Delivered in Parliament on Tuesday 18 November 2025
Kia orana Mr Speaker, and kia orana to all Members.
I want to set out, clearly and transparently, the steps the Cook Islands Government has taken to address our relationship with New Zealand. This is important for Parliament, and it is important for our people. We need clarity about what has happened, what we have put forward, and where we intend to go from here.
Record of engagement
Our officials and Ministers have engaged consistently with New Zealand across every formal channel available to us, regarding our development partnership with the Peoples Republic of China. This included: the Joint Ministerial Forum – our annual Ministerial-level dialogue which last met in 2024; the Joint Ministerial Forum Working Group – our senior-officials dialogue which last met in July 2025; multiple bilateral meetings at both political and official levels; and more recently through the Formal Dialogue Mechanism, which was established specifically to examine New Zealand’s concerns with the China arrangements, and which has met regularly throughout the course of this year.
We have attended every scheduled meeting, responded to every letter, and continued to seek constructive pathways to address the concerns raised.
In the interests of transparency and to minimise the level of speculation and potential for misinformation, the full timeline of political and official engagement has been detailed in formal briefings provided to both Cabinet and also members of the Opposition.
Despite any assertions to the contrary, I confirm that our Ministers and officials have been diligently working towards addressing New Zealand’s concerns; not because we accept every interpretation offered, but because it’s in our national interest to remove uncertainty and restore confidence.
Political-level correspondence
Since February, I have written to Prime Minister Luxon and Foreign Minister Peters at the key points where clarification or reassurance was needed. These letters have been detailed and they have been consistent. They have reaffirmed our strong commitment to the relationship, set out our legal and constitutional position, and sought direct political dialogue to support resolution.
Our correspondence has focused on the same principles each time: transparency, respect, and a clear path back towards a common understanding.
What we have put forward
The Cook Islands has taken the initiative to offer practical, forward-looking proposals that meet the concerns raised while protecting our sovereignty.
Our proposals include:
- Confirming risk mitigation measures to address NZs stated concerns.
- Recommending a clear and modern consultation process to support the Joint Centenary Declaration.
- Requesting direct political engagement at Prime Minister and Ministerial level.
- Outlining options for an arrangement on defence and security that reaffirms New Zealand as our primary partner of choice within these areas.
- Offering a workable set of deliverables to rebuild mutual trust and confidence across both government administrations.
These proposals remain on the table.
Where things stand
On 13 October, the New Zealand Government confirmed it would continue to pause Core Sector Support and Public Sector Strengthening fund. This now totals NZD 29.8 million spread across two years. This decision has implications for our forward Budget and for parts of our public service.
New Zealand has stated that the pause will remain until steps are taken to “repair confidence and trust”. Regardless, we have continued to put forward practical options and remain open to further discussion.
Our constitutional position
Our contemporary relationship with New Zealand is governed by the Joint Centenary Declaration, recognised by our Chief Justice as a formal codification that is equivalent in status to a treaty. The Cook Islands understands and respects the responsibilities of free association. We share a Head of State, we share citizenship, and we share deep historical and cultural ties.
We also remain a self-governing state. Our Constitution places the implementation of our external affairs with this Parliament. Our legal personality must not be conflated with our international personality. We act independently in global forums while maintaining enduring ties within the Realm.
As our late Prime Minister Albert Henry reminded the United Nations in 1965:
And I quote “…we went ahead and exercised the right of self-determination, even in our smallness… We are proud to be self-governing in an association with New Zealand which is entirely free… I would like to stress the point… that we are not under anyone’s domination or control. I’ll repeat that, we are not under anyone’s domination or control.”
Those words spoken by our Prime Minister in 1965, remain central to how we approach this moment: confident in our sovereignty, committed to our partnerships.
What we’re working to protect
Mr Speaker, over the course of this year and working to the direction of myself, our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration and wider Cabinet, our senior officials have worked diligently to protect three areas that are critical to the future of all Cook Islanders.
Our Sovereignty
- The first of these areas is with regard to our sovereignty.
- May I remind the house, Mr Speaker, that the Cook Islands’ extensive international activity over many decades has occurred with the full knowledge and, in many cases, the support of successive New Zealand Governments.
- This practice reflects the natural evolution of convention, it mirrors how New Zealand’s own international personality developed, through the steady assertion of competence within the limitations of the constitutional frameworks that were existing at the time.
- We are committed to repairing our relationship with New Zealand, but this must not undermine decades of progress, or the hard-fought sovereignty we’ve been able to develop over time.
- Our officials are working to protect our sovereignty, noting that any erosion of our status will have far-reaching and long-term impacts on the development aspirations of our country.
Our International Reputation
- The second area that our officials are working to protect, Mr Speaker, is with regard to our international reputation.
- Mr Speaker, the Cook Islands our country is a self-governing democracy. Our Parliament and our leaders are chosen through free and fair elections under a Constitution that has guided our nation for sixty years. Our legitimacy flows from the will of the Cook Islands people, not from any external validation.
- Furthermore, our performance as a nation over the past 60 years and as a Government within more recent decades has demonstrated the benefits that accrue with stability and continuity of governance.
- Through the economic reforms of the 1990’s, the global response to COVID-19 and our graduation to high-income status, we’ve maintained firm fiscal management, advanced critical reforms, and steered our country through complex global and regional challenges with consistency and resolve.
- While there is always room for continued improvement, the growth and maturity of our international personality underpinned by a consistently high-performing economy and strong governance gives us much to be proud of.
- Maintaining long-term confidence in our people, systems and governance is critical to our forward development priorities.
- This is why we’ve carefully and deliberately moderated public commentary on this situation to date, to protect the long-term integrity of our bilateral relationship, and to enable sensitive discussions to proceed constructively through official channels.
- With regard to our international reputation, I encourage all sides of the house to uphold the integrity of our democratic institutions and to maintain respect for the expertise and agency of our officials working diligently to restore mutual trust and confidence in our bilateral relationship with New Zealand.
Our Economic Resilience
- The third area our officials are working to protect, Mr Speaker, is with regard to our economic resilience.
- COVID19 and our graduation to high-income status have taught us that we must diversify our economy and our international partnerships.
- Again, while we are fully committed to our relationship with New Zealand, we have learnt a valuable lesson in that we’ve seen the risks that arise from over-reliance on any single partner for our development needs. A narrowed or non-diversified development partner approach would weaken our economic resilience and has implications for our long-term ability to advance our development goals.
The present juncture in the Cook Islands–New Zealand relationship presents an opportunity for our partnership to evolve further. A measured, proactive approach — anchored in respect for each other, for the Joint Centenary Declaration and the principles of equality and consultation — offers the best pathway to restore confidence, safeguard our autonomy, and advance the long-term interests of the Cook Islands as a stable and reliable self-governing member of the Realm.
Closing
Mr Speaker, the Cook Islands remains committed to our constitutional relationship with New Zealand. We remain open, engaged, and focused on solutions. But a strong relationship depends on clarity, consistency, and respect on both sides.
We will continue to act in good faith. We will continue to engage. And with their support, we will continue to protect the interests of our people as a proud, self-governing state within the Realm.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I now lay this statement on the table.
