Jason Walls: Newstalk ZB Political Editor on the relationship between New Zealand and the Cook Islands

The Foreign Minister says New Zealand is officially resetting its relationship with the Cook Islands.  

Tensions have continued to escalate between our Governments as the Cooks inked in a new partnership with China.  

In a speech yesterday, Winston Peters has reiterated his concerns New Zealand was in the dark about this agreement, and is yet to see key details. 

Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls told Andrew Dickens it’s clear Peters is well past fed up at this stage.  

Walls says it’s no small feat to completely snub New Zealand in a sense, and sign such a major agreement with China without giving us a heads up. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, last night of Wellington, Winston Peters delivered a speech
that showed he's not missing around with the Cook Islands.
He said, we need to reset the government to government relationship.
We need to formally restate responsibilities, obligations and the overall
parameters of the free association model. Or this no small task,
so does it be political? Editor Jason Walls is listening
to the speech enjoins me, now, good morning to you, Jason,

(00:22):
good morning. Does Winston want an apology for Mark Brown
or does he just want a conversation?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Oh, listen, I think he probably wants a bit of bolls.
It's clear that Winston is well passed fed up at
this stage. I mean the fact that Mark Brown went
to China, he signed this agreement with that practically no
oversight from New Zealand, no consultation or anything of the
sort has obviously, so I think of grave concern in
Winston has been quite upset about this for a number

(00:52):
of weeks now, and I can underte I can understand
why it's no small feats to completely snub New Zealand
in a sense and signed such a major agreement with
China without giving New Zealand much of a heads up,
and the government is still in the dark about the
details of this agreement. I mean they've released essentially what

(01:12):
can be described as the executive summary to New Zealand,
but Winston Peter's his officials in the Prime Minister for
that matter, are still waiting for some more information on
this one. So quite worrying times between the relationship between
the two countries and why the reset is occurring.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
So yeah, it's a real telling off, but to some
diplomatic language, but that's the way you do it. So
that's the big thing, the restating the parameters of our
free association model. What could that look like?

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Well, that's the thing. We need to wait and see
what that is. We've had about sixty years of this model,
and it's quite fitting that the that the Winston is
looking to reset it now in terms of what it
looks like, I mean, that's exactly the question that we're
asking at this stage. And with New Zealand and the
Cooks are extremely close. We've got say, passports, same currency,

(02:02):
various different things like that. So what it actually looks
like we'll be asking win Pete is that very question today?
I mean, I'm quite interested to see is we actually
at this situation is this is sort of almost a
block that he could make to say, if they actually
give us the details of what they signed with China,
can he go back on this and is using this
as just a bit of a trump card to say,

(02:24):
if you don't play by our rules, where we're going
to drop you.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yes, if New Zealand's two hash, there is a real
risk that the Cook Islands will go okay. Well, China's
that mate, Well.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
There is that risk and is the sort of the
trade off here because China have been sort of muscling
their way into the Pacific with their seemingly limitless amounts
of money. New Zealand, what we do have with the
Cook Islands is a long history of cultural connection with
the country. I mean there are a hundred thousand Cook

(02:56):
Islanders in New Zealand for example. So that is our
real trump card in this situation. But you know, is
it enough when China come calling with just bottomless pockets?

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Jason Walls, thank you so much for getting up early
for us. That is Jason Walls, our political editor. For
more from early edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to
news Talks. It'd be from five am weekdays or follow
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