Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998

Reviews of American Sâmoa, Hawai‘i, gain. Opposition members also Sâmoa, Tuvalu, and Wallis and Futuna incurred the public’s wrath for being are not included in this issue. weak and contributing to the country’s problems. The sense of dissatisfaction with politicians in general was In this review I focus mainly on the increased when New Zealand inter- twenty-five members of Parliament, vened in an effort to steer the Cook because public debates on national Islands back onto the road to eco- political issues revolve around their nomic recovery. The arrival of New decisions. The current economic crisis Zealand consultants, in what some has increased public awareness of their saw as nothing less than a process of actions and subjected them to more recolonization, led to a perception that criticisms for their perceived failings. Maori Cook Islanders did not have the Less than a year before the next ability to handle their own political general election, these are frightening affairs. Newspapers and television days to be a member of Parliament. have played an important role in Cook Islanders have not forgotten the disseminating information and opinion pain of measures implemented by the about the crisis, and the public have government to revive their country’s made their views known on a very economy, which by 1996 was on popular talk-back radio show and in the brink of bankruptcy. Alarmed letters to the editor. creditors threatened to halt future (cip) politicians transactions with the Cook Islands, have been at the front line and bearing which was unable to service its the full wrath of public censure. They international debts. Even aid donors have governed the country since 1989, refused to give cash directly to the when they won their first five-year government. To cut costs, the govern- term of government. From about late ment reorganized the public service, 1995, a year after the last general elec- laid off more than two thousand pub- tions, cip leader and Prime Minister lic servants, and reduced the salaries Sir has been preoccu- of those remaining by fifty percent. pied with defending his political integ- Government assets were sold to private rity and that of his fellow caucus and interests. Streams of people flowed out cabinet colleagues. of the country to New Zealand and In July 1997, plans by the govern- Australia, taking with them their ment to ax close to eighty workers in much-needed consumer dollars. the Ministry of Works, Environment The government was severely criti- and Physical Planning (mowepp) cized for these events, accused of brought to the fore a growing disagree- incompetence, extravagant spending, ment between the prime minister and and manipulating the system for self- mowepp Minister Tom Masters.

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Masters is the Cook Islands Party’s Committee and Audit (perca) was national secretary and is seen by many compelled to investigate the deal. as a likely successor to Henry as prime The Twenty-Eighth South Pacific minister. Despite being powerful in the Forum was held in Rarotonga in party rank and file, his part in an September 1997, and sixteen regional aborted coup to remove Sir Henry leaders attended the week-long meet- several years ago made him look weak ing. The government was criticized for to some people as well as leaving him hosting the meeting while the country at odds with Sir Henry. was going through financial difficul- At the end of 1997, and after the ties. But worse was to come, particu- cabinet temporarily suspended larly for Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey mowepp operations, Masters resigned Henry, who was upstaged by the his ministerial post but vowed to stay Tahitian pro-independence leader in the Cook Islands Party. He blamed Oscar Temaru and other members of Henry for failing to keep a promise of his Te Hui Ra‘atira political party. providing additional funds to his Temaru grabbed media attention with ministry, which is one of the biggest in emotional pleas to Henry as forum the Cook Islands. The government chairman to put the independence countered by saying that Masters and issue on the agenda. Henry refused to his chief executive officer, Tuingariki table the issue and did not grant an Short, had mismanaged and overspent audience to Temaru. He came under their budget. Short was suspended on severe criticism from those who felt he full pay, and an investigation into his had succumbed to pressure from role in the demise of the ministry was French Polynesia President Gaston conducted by the Public Service Flosse, who had donated a number of Commission. vehicles to the Cook Islands to help it Short had also deployed staff to run the forum. renovate the beleaguered Rarotongan On 16 October, the then leader of Hotel, a government asset, mortgaged the opposition, , laid a to the Nauruan government, that had complaint of theft to police against failed to generate profit. After the Prime Minister Henry regarding one of mowepp renovations, which cost nz$2 three cars donated by the Chinese million, ownership of the hotel passed government for use during the forum. to Cook Islands business entrepreneur The car had been registered under the Tata Crocombe for a sale price of name of the prime minister instead of nz$3.5 million, to be paid in incre- the Cook Islands Government. Police ments over an extended period. The investigated the matter, could not deal was settled despite a cash offer of find any charges to lay, and sought nz$5 million by a foreign buyer. the opinion of the Crown Law Office. Critics, particularly within the The solicitor-general, head of Crown Chamber of Commerce, charged that Law, sought the opinion of a queen’s the deal ran against government efforts counsel in Auckland. The counsel to boost its cash balance. In the end, reasoned that the prime minister had the Public Expenditure Review been careless, but there was insuffi- 208 the contemporary pacific • spring 1999 cient evidence for