses me to see this once fit healthy proud nation only 50 years ago become so full of self-indulgence and entitlement.

We are a product of our own making and our wealth has deteriorated with our health.

We are now opting to live a life of hand outs with no drive or inclination to give ourselves a hand up.

We win the beggars award because we have so many hands out to so many countries and they all want the seabed we have under our protection - our marae moana.

At this rate all that will be left for us of our ocean, will be the painting on the seawall.

The protection we are supposedly giving to our ocean is like the protection we are supposedly giving to our abused women children and elderly.

It is all lip service and if you challenge them to stand up against the crimes of the truly vulnerable, you will most likely get a fat lip for your effort.

We are after all consistent in giving the appearance of the innocent lamb on all fronts.

Amongst the key words of infrastructure green technology transport links education and tourism lies the true focus of both nations – oceans and seabed mineral development.

Should we remind ourselves that many of the Pacific SIDS (Small Island Developing States) are against the development of the seabed? They want a moratorium but we want it now. We have three companies already established and operating on Rarotonga towards wanting the leadership.

Infrastructure funding is most likely for the $76 million palatial mansion government want to build to sit their “lard-nesses” in. They want to be the jewel in the crown over the other pacific peasants.

Recently The UN Resident coordinator said we would benefit from the launch of ‘the ICT policy that opens the gateway for digital transformation’ which he believes is a game changer. Well, he is right there. However, what he hasn’t factored in, is we will probably just set up a “give a little” fund page because that his how the Crook Islands roll nowadays.