Cook Islands Leader Insists New Passports Won’t Affect Ties With New Zealand

Article – RNZ

The Cook Islands leader says new passport proposal will not impact ties with Aotearoa, but a New Zealand Foreign Affairs spokesperson says it “would have implications”.Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific Journalist

The Cook Islands Prime Minister says the nations constitutional agreement with Aotearoa will not be affected if they get their own passports, but a spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Minister says any new identity document “would have implications” on the special relationship between the two countries.

Although the Cook Islands are self-governing, its residents are New Zealand citizens and hold New Zealand passports.

New Zealand also has a responsibility to help the island nation with foreign affairs, disasters, and defence.

Prime Minister Mark Brown wants the Cook Islands to have their own passports.

“It’s for us to recognise our own people,” he said.

“At the moment, we have a stamp in a New Zealand passport or an Australian passport, which signifies a person as a resident of the Cook Islands. For me, this is just modernising that particular concept.”

Brown viewed it as an “internal matter” that doesn’t “in any way” affect the relationship between the two countries.

“New Zealanders are free to carry dual passports, there are a number of New Zealanders who have their passports of other countries.

“It is precisely the same thing that we’ll be doing – Cook Islanders who hold New Zealand passports will be able to hold a passport of their country of birth or their country of citizenship as well.”

A spokesperson for the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters said the government is aware of the proposal.

“Any new Cook Islands passport or identity document would have implications for that special relationship and would require careful consideration and discussion,” the spokesperson said.

Brown said the proposal been raised with the New Zealand government.

When asked if New Zealand also thought it was internal matter, Brown said “discussions are ongoing”, but from his perspective, it should not change the constitutional arrangement.

“It’s a process that we are working through now, and we will be in a better position to announce something later in the year when we announce some of our plans for celebrating our 60th year of independent self-governance.”

‘No appetite’ for new passport

Cook Islands political commentator Thomas Wynne said it makes sense that a passport is being considered.

“At this point in time, other than if you are born in the Cook Islands, and have a birth certificate, there is no way that you can actually prove you are a Cook Islander.”

Wynne said personally he would love a passport identifying him as a Cook Islander.

However, he said the introduction of one will adjust the nations constitutional settings.

Wynne said it was vague at this stage what extent.

“Most Cook Islanders are happy with the situation we’re currently in with the New Zealand passport and there is no appetite for that to be threatened in anyway – no appetite whatsoever.”

He said the idea of a passport should be driven from the community, not the top.

He added it was not a pressing issue for most people at the moment.

Brown had previously expressed desire for UN membership, so the Cook Islands could become a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Cook Islands also is not a member of the Commonwealth, so was unable to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa last month.

Brown said the idea of a passport was not motivated by a desire for membership into international organisations.

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