SMALL PARLIAMENTS: COOK ISLANDS
OVERCOMING THE BIG CHALLENGES FOR A SMALL PARLIAMENT: THE COOK ISLANDS
In 2015 the Cooks Islands celebrates 50 years of self-governance. With a population of around 18,000, the challenges facing the island and its Parliament are constant and ever-changing, as conveyed by its Speaker in her speech made at the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth in January 2014.
Hon. Niki Rattle Mrs Rattle is the Speaker of the Parliament of the Cook Islands. Prior to her current role, she was Secretary-General of the Cook Islands’ Red Cross from 1995 to 2012. She was former President of the National Council of Women and a Co-Founder of the Pacific Islands AIDS Foundation. This article is based on Mrs Rattle’s speech given at the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth that took place in Wellington, New Zealand in January 2014.
place of business has served us well. So, as small as it might be, it does the work of the country that it committed to do many years ago. Do not be fooled by small; small can also be very good.
The Cook Islands began as a Hon. Niki Rattle
Kia orana. “Kia orana” is the greeting of the Cook Islands, which means “May you live long”. “Kia ora” is the greeting of the New Zealand Māori, the natives of New Zealand. With such similarities between the two countries, it’s not surprising that the Cook Islands and New Zealand have a very special relationship. The Parliament of the Cook
Islands was built in the 1970s for the workers who had come from New Zealand to build the national airport in Rarotonga. Originally a dormitory it was transformed into a Parliament building. Given we are about to celebrate our 50th year, this small
28 | The Parliamentarian | 2014: Issue One
British colony but later became under New Zealand rule. It was in 1964 that talks began for Cook Islanders possibly to look after their own business. Hence two options were
presented: become independent or self-governed. The option of self- government appeared the most attractive because you could become citizens of New Zealand. This included enjoying the comforts that New Zealand provided, but be responsible for your own business, except in some matters with foreign affairs, where we do not have a military. The first election in the Cook
Islands took place in 1965. Albert Henry was the man responsible for forming the Cook Islands Party. He left New Zealand, and with the help of his sister, stood for election in Aitutaki. After asking her to give her his seat in the constituency, he made a deal he
would help her if he won. Albert Henry did win, and his sister, Mrs Marguerite Story, became the first non-member Speaker in our Parliament. As Speaker, my position is
somewhat on and off. This is because it depends on the government of the day and whether they want a member of Parliament to be the Speaker or a non-member to be the Speaker of Parliament. Being a New Zealand citizen with a New Zealand passport is the result of our becoming a self- governing country in free association with New Zealand. However there is a downside,
because our population is now so small. Most Cook Islanders live in
Glenn van der Knijff/Lonely Planet Images
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