Self-government For Islands

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30288, 14 November 1963, Page 15

Self-government For Islands

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Nov. 12. The Legislative Assembly of the Cook Islands has unanimously adopted, with a few minor amendments, the recommendations of the constitutional development report: The Minister of Island Territories (Sir Leon Gotz) said today that the report was prepared by Professor C. C. Aikman, of Wellington, Professor J. W. Davidson, of Canberra, and Mr J. B. Wright, New Zealand High Commissioner in Western Samoa. Steps would now be taken to establish full internal selfgovernment in 1965, said Sir Leon Gotz. “The timeable will involve enacting legislation at the next session of Parliament to bring the constitutional proposals into force and to give the Assembly full legislative competence,” he said. “A constitutional act for the Cook Islands will also be considered at that time.” The present Assembly, which includes members nominated by the councils of the various islands, would be dissolved in February 1965. In March, a legislature with 22 members would be elected by universal suffrage. In May the Legislative Assembly would be called upon, at its first meeting, to elect a Speaker and to choose a Chief Minister who would choose four of his colleagues to form a cabinet. In the transition period before the formal establishment of cabinet government,

steps would be taken to enable some members of the Assembly to gain more experience of the work of the executive government. The present executive committee, which included seven elected members, would resign this year, and a new committee (or “shadow” cabinet) of five i..embers headed by a leader of government business would be chosen by the Assembly. Each member of the committee would be responsible for one or more government departments. This would enable some assembly members to be brought into close touch with work in the departments as soon as possible.

"Mr D. C. Brown, a prominent member qtf the Legislative Assembly for some years and a well-known businessman on Raratonga, has been elected as the first leader of Government business,” said Sir Leon Gotz. "The names of the other four members of the shadow cabinet will be announced later this week.” The nature of the future relationships between the Legislative Assembly and the New Zealand Parliament would be discussed in Wellington early next year. There would be frequent and close liaison between the two governments on matters of external relations and financial policy.