a charge of theft to nz$65,000 per annum], not as a salary be laid. or allowances subject to paye taxation In mid-1998, Sir Geoffrey finally deductions, but as advances against a confirmed that he had bought the loan account that he created in the $27,000 car for his own use and paid books of the Corporation” (Parliament off the remaining balance of 1998, 8). Pierre’s alleged shortcomings nz$15,000. Henry’s chief executive had already been brought to the atten- officer also dispensed about $20,000 tion of the government, but it chose to of public funds to replace the prime do nothing. Instead it shifted him minister’s official car. This brought an through various departments, includ- angry response from members of the ing that of the prime minister. Critics public who felt that this was an unnec- said that the bottom line with Pierre essary purchase amid efforts to cut was that he was a loyal party sup- down government expenditure. porter, and the government was pro- The car matter was something of a tecting him. rerun of the problems of Cabinet In the face of constant criticism in Minister Tepure Tapaitau, a lawyer 1998 the prime minister reshuffled his and the country’s attorney. In cabinet, already reduced by the resig- September 1997 he was cleared of nation of Minister Masters, even giv- theft charges after Norman George ing away his prized finance portfolio. accused him of appropriating govern- However, relinquishing major respon- ment materials to build a house in sibilities was perhaps a strategic move Tongareva (), his consti- by Sir Geoffrey to consolidate his tuency. As with the Henry situation, stranglehold on the cip leadership and the Tapaitau matter generated lots of indeed on Cook Islands politics. bitter personal exchanges in the In the 1997–98 budget, the Prime media. Minister’s Office received nz$1.53 In early 1998, the prime minister million compared to nz$1.43 million insisted on 10 percent savings across in the last budget. The extra the board for all twenty-four govern- nz$110,000 was to fund additional ment ministries and departments. tasks assumed by the office, such as the However, financial matters continued duties of the commissioner of Com- to haunt him when a Treasury audit merce and Banking Services and the showed that a total of nz$2.5 million Offshore Banking Output. The pre- of housing loan repayments were not sumption is that the Prime Minister’s accounted for. Head of the Cook Office is being set up as the govern- Islands Housing Corporation Nga ment’s central operational arm, both to Pierre, a staunch cip supporter, was insist on the implementation of the slammed by official reports released in government’s economic vision and to mid-1998. The perca probe into the defend its track record. way the corporation was run revealed Early in 1998, editor of the weekly poor bookkeeping practices and Cook Islands Press Jason Brown was alleged that Pierre “instituted a system banned by the prime minister from his of paying himself [a salary of press conferences for being biased political reviews • polynesia 209 against Henry in his reports. Further- preferred prime minister, although the more, toward the end of May, Sir dap opposition leader Dr Terepai Geoffrey refused to contribute his Maoate has gained ground. There is no regular column in the paper until doubt that Sir Geoffrey is the most Brown replaced a photo at the top of charismatic politician in the Cook the column space that depicted the Islands, with superb oratory skills. prime minister as cross-eyed. Brown In light of public remonstrations had run the photo in retaliation for with the government, one would think statements released to the media by the that the opposition parties in the Cook prime minister regarding Brown’s Islands would have had a clean home personal life, including the breakup of run. They did not have such luck. Poli- his marriage. In the end Brown dis- ticians in the two opposition parties, pensed with the prime minister’s the Democratic Alliance Party (formed column but retained those of the by a merger between the Democratic Democratic Alliance Party (dap) and Coalition Party and the Alliance Party the New Alliance Party (nap). A new after the 1994 elections) and the New columnist, traditional leader Pa Marie Alliance Party (formed by Norman Upokotini Ariki, the president of the George after he split from the Demo- (Chiefs), has been a cratic Alliance Party in 1997) also very strong critic of the government. faced the firing squad of public Brown was also the subject of com- opinion. The dap politicians were plaint by Minister Tupou Faireka and dismissed as clones of their counter- his family. In November 1997 the parts in government, poised to island of was devastated by resume political corruption, nepotism, Cyclone Martin, and Minister cronyism, and, of course, financial Faireka’s father and niece were among mismanagement. the people who lost their lives. Faireka The New Alliance Party is not con- flew to Manihiki on one of the flights sidered a serious contender in the next chartered by the government to assess general election. Its leader, Norman the extent of the damage. In a news- George, never far from controversy, paper article Brown argued that apparently owes close to $180,000 in Faireka was an unnecessary addition taxes. His recent split from the Demo- to the disaster management team using cratic Alliance Party also worked the ten-seater plane. The minister and against him, giving the impression that his family expressed their dismay at he is overly ambitious and manipula- Brown’s insensitivity in their time of tive. This was the second time he had loss. broken away from a political party Although it has not been a rosy run when members chose another person for the government in the last twelve to be leader. In addition, some months, the Cook Islands Party seems women look unfavorably on George, a confident of winning the next general lawyer, because of his success at election. In several surveys run by the defending men charged with sex Cook