Barry Soper: Senior political correspondent on the Cook Island's deadlocked deal

The Pacific Islands Forum wraps up in Honiara - and the standoff with the Cook Islands remains unresolved.

Barry Soper told Heather duPlessis-Allan that the block between Mark Brown and Christopher Luxon is still present, despite the two leaders acting 'cordially' to one another.

'interestingly, we saw Chris Luxon with Mark Brown, and they seem to be getting on quite well, but the standoff remains.'

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry soapers with me.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
High Barry, Good afternoon, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Now Barry, So, we've had the stand off for the
Cooks resolved?

Speaker 2 (00:06):
No, we haven't. Interestingly, we saw Chris Luxon with Mark Brown.
They seem to be getting on quite well, but the
standoff remains that it seems that the two leaders have
left it for officials to sort out, which I find
quite surprising. Mark Brown has simply been unavailable up until now.

(00:27):
He had to obviously talk to Chris Luxon at the
Pacific Islands Forum. So they did talk, but was it cordial?
Looked cordial, I've got to say, but it didn't really
resolve anything, and the Cook Islands are still being very
shady about the deal that they did with China. Interestingly,
the big players like China and the US were banned

(00:48):
by Honey Aarra from the Pacific Islands Forum this year,
and normally they have observer's status, so they say that
they wanted to concentrate on things in the Pacific rather
than looking at the wider picture. But I would have
thought now is the very time that you want dialogue
with the big players like China and the US. But anyway,

(01:12):
they were reminded of China's influence because the Pacific Islands
Forum was right next door to the mammoth ten thousand
seat National Stadium built at a cost of one hundred
and seven million dollars by the Chinese in Holliara. Now,
back in twenty nineteen, Taiwan had originally offered to build

(01:34):
that stadium, but they would have to the Solomon Islands
would have to pay the money back, so China jumped
in and built it for them. So certainly the presence
of Beijing was very much to the four in Holliara,
but without any representation.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Interesting, now, you weren't here yesterday when we were discussing
Stuart Nash, So what do you reckon? What's your take
on whether he has a future at New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
First, I think, look, Winston Peters. Even though Stuart Nash
has made a groveling apology for what was a very
unfortunate comment he made about what a woman is, I mean,
for goodness sake, I understand that his wife's very upset
about it. Not surprisingly, Winston Peters though, it's a bit

(02:18):
like water off a duck's back in a way, because
I watched him with the media and how he handled it.
He's not Stuart Nash's keeper, or certainly at the moment
he's not. And I think given watching Winston Peters and
I know him pretty well, I don't think this is
going to stand in the way. It's Stuart Nash getting
the nod for New Zealand first at the next election.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
What's going on in the Maori Party? Something funny is
all on here?

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Well? Absolutely, the Takuta Ferris stuff is just appalling. And
he tripled down as you played some audio from him
at the airport last night. I don't know where this
man's head is at and I certainly don't know where
his head was at midnight when he made the the

(03:02):
video in a darkened room, which was rather strange. But
look madame and a Cappa Kinghi, you know her being
stood down as the whip and being taken by a
DeBie wrote.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
I just finished your sentence.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Oh thank you very much for me, because you know
exactly what I'm going to say. But but yeah, and
she seemed very disappointed that she had lost that whips job.
It was worth an extra twenty grand paypack. Thing that
surprises me really is where were the Maori Party this week?
They put on a fleeting visit to Parliament and apparently

(03:43):
they were out on their electorates. Didn't anybody tell them
that Parliament resumed after a recess this week.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
I don't know why you're upset about this. They never
turn up.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
Well, they should turn up. They being paid by the
taxpayer to represent Mali in Parliament. They're not there. Who
are they representing?

Speaker 1 (04:01):
Well, this is fair, this is a fair point. Really quickly,
I've got only about thirty seconds, but I do want
your take on the Greens wanting the Mary Ward referendum delayed.
What do you think?

Speaker 2 (04:08):
Well, I don't know why they wrote to the Electoral
Commission because they have nothing to do with the local
body election. That was a woman that should know better,
the former mayor of Wellington. But look, there's about four
councils that haven't put the profiles of the candidates standing
for the MARI Awards on the ballot papers. Now you

(04:30):
know that is a big o' mission. But forty two
councils have to now go to referendum and put it
to the people whether they want mari a wards. That'll
still go ahead.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
Brilliant Barry, Thanks very much. We'll wrap the political week
that was the New Quarter pass six Barry Soapers senior
political correspondent.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
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