in the Cook Islands
p. 23 · Read in the full issue
A new voice is heard in the Cook Islands
From a special correspondent
During the recent election cam paign in the Cook Islands, the Demo cratic Party published a daily news paper, Democratic News, but ob viously the resources of the party were insufficient to maintain a daily publication.
Since Saturday, November 16, a cyclostyled paper The Weekender has appeared each Saturday.
Although no publisher’s or editor’s name is given the proprietors’ ident ity is no secret in Rarotonga as subscribers and contributors are ad vised to write to PO Box 202, Rarotonga, which is also the postal address of the Democratic Party.
For its first four issues, the paper was distributed free. Later its price was set at 5c and is now 10c.
The Weekender is sold at 12 stores on Rarotonga and it is reported that the weekly print run of 900 copies is consistently sold out. It carries the sub-title of “the new popular news paper in the Cook Islands” and obviously, with its circulation level, it must be rivalling the impact upon local readers of the government owned Cook Islands News.
The Weekender carries some items of general interest but its principal concentration is upon the political sphere and in its attacks upon the Henry administration it frequently reprints comments from the New Zealand metropolitan newspapers.
However, there are trenchant criti cisms printed about the government often stated in allegorical form.
For instance, there was consider able speculation about the allocation of ministerial posts after the recent general election and The Weekender analysed the possibilities—criticising in advance—of an increase in the number of cabinet positions. And before long there were six cabinet ministers. As the sum of financial solvency set on the western horizon, the admirable Sir Albert Henry con ceived another fresh theory—“lf one man is busy doing nothing then it is obvious that three men spending their time doing nothing will appear to be three times as busy”.
That was when assistant cabinet ministers began to make their ap pearance on what is rapidly becom ing a national comedy stage. While twilight began to shadow the island and the first wolf howled in the foot
hills a final theory was perhaps evolved: “An elastic and ever-growing number of assistants can always carry one Premier”.
Meanwhile, there is considerable speculation, and more than a few worried public servants, over Sir Albert’s latest move of declaring a free-for-all contest for all the top public service jobs.
At the time of writing, he had announced that all 34 top posts in government departments would be advertised, saying that he wanted only the best people available for the jobs.
The posts would be open to any one living in the Cooks and appoint ments would be considered regard less of political affiliations which should dispose of the unease which followed Sir Albert’s threat after the elections when he said that the pub lic service had no place for sup porters of a party working to over throw the government.
The cynical ones among his op ponents say, however, that known supporters of the Democratic Party will have little chance of getting any of the advertised jobs with perhaps the exception of one or two who might be appointed for window dressing purposes.
They believe that laying all the top public servant jobs on the line is Sir Albert’s way of getting rid of his opponents in the public service. On the other hand, Sir Albert could earn another accolade for scrupulous honesty in reappointing his known opponents. And that might win over some of them.