contempt

Cook Islands

Cartoon contempt

The Cook Islands News newspaper has been found to be in contempt of parliament for publishing a cartoon. Announcing the findings of the privileges committee, prime minister Geoffrey Henry said the cartoon was suggesting that parliament was threatening the freedom of speech of Cook island citizens.

The two opposition members of the committee don’t agree, and say the cartoon didn’t go beyond legitimate criticism. The newspaper will have to publish two front page apologies and apologies from the cartoonist, editor and directors of the paper.