1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: All right, Jason Wall's political editor is with me right now. 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 2: Hey, Jason, good afternoon, now, Jason, bit. 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: Of a dodgy connection with China A So, I don't 4 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: imagine that you've heard very much of what the Prime 5 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Minister has had to. 6 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:13,079 Speaker 2: Say, Unfortunately not as of yet. He just had to 7 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 2: stand up with media over there. Unfortunately we weren't able 8 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 2: to hear what it was, given that the fact that 9 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 2: there was, as you said, a bit of a dodgy connection. 10 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: So we are waiting for them basically to file through 11 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: to us what he's had to say. But in the meantime, 12 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: let's deal with what is actually happening here on the ground. 13 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: So what caused this, What brought this on for Winston 14 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: Peters to be so annoyed at the Cooks that he 15 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: cuts this money. 16 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 2: Well, it's been an ongoing saga, and you'll know this 17 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 2: isn't the first time that we've actually talked about this issue. 18 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 2: The Cooks. This cooperation agreement with China has been a 19 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 2: bit of a thorn in Winston Peters's side for some 20 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 2: time because he's been asking for information. He's been specifically 21 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 2: requesting how this cooperation agreement between the Cooks and China 22 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 2: affects New Zealand. Now, he was at pains today to 23 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,319 Speaker 2: point out that it's okay for them to have such 24 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: an agreement, but the fact that New Zealand, as such 25 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 2: a close partner to the Cooks, has no idea what's 26 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 2: going on has been a real problem for Winston. So 27 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 2: he dispensed with the carrot and went from this with 28 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 2: the stick. This morning and the big front page article 29 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 2: from the Cook News was a big photo of Winston 30 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 2: Peters saying and then next to it essentially saying New 31 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 2: Zealand holts funding it to the Cook Islands. According to 32 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 2: the newspaper reports, New Zealand has paused millions of dollars 33 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: of funding to the Cook Island citing a breach of 34 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: trust and a lack of consultation regarding the Cook Island's 35 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 2: recent funding agreement with China. So we spoke to Winston 36 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 2: this morning and here's what he had to say about that. 37 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 3: We are saying, look, we wanted to do a review. 38 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 3: We want an assurance that our special rationship remained special. 39 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 3: So we've got responsibilities ourselves here and we want to 40 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 3: make sure that we didn't put a step wrong in 41 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 3: our commitment and our special ragements which goes back decades. 42 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: So over the past three years, New Zealand's given about 43 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 2: one hundred and ninety million dollars worth of development aid 44 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 2: to the Cooks over the next financial year, looking to 45 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 2: be closer to eighteen million dollars. So that's been paused 46 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 2: until we can get a little bit more of an 47 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 2: understanding about what it was in that agreement. Now, Winston, 48 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 2: to his credit, has been asking and he's been waiting 49 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,679 Speaker 2: politely for some time now, and it seems like he's 50 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 2: just had enough of waiting. 51 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: Okay, how long ago did the cook sign this? 52 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 2: I my memory was it was potentially late to mid 53 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 2: last year. I can't remember the date exactly, but I 54 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: know that this year, well, it's blown up a couple 55 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 2: of times. I mean, that's the thing, because it keeps 56 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 2: flaring up at different times. 57 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, so publicly, I think it blew up in February. 58 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: So we are now four months down the track. If 59 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: Winston has done this four months down the track, that 60 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: means he is not making headway with the Cock Island's government. 61 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: That says to me that they are being very obstructive here. 62 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. 63 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, clearly they are. You don't make a 64 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 2: move like this, as as geopolitically tense as something like 65 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 2: this unless you really mean it, because I mean it 66 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 2: has been compared to it Trumpian move to basically say, 67 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 2: we don't like what you're doing, so we're going to 68 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 2: stop funding to this country. Although cook Island's technically is 69 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 2: in a country, it's a realm of New Zealand, or 70 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 2: the realm country as it's called, New Zealand, still has 71 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 2: quite a lot of influence of over the Cooks in 72 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 2: terms of you know, we have a visa, free access, 73 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 2: we have the same currency. So I'm interested to see 74 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 2: what happens next with the Cooks if this is going 75 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 2: to force their hand. 76 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: Who has compared Winston to Trump on this matter? 77 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 2: Listen, it was a it was a newsroom article that attributed. 78 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: Deeply unfair to him, don't you. I mean, if anybody 79 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: is considered when it comes to the Pacific and the 80 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: battle over the hearts and minds of people in the 81 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: Pacific between China and the West, it is it is 82 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: Winston Peace. 83 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: It is Winston Raymond Peters. I agree with you. I mean, 84 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 2: nobody does it better than Winston when it comes to 85 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 2: the Pacific. And I'm not just saying that because he's 86 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: sitting in the room right right now with me to 87 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: a gun with a gun to my head. I'm saying 88 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 2: it because he's actually made this sort of impact on 89 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 2: the Pacific and that will go down as his legacy 90 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 2: very well respected by the Pacifically, even China cares. Listen. 91 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 2: I often think about this and think, in the sort 92 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 2: of the geopolitical struggles that little Old New Zealand has, 93 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 2: does China care? But I think given the fact that 94 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: the Prime Minister is over in China right now and 95 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: will be meeting with Shi Jing Ping within the coming days, 96 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 2: I think it will be on their agenda. They will 97 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,600 Speaker 2: at least be briefed about it, and Christopher Luxon will 98 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 2: be asking some questions to see if he can get 99 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: some clarity from the Chinese side of things. 100 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,040 Speaker 1: Hey, Jason, thank you appreciate you stepping into the breach 101 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: here for us that as Jason Walls Political edited for 102 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. 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