Words of wisdom for a movement

Dr Jon Jonassen wants to make one thing very clear: Te Kura O Te Au is not a political party.
“It is a movement,” says Jonassen, an expert in political science who teaches at Brigham Young University in Hawaii.
That’s a very important distinction, Jonassen says, “because a party has permanency and a movement doesn’t. The movement’s objectives are changes. If you’re a party and you’re going to be permanent, you will resist making changes. That’s been the historical pattern. That’s why the two political parties who exist never change. They make promises during the election campaign but, once they get in, it’s very difficult to change.”
Jonassen, who spends about three months a year in the Cook Islands, granted an exclusive interview outside Sinai Hall where he was a guest speaker at a cultural heritage workshop. Although he has been identified with Te Kura O Te Au, he insists he is merely an unpaid advisor and quite willing to pass along words of wisdom to whoever might seek his political expertise.
“Individuals in the group came to me right from the beginning,” Jonassen says. “They can either ignore my advice or take it – that’s their choice. If it’s right or wrong, don’t blame me. I just give the advice.”
Jonassen says, from his position outside the movement’s inner circle, it’s difficult for him to say what changes Te Kura O Te Au would make should they assume power in the upcoming election.
“What I hope they would do is pursue some of the fundamental changes they want to do,” he says.
One of those is reducing the number of MPs because, according to Jonassen, the country is too small to financially maintain the current size of parliament.
“The challenge will be in how you make that reduction in a way that is fair to all the constituencies,” he says. “In a way that is fair to the different tribal groups within the country. It’s also important to make a change the country can afford. That’s really where this group is coming from – affordability.”
Jonassen says the sudden rash of independent candidates is “a reflection of the great disappointment that many people feel with how a party system has operated to date”.
But, he warns, voting for an independent candidate has its pitfalls as well.
“The problem is, when you’re an independent, there is no clear agenda that will affect national issues,” Jonassen points out. “You’re going in as one person. That’s the difference between the independent and this movement. (Te Kura O Te Au) wants a change for the nation. The independent wants a change for himself.”
One thing Jonassen says everyone involved in the next election should be concerned with is the constant loss of population, as Cook Islanders continue to depart for greener shores.
“(Depopulation) is a major, major problem for everybody,” he says. “I’m always surprised those in a decision-making role have not addressed this situation with a lot more urgency.
“Because it is an urgent problem. You cannot operate well if you’re losing your population. It’s like bleeding. Before you do anything else, stop the bleeding.”

By John Ireland

Herald Issue 463 10 June
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