Transcript
JAMES BEER: So we raised with the Chinese Ambassador an incident in 2014 on the eve of our general elections then, when the Chinese government gave a very large donation to the Cook Islands people and to the Cooks Islands government of about $7-8 million of heavy machinery that was distributed throughout the outer islands. We also raised with her, the instance of her being in the Cook Islands to open up a school which was not yet completed, 4-5 weeks before a general election. We raised with her that it was highly irregular and properly improper. With respect, it would be irregular and improper for any government of country to give large donations or have a large presence felt leading up to a general election.
TIM GLASGOW: How did the Chinese ambassador respond to your concerns:?
JB: There seemed to be a lengthy justification - the normal statements about China and the Cooks Islands being friends and it being coincidental. It seemed to be quite a long explanation for something so simple as that.
TG: Were you satisfied with the response you got?
JB: To some extent. I just want to be clear on this, I think the Cook Islands Party government is also responsible. Because they visited New Zealand on the so-called state visit about a month prior to the opening of the school. And they did visit the Chinese ambassador. They did ask her and invite her to come and open the school. When they returned from the New Zealand state visit, they then dissolved parliament, or asked for the Queen's representative to dissolve parliament - and elections were called. So they knew very well that when they were making the invitation, that the election was going to be called within days.
TG: So you think that maybe they had set that up as a tactic?
JB: Most definitely. I think also, it's no secret here where we have been bombarded by the government on the United Nations aspirations. And we have known for a long time, through different circles, that the Chinese government has offered to pay for a lot of the cost of the Cook Islands, you know, a major concern for the people of the Cook Islands, because we're quite happy with the way in which New Zealand represents us at the United Nations but we're not satisfied that the government has itself tuned in properly to what it's going to cost the Cook Islands and what we will be giving up as a consequence of the Cook Islands becoming a member of the United Nations.
The Cook Islands general election is scheduled to be held on June the 14th.