Islands News and Cook Islands crimes. Other critics, including those Press, Sir Geoffrey Henry is still the who have lost money, note his involve- 210 the contemporary pacific • spring 1999 ment in a number of failed business who represents the Rarotonga elec- ventures. torate of Nikao-Panama. The only While George is seen as a dynamic woman in Parliament, Aunty Mau is but overly aggressive politician, his the epitome of a community represen- nemesis, Dr , has been tative, often seen with work gangs paid trying hard to shake off an image of out of her official salary cleaning the being dull and weak. A successful busi- roads in her electorate. She is a suc- nessman, the mild-mannered doctor is cessful store owner and planter, and a gentleman in all respects, with lots of recently added a petrol station to her leadership experience. He led the assets. She was the first dap member to Democratic Coalition Party into the win a seat, and her 1996 by-election last election and was deputy prime victory started what some say is the minister when the party was in govern- start of a massive swing against the ment. When that party merged with government. In November 1997 dap the Alliance to form the Democratic candidate won the elec- Alliance Party, Maoate was George’s torate of Ivirua on the southern island deputy. of Mangaia, another cip stronghold. Since winning the nap leadership However, “Gentleman Jim” became a from George, Maoate has been court- double-crosser in the eyes of the Dem- ing the traditional leaders, particularly ocratic Alliance Party when he sided in the House of Ariki. Maoate himself with Norman George during the dap holds the traditional title of Maoate split. His election was also dismissed Mataiapo (subchief) in his electorate, by pro political reform advocates as a Ngatangila, within the Vaka Taki- waste of public money because there tumu (district) on Rarotonga. For a were fewer than two hundred voters in while Maoate enjoyed a series of vic- the electorate. tories. As well as ousting Norman By the time Jim Marurai was sworn George from the nap leadership, his in, political reform had become a faction won the court case over who buzzword in the Cook Islands. Indeed, was the legitimate user of the name it was a political reform that caused Democratic Alliance Party. His en- Norman George to split from his party, durance of that bitter fight earned lashing out at Pa Ariki on the issue in him a reputation as a man of steel. October 1997. George claimed that Pa However, in June 1998 the prime Ariki had overstepped her authority as minister released figures on travel a traditional leader when she advo- allowance abuses that showed Maoate cated reducing the number of members had received about nz$160,000, the of Parliament, adding in what was most of any member of Parliament, termed “colorful language” that she indicating that his honeymoon with must be able to take the knocks, the voters may be over (CIN, 27 June including a “black eye,” if she steps 1998). into the political ring (CIN, 21 Oct The member with the most down- 1997). That exchange became the cata- to-earth style is , lyst for an anti-George campaign that popularly known as “Aunty Mau,” culminated in the opposition caucus political reviews • polynesia 211 voting in Dr Terepai Maoate as leader with one proposing as few as seven. by a 4–2 vote. My model called for the northern George successfully fought an appli- group islands to be independent from cation for a High Court injunction by the rest of the Cooks (CIN, 4 July the Maoate faction to prevent him 1998). The government has set aside from holding a dap conference. The nz$100,000 for a commission of conference went ahead, with George inquiry into political reform. Fearing confirmed as leader. The conference that the commission might take a appointed a new executive, leaving the decade to complete its work, Director old executive who stayed with the of the Rarotonga campus of the Uni- Maoate faction to claim that they still versity of the South Pacific John constituted the legitimate Democratic Herrmann, the main protagonist of Alliance Party. After several months of political reform, has called for a refer- tit for tat in the newspapers and the endum on the issue before the next courts, Chief Justice Quilliam found general election. in favor of the Maoate faction on 3 wilkie olaf patua rasmussen April. Almost immediately, Norman George launched the New Alliance Party, and the Democratic Alliance References Party proceeded to hold its “proper” CIN, Cook Islands News. Rarotonga. Daily. conference. The opposition remains dogged by CIP, Cook Islands Press. Rarotonga. fragmentation. The Democratic Alli- Weekly. ance Party claims the support of the CIS, Cook Islands Star. Auckland. Fort- majority of successful candidates in nightly. local council and mayoral elections in Parliament of the Cook Islands. 1998. May 1998. However, the government PERCA (Public Expenditure Review Com- hopes that its devolution program, mittee and Audit) Report. Parliamentary which gives local authorities consider- Paper 36. Rarotonga. able autonomy, will sway the outer- island vote during the next general election. French Polynesia In recent years, all politicians regardless of party affiliation have In the year under review, sparring been called on to prove their worth. between the territorial president, The crisis has made voters more criti- Gaston Flosse, and the socialist gov- cal and demanding and more willing to ernment in Paris continued over such get involved. Economic reform has led issues as territorial autonomy, regional to increased talk of sweeping political diplomacy, and relations with Europe. reforms. So far, six different models Economic trends were largely positive, have been proposed by members of the which worked to the advantage of the public (including myself). Most advo- territorial government, yet some poli- cate a reduction in the number of cies, such as those on tax and waste members of Parliament to fourteen, disposal, were not well received by the