[?]Ra Of-Government

Begins The Cook Islands

From W. H. Percival on Rarotonga

The 19,000 people of the Cook Islands became fully self governing on August 4 when Mr. Albert Henry, leader of the Cook Islands Party, was sworn in on Rarotonga as his Terri tory’s first Premier.

Mr. Henry took the oath of allegience after the New Zea land Resident Commissioner in the Cook Islands, Mr. A. O.

Dare, had been sworn in by Chief Judge Fraser as New Zealand High Commissioner.

Also sworn in were the members of Mr. Henry’s Cabinet— Dr. Manea Tamarua, Deputy Premier, and Messrs. Julian Dash wood, Mana Strickland, Apenera Short, and Tiakana Numanga.

OLITICAL events in the Cooks had moved rapidly during the ceding nine days. >n July 26, the Legislative As ibly convened for the first time :e May, and two new members— . Henry, who had been elected a by-election on July 9 ( PIM, g., p. 13), and Mr. Nato Temu, > member for Manihiki—were >rn in. dr. Henry then moved what he cribed as “the most important lion in the political history of the )k Islands”.

Historic Motion

Tie motion read: “That the Cook nds Legislative Assembly resolves : the Cook Islands shall be self erning in free association with v Zealand; that it requests New land, in consultation with the merriment of the Cook Islands, to harge the responsibilities for the srnal affairs and defence of the >k Islands; that it approves the istitution of the Cook Islands, as aided, in accordance with the les of the Assembly; that it lests that the Constitution be jght into force on August 4, 5.” he motion was approved by 20 :s to two the dissentient tibers being Mr. T. Tangaroa, Penrhyn, and Mr. P. Robati, of ahanga. peaking to the motion, Mr. garoa said that the Penrhyn pie wished to be excluded from government and that they wished lecome a part of New Zealand.

Robati said that the inhabitants Rakahanga, a 1,000-acre atoll in Northern Cooks, which supports

a few hundred people, were not in favour of self-government.

Two days later, Mr. Henry was elected to the Executive Committee, which made him a Minister in the shadow Cabinet. On the same day news was received that, in the ab sence of New Zealand’s Governor- General, Sir Bernard Fergusson, Major-General Sir Harold Eric Barrowclough, Administrator of the New Zealand Government, had signed a proclamation bringing the Cook Islands Constitution into force on August 4.

The proclamation stated that the New Zealand High Commissioner would have power to appoint as Premier the person who, in his opinion, commanded the support and confidence of the majority of the Legislative Assembly.

Thus, the way was cleared for Mr. Henry to become Premier and for his Cabinet to be appointed.

After he and his Ministers had taken the oath on August 4, the Assembly met under the chairman ship of the Clerk of the Assembly who called for nominations for Speaker.

Mr. Short nominated Mrs.

Marguerite Story, Albert Henry’s sister, and as there were no other nominations, she was appointed.

It is believed that Mrs. Story thus became the first woman Speaker in the democratic world, although India has a woman Deputy Speaker Mrs. Story’s appointment as Speaker was also unusual in that she is no longer an elected member of the Assembly—having resigned the seat she won in April to enable her brother, who had then been debarred from standing by a residential regulation, to contest a by-election after the regulations had been changed (PIM, Aug., p. 13).

However, Mrs. Story’s appointment was perfectly in order, as the new Cook Islands Constitution provides that the Speaker of the Assembly may be chosen either from within or without the Assembly.

Following her appointment, Mrs.

Story took her oath of allegiance before the High Commissioner and, a little later, all members of the Assembly took their oaths of allegiance before her.

She then adjourned the Assembly until September 10, which is the day on which the Cook Islands will officially celebrate the attainment of self-government.

The NZ Governor-General, Sir

MRS. SPEAKER; The Cook Islands Legis lative Assembly began its first session under self-government in unusual, possibly unique fashion, on August 4 when it appointed a woman, Mrs. Marguerite Story, as its first Speaker. Mrs. Story is Mr.

Albert Henry's sister and a former official Government interpreter.

rnard Fergusson, the Prime nister, Mr. Holyoake, the Minister Island Territories, Mr. Hanan, er notables, and a large contingent radio, TV and film people will md the celebrations. >oon after the Assembly was ourned, Mr, Henry and his deputy, Tamarua, left for New York, New Zealand, to attend a meeting the United Nations General lembly in New York at the in ition of the New Zealand Govern at. lie purpose of the visit was to r the presentation of a report the United Nations Special Corn tee on Colonialism, made by the mission that observed the elec ts in Cook Islands Legislative embly in April.

Portfolios Announced

wo days before he left Rarotonga New York, Mr. Henry an nced the allocation of portfolios his Cabinet. He also announced it had been decided to create aciate Ministers so that Cabinet’s k would not be disrupted by mce or sickness, y agreement with the New land Government, Mr. Henry hold the Overseas Portfolio :h takes in External Affairs, le and Commerce. He will also Minister for Finance, Justice, ition, Shipping, Immigration, gration, Tourism, Economic elopment, Labour and Employ er. Tamarua, Deputy Premier, 1 is a medical doctor and a iter, will hold the portfolios of

Health and Agriculture. He will also be Associate Minister of Economic Development, Finance and Justice.

Mr. Dash wood will hold the port folios of Social Development and Police, which he held as Minister of the shadow Cabinet in the pre vious Legislative Assembly. He will be Associate Minister for the Post Office, Hotel, and Printing Offce.

Mr. Short, who was appointed Acting Premier during Mr. Henry’s and Dr. Tamarua’s absence in New York, is Minister of Co-operatives and Associate Minister of Economic Development. Mr. Short is an ex schoolteacher who transferred to the Co-operatives Department when it was formed in 1955 and who became its Assistant Registrar.

The Minister for Education is Mr.

Mana Strickland who has been a schoolteacher all his working life.

Mr. Strickland was head teacher at Ngatangiia School before he became head teacher at Avarua School, a post he has held for the last 11 years.

He is also Associate Minister of Finance, Aviation, Shipping and Immigration.

Mr. Numanga, also an ex-school teacher, and a planter and business man, has been appointed Minister of Public Works and Survey, and Associate Minister of Labour.

• The Cook Islands Premier, Mr. Albert Henry (standing) names his Ministers on August 4. They are, from left, Dr. Manea Tamarua, Deputy Premier; and Messrs. Mana Strickland, Julian

Dashwood, Apenera Short and Tia

kana Numanga.

Photo: Van Eijk and Meers.