Dear Editor, Sixty years ago, with the endorsement of the people, Albert Henry signed an agreement with New Zealand that gave us the privilege of being NZ citizens and the responsibility to govern ourselves. We have never been left ‘high and dry’.

All these years NZ have respected our independence and mana whilst partnering with us for health, education, governance, security and even sports (Australia also in some of these areas). They also significantly add to our tourism income. Most importantly, we share DNA with our NZ Maori family and we are all democracies – common ground that gives us stability.

We’re visiting family in NZ right now and hearing concerns from people at churches we have attended, also rumblings from friends of friends who have cancelled their holiday bookings to the Cook Islands this year because of the troubles. They are worried and we are worried.

Sixty years later, our Prime Minister is signing without our endorsement, and we don’t even know exactly what he has agreed to. We hear agreements have been signed with regards to aquaculture, fisheries and seabed mining. How is that even possible when we already have three mining companies holding exploration licences? Has the SBMA licencing board given the go ahead already?

Will China fund and run these endeavours? Will they bring in their own workers again?

China is not a democracy; it’s a military superpower.

Please people, let’s stop this mad chasing after money and decide together what is really important to us as Cook Islanders.

1 Timothy 6:6-11: But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

E te iti tangata e ara mai, e kapiki mai ma te akakite mai i to kotou manako no teia e tupu nei.

Andrew Hosking,

Mauke.