Transcript
TEINA BISHOP: Our biggest issue is the taxing of the old aged pension and also I'm advocating for abolishing of the PAYE tax for Cook Islands workers as a means of encouraging them to stay in the country.
JENNY MEYER: And with the old aged pension, are you wanting to cut those taxes is that what you're saying?
TB: Yes we want to take it back to where is used to be. There was no tax on pension prior to 2014.
JM: I understand also that you've taken a stand about the number of seats in parliament, that you're wanting to cut those, in numbers?
TB: Yes, I was one of those in government when the Prime Minister and I went to the islands of Aitutaki, Aitu and Mangia. In that meeting they agreed that yes the seats should be reduced. And we're just asking for the reinstatement of the Bill back into the house so that a select committee will be put into place to go back and do a proper parliamentary hearing of select committee for the Constitution Amendment.
JM: So that would cut the numbers from 24 to 20 seats, is that right?
TB: That's correct, that's correct.
JM: And how do you think it's all going? Do you have any kind of feeling as to whether you'll be in the king maker position with the result of this poll or what do you think might happen?
TB: Oh it could be the queen maker as well. We feel good, we feel confident about our numbers. That's where we're sitting at the moment and working hard to get the numbers so that we can influence the formation of government after the 14th of June.
JM: Ok so you haven't pledged any allegiance to either the Cook Islands Party or the Democrats ahead of time?
TB: No, I don't think it's a wise move to pledge anything because we will be governed by our policies in terms of negotiations. So both parties know where we stand with our policies. We have five national policies to be looked at. And yeah no, the answer is no, we haven't pledged any allegiance yet to anybody.
JM: And there's a chance you might end up just going issue by issue, sitting on the cross benches, is that right?
TB: Yes, that's correct we're going to see where best our policies will sit and the best way to handle it in parliament. At the end of the day we are policy driven rather than politics and that's our aim.
JM: How many seats do you think your movement might be able to win in the general election?
TB: Oh at the moment I have to be positive and say that we are confident about three and possibly four. I just hope that it will be a peaceful election and people will get out and vote, and determine the future of the Cook Islands, it's in their hands.