1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,240 Speaker 1: In something of a shock, the New Zealand government has 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: paused nearly twenty million dollars of support funding to the 3 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Cook Islands. Now, this is a sign of just how 4 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: big the rift between the two countries has grown since 5 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: the Cook signed that partnership agreement with China and didn't 6 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: let us know. Here's what Foreign Minister Winston Peters wants. 7 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 2: We want assure said our special relationship remains special. 8 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 1: Rational Kumar is the journalist at the Cook Islands News 9 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: who broke the story. Rational. Hello, hey Karona, Now was 10 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: that story planted in order to overshadow Chris Luxe's meeting 11 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: with Chijipan or did you come across it through your 12 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: own efforts? 13 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 2: I think you are maybe the third person from New 14 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 2: Zealand who has asked me that no, it wasn't planted. 15 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 2: I founded in the Public Arts Committee report which was 16 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 2: stabled in Parliament this week, and in the report it 17 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 2: said with concern they can see a reduction of ten 18 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 2: million dollars from New Zealand and they wanted to know 19 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 2: what has happened to the funding and they were told 20 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: that it was due to some sort of uncertainty and 21 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 2: ongoing discussions with New Zealand, and then of course we 22 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 2: went to our Foreign minister to ask for some comments. 23 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 2: We didn't get much from him, or we got nothing 24 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: from him, and then yesterday we went to New Zealand 25 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 2: to see whether it has to do anything with the 26 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 2: China agreements. And yeah, so that's where the story happened. 27 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: Now what I'm hearing, and this is what the word 28 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: is at the moment. It's that this has been brought 29 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: about because the Cook Island government has been incredibly difficult 30 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:27,400 Speaker 1: to deal with for the New Zealand government. Is that accurate? 31 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 2: That's what New Zealand is saying, Cook Garlands is claiming. Otherwise, 32 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 2: they're saying that we are dealing the best we can 33 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: and they're actually in dark or they according to a 34 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 2: statement from our Foreign Affairs Ministry a while ago, they're 35 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:45,839 Speaker 2: not sure what has really happened. You know, they tried 36 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 2: their best to I guess, lay off all any fears 37 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: that the agreements with China had, but yeah, so they're 38 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: not sure. According to them, they're doing their best what 39 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 2: they can do to I guess is why New Zealand. 40 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: Is this important enough money for the Cooks to change 41 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: its approach? If there isn't if there is a problem 42 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: with its approach. 43 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is important money because I think most people 44 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 2: are aware the Cooklrants is a developed nation and New 45 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: Zealand probably is our biggest obviously biggest partner, and the 46 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 2: amount of money that we get is substantial. And the 47 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 2: twenty million dollars, some twenty million dollars confirmed by the 48 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 2: New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs this morning, goes towards 49 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 2: core sector support, which is public sector as well as 50 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: the Health Ministry, education, tourism. So it's a substantial amount. 51 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: And by the tone of our Foreign Affairs Ministry statement 52 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: this afternoon, there seems to be walking progress to make 53 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 2: sure that whatever rift and whatever misunderstanding as they claim 54 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 2: there is resolved so funding can resume. 55 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: Brilliant. Okay, hey, thank you very much. I really appreciate 56 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: your time. That's rational Kuma The Cook Islands News List. 57 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 58 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: News Talks it B from four pm weekdays, or follow 59 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.