new leaders?

Where are the new leaders?

By Florence Syme-Buchanan

When it comes to vot ing, Cook Islanders are more inclined to elect someone who is good at village clean-ups, belongs to sporting groups and goes to church.

Commission of inquiry chair laveta Short says Cook Islanders have to decide - MP’s who are good at community projects, or MP’s who understand complex national issues. Short says it’s some MP’s are out of their depth when it comes to handling important national issues. But it is these community workers who are most likely to get voted in. And while “he may be a very good man in the community, he may not be the best man for national politics and issues.” He says there’s no doubt many current MP’s are overwhelmed when it comes to dealing with complex issues.

“You can see that from the level of debate (in Parliament), the important national issues are obviously lost on a lot of mem bers.” Short doesn’t blame these MP’s. “ They are obviously very good people in their communities, but when you are talk ing about complex legal issues, or eco nomic issues, or international issues, it’s a different type of person we should be look ing for.” He says after the Commission’s intense educational programme targeting Cook Islanders here and in New Zealand, people will be better prepared to make up their minds on “who they think is best to handle those jobs.”

Short says at present an MP is likely to get voted in because he’s often seen weed ing and cleaning in the village rather than on his ability to handle the complex issues that go with governing a country. “An MP’s time is better spent studying Parliamentary bills instead of weeding and cleaning up their communities, but they have to do that to be visible to the people, you’ve got to be out there with your chain

saw.” But in the Cooks, he admits that vis ibility in the community is a big thing when it comes to being elected into power.

“It’s a waste of resources, but we insist our MP’s do that, we’ve got our politicians doing menial things” rather than address ing issues that are really important to the nation. Some concerns have also been

expressed by political and non-political

locals that no younger people are entering politics. At a recent ruling Cook Islands Party conference chairman of the party’s youth wing, Tangee Kokaua says at the opening he counted only five people “who can be categorised as youth.”

“We haven’t been encouraged to join, there was a Cook Islands Party Youth from 1977, but it was more of a dress-up, when we have elections we have a CIP youth, but after that, we are not involved in decision making.” Kokaua says this must change.

“The issue is getting us recognised as part of the party, we are seen as something convenient during election time and for us to be taken seriously, we have to be part of the decision making process,” says Kokaua. Asked to speak on economic growth at the conference, leading business man Brett Porter said it was “clearly devoid of a generation of people who should be here.” Porter who doesn’t get involved in party politics said that over the last 20 years, “the age of our politicians has increased by 20 years, this says there has been a lack of invigoration.” The Cook Islands Party holds 18 seats in the 25 mem ber Parliament.

“If this party is not to perish, and if it is to succeed, then it has to look at itself and see there is a need for invigoration, a new to bring in a new generation, a new group of leaders,” advised Porter. But none of the old leaders have given any indication that they will stand down at the next elections to make way for a newer generation that’s so obviously lacking in the Cook Islands Parliament. ■