Despite the Cook Islands having so much going for it - best climates, cheap cost of living, low crime, no homeless, no really poor, good connectivity, easy access to NZ for health/education, etc., and Rarotongans speak better English than most New Zealanders and better Maori than most NZ Maori, 60 years of self-government doesn’t appear to be something to celebrate.

The current dance with the dragon got me thinking … Mmmm so just for fun, a note on the achievements of self-government and some historical context:

1964: UN forces self-government on unsuspecting territories.

1965: NZ Queen (as of right of NZ) becomes CI Head of State (through the QR). Cook Islanders remain NZ citizens with the proviso that ‘nothing in the CI Constitution’ will affect the ‘status of any NZ citizen’.

1966: Poor drafting of Constitution sets up for political failure due to no provision to amend electoral seats in accordance with population changes, thereby shifting the power permanently to the outer islands i.e.: 60 per cent of seats in Parliament are held by less than 10 per cent of the electorate.

1976: NZ Govt builds airport and hotels opening up economic growth on

the back of tourism. Direct foreign private investment follows which expands tourism. Private sector starts to lead economic growth. Population exodus starts to gather momentum.

1979: ‘Sir’ Albert Henry resigns in disgrace over election corruption (fly in voters).

1986: False letters of guarantee issued by CI Govt (Sir Geoff Henry)

1993: Work on Sheraton Hotel development stops with CI Govt defaulting on $60m loan.

1994 - 1997: Winebox enquiry.

1996: Poor governance results in economic collapse, bailed out by NZ. Population exodus continues.

2000: OECD FATF - KYC and AML rules introduced, but tardy response by CI Govt results in CI being blacklisted. Tourism numbers soften due to economic chaos, etc. Population exodus continues and election fraud continues.

2006: Self-determination takes hold - quality of public service ratchets down as expats replaced by locals who are not appropriately trained or have the requisite experience for positions, from finance secretary to teachers, to doctors to HOMs, etc. Population exodus continues.

2019/2020: Covid! NZ bails out Cooks with $3m per month to keep Air NZ link

and direct cash payments to keep public service on full pay and to increase MPs salaries by 47%. Oh, and provides a minimum wage payment to all others (those who create the wealth). Medical referrals to NZ health system reach record numbers.

2021: Population exodus surges as borders reopen and election fraud continues largely due to inadequate electoral laws. Inwards immigration ramps up.

2022: Te Mato Vai budget blow out $60m and still no potable water.

2023: Record numbers of Cook Islanders on kidney dialysis in NZ. High Court rules out validity of exchanges of letters between NZ and Cook Islands, as Cook Islands Parliament appears to have been too busy to pass the necessary legislation, leaving the Constitution in all its amended glory as the sole arbiter.

2024: NZCEA results reflect abysmal state of education system. Population exodus continues. Best and brightest not returning (same problem as NZ).

2025: CI Govt goes rogue, embraces the dragon and eschews NZ citizenship. CI diaspora reacts and puts pressure on NZ and other western governments.

Tomorrow: Several CIP MPs resign to force by-elections and ending with a vote of no confidence, lost by the current government? General Election sees more independent MPs elected …

(Name and address supplied)