If we were to give our democracy a scorecard out of ten, what would that number be, and what questions would we ask our government to help us determine that score? A healthy democracy is often characterised by robust institutions, active citizen participation, respect for human rights, and accountability. Thomas Wynne writes.

A healthy democracy ensures that its citizens are not only aware of their rights but also actively participate in shaping the policies that affect their lives. If we consider the announcement of plans to introduce a Cook Islands passport, how does that demonstrate that our people are actively involved in their democracy—a democracy we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of next year?

As a passport that not only allows all who hold it to legally identify as Cook Islanders, that identity and legality also enables them to move in and out of our borders without restraint, and to own and run a business without a local partner. But does it also mean owning land without being Māori? What are the full implications of a potential passport?

If legislation can be written and drafted without oversight and with foreign conversions and agreements, outside of the checks and balances of Crown Law, what oversight or foreign agreements have been struck or agreed upon without our knowledge regarding this proposed passport? Is this a sign of a healthy democracy?

Another fundamental component of a healthy democracy is the rule of law. This principle guarantees that laws are applied equally to all, preventing the abuse of power. So, what does it say about our democracy and rule of law when certain individuals can be jailed for spending thousands of dollars of public money without restraint, and then, after being incarcerated, are hired by their family to gain freedom, only to be seen at the same café where they also spent thousands of dollars of public money? Is that a sign of a healthy democracy?

As former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan once remarked, "Democracy is not a destination; it is a journey." This journey requires continuous effort to ensure that our voices are heard and considered in every decision-making process.

 So how do we arrive at 1900 women waiting for a breast examination, with the potential that some will be diagnosed too late for breast cancer, as they wait on a mammogram machine to arrive?

When democracy becomes exclusive, it alienates the population and becomes the domain of a select few. So how was the drafting of the Tainted Cryptocurrency Currency Recovery legislation done without the Minister for Justice, without the advice of Crown Law, and with a deal struck by our highest government official and a private, foreign company that wrote the legislation from which they would also profit if enacted? Is this a sign of a healthy democracy?

Former Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O'Neill once voiced his concerns about the fragility of democracy, stating, “If we are to build a nation that respects the rule of law, we must confront corruption at all levels.” This reinforces the notion that corruption undermines public trust and erodes democratic institutions to the point that we no longer trust them. Worse still, we may simply disengage from them altogether. What will kill our freedom and the health of our democracy is not just the abuse of it by the few, but more importantly, the closing of the eyes of the many, worn down by small but frequent abuses of the rule of law, transparency, justice, and appointments made based on relationships rather than the capacity to do the job.

In the exercise of our Cook Islands democracy, we have become accustomed to accept that our three pillars—church, government, and traditional leaders—will guide us and advise the government. But is this the right use of these three pillars? Should they be advising on their own pillar and how it affects them? We wouldn’t ask the government to advise the church on spiritual matters or the Ui Ariki on matters of custom, so why would we ask the church and traditional leaders to advise on matters of government outside their areas of influence and capacity? From water above to water below, identity, passports, land, appointments and legislation—please consider: do we have a healthy democracy or not?