Reported Rift With Cook Is. ‘Nonsense’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30855, 14 September 1965, Page 14

Reported Rift With Cook Is. ‘Nonsense’

(New Zealand Press Association? WELLINGTON, September 13. The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake)—back in Wellington today after attending the Cook Islands independence celebrations—said the question of increasing the New Zealand subsidy to the islands had not been raised during his visit.

He described at “utter nonsense” a newspaper report that there had been a cooling of relationships between himself and the Cook Islands Premier (Mr Albert Henn).

“Relationships were at all rimes extremely cordial,” Mr Holyoake said. Mr Holyoake said there was no truth in the newspaper report that he was “clearly tin-

happy” about Mr Henry's references to finance in hE speech at the opening of the Legislative Assembly. “This sounds tike pure imagination,” Mr Holyoake said. “There was nothing £n the speech to which 1 would take exception." Mr Holyoake said that although Mr Henry had emphasised the economic difficulties of the Cook Islands, he had also said there was no wish to become a permanent charge on the charity of another country'.

No-one had raised with him , the question of increasing the ' New Zealand subsidy to the Cook Elands during his visit.

the Prime Minister said, although Mr Henry had been reported as having told journalists that the £lBO.OOO annual grant for capital works was insufficient. “It should be borne in mind that in addition to the £lBO,OOO for capital works. ! the New Zealand taxpayer provided £675,000 as an ordinary subsidy annually to the Cook Elands. Another £366,000 went ty the island of Niue,” Mr Holyoake said. EXPORTS DOUBLED He was pleased to note improvements in the Cook Islands economy under New Zealand Administration in the last five years. Since 1960 the annual value of Cook Elands exports had doubled, from £464,000 in 1960 to £933,000 in 1964. Questioned about the report that Mr Henry intended to ask New Zealand next month for a £150,000 loan to finance urgent capital works. Mr Holyoake said he had not not been advised of this matter.

He repeated that finances had not been discussed during his four-day visit to Rarotonga.