Kia Orana tatou katoatoa,

Te rauka nei iaku e toku tokorua a Daphne, ta maua anau i te oronga atu i te reo aroa e te akamaroiroi kia tatou katoatoa no teia kiritimiti. On behalf of my wife Daphne, my family and myself, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and the very best of the season.

2021 has been another challenging year, together as a country we have faced a number of challenges, and we have prevailed and we have learned a lot about ourselves along the way.

E Kiritimiti teia e tu mai nei ki mua ia tatou.  E tau e kia ariki tatou i tetai tuatau akangaroi no tatou. I teia mataiti, te tae nei kite openga e kia akamaara tatou i te au angaanga maata ta tatou i rave. 

Now Christmas is upon us, and we can and should allow ourselves a break from our cares and worries, while also looking back on all that we have accomplished this year.

Ko te apinga maata ko te vaerua okotai no te takiruru ia tatou i teia tuatau manamanata e te papukore.

One thing that stands out for me is the spirit of unity that has bound us all together as Cook Islanders throughout this long period of disruption and uncertainty.

Yes, there have been disagreements and differences of opinion, as there always will be, but nothing anywhere close to the difficulties that many other countries around the world have suffered through, as their populations continue to grapple with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is perhaps best exemplified by our nation’s outstanding uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine, with 96 per cent of our eligible population now fully vaccinated and 99 per cent having had their first dose. This is an incredible achievement that we should all be proud of – and a special thanks also to all of our dedicated health staff and volunteers who helped make this possible.

I have been so glad to see that community spirit continues to grow even stronger in 2021, supporting each other and those whose need may be greater than our own.

As your Government we have done our best to support this, pouring tens of millions of dollars into our communities not only via the wage subsidies and business grants but also by investing in and building up our infrastructure throughout Rarotonga and the Pa Enua.

Te irava tano tei ira mei kiaku no roto mai ia Philipi 4:12 “E tika iaku te akaaka, e e tika oki iaku te apinga maata: i te au ngai katoa e te au mea katoa, kua piki ia au i te merengo e te pongi, te taonga nui e te ngere”

To paraphrase, we know what it is to be in need and we know what it is to have plenty and we have done our best to ensure that those in need have not been left to fall by the wayside.

In saying that, please do remember that for some, Christmas is a work day, at the hospital, at Police, Corrections, Christmas can also be a difficult time for some.

If all of us who can reach out to all those who might need a little extra help this Christmas – whether it be through sharing your food, your gifts or simply your time – then we can help make this Christmas a more joyous occasion for everyone.

Enjoy this time of year and the holidays spent with family and friends.

We have all earned it.

Merry Christmas kia tatou katoatoa.

Mark Brown

Prime Minister

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Kia Orana,

To say this has been a challenging year would be an understatement, because of the global, regional and national challenges we had to face. I would like to begin with a sense of gratitude. Gratitude to our medical professionals, specifically our doctors and our nurses. Gratitude to all the support staff at our hospitals, our police officers, and puna volunteers who have kept our people safe and have worked extraordinary hours to ensure our population is vaccinated and now boosted, Meitaki korereka, Meitaki ngao, Meitaki atupaka, Meitaki ranuinui, Meitaki maata and Atawai Wolo.

I look back at the year 2021 with a tremendous sense of gratitude and thankfulness that our little Ipukarea, our nation, has remained Covid-free and has remained safe from the ravages of the global pandemic that has seen hundreds if not thousands of millions of people sick, unwell, and sadly for so many, not see this year out like we all will do in just a matter of days.

For those of us that have been given the humble yet onerous task to lead in whatever capacity, be it in Parliament, be it in our communities or constituencies, or in government, the private sector and even in our families, we have all had to make decisions this year about our health or about the economy that has affected us all in one way or another. I am a mother, grandmother, wife, friend, and businesswoman, and I, too, know the challenges this past year has brought. I am grateful for the leadership in these critical areas and decisions, as difficult as some of them may have been to make.

I am grateful for my family, who have stuck by me as the challenges of these past twelve months unfolded, as your own families would have done the same. I am grateful for our faith as we lean into Christmas and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As so many of you will do, Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, of exchanging gifts, and most importantly, spending time with those we love in a year that has taken so much from us. 

There is a deep sense of gratitude that we, as the Opposition, continue to hold this government accountable, as that is our role in our democracy. But we also understand that the welfare of our people is paramount and we need it to work with the government and all its agencies, especially in times of crisis to find that common ground where the interest of our people continues to take priority.

As this New Year approaches and the date for the border opening draws closer, there is a part of me that is gravely concerned for the health of our people as new variants of COVID-19 ravage countries close to us like Australia and now New Zealand and the harsh reality that opening borders also means opening to the real possibility for COVID-19 to touch our shores and our people; those in our homes, our villages and country. I am grateful, therefore, yet again for the training and preparedness of our health staff and officials should this virus reach our shores. Be safe and be kind to one another.

I look forward to 2022 and the opportunities it brings. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May we continue to celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus and its significance to us as a people and as a nation, and may the New Year be a prosperous one. Kia Manuia rava i teia Kiritimiti e te Mataiti Ou.

Merry Christmas.

Tina Browne

Leader of the Opposition

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Christmas is a celebration about Christ.

He is centre of it all. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” – Mathew 1: 21. Though the world of mammon has sadly kind of bastardised Christmas by commercialisation propaganda, mixture of paganistic and ritualistic extravaganza, yet Jesus still continues and remains the Saviour of the world. He is more to be worshipped than idolised, reverenced than popularised, exalted than monumentalised. He is God Immanuel, God with us whose ultimate will is that none of humanity should perish but that all come to repentance.

That in essence shall bring joy to the world and glad tidings of good things.

Have a happy and blessed Jesus’ Xmas and New Year 2022.

Bishop Tutai Pere

Religious Advisory Council (RAC) chairperson