Transcript
TERRY COE: And the Premier said that's right and he's doing it because it's Niue's day, not New Zealand's day. So, there was a discussion amongst all the members and some were disagreed and some were agreed, but I said to him, why he's doing this is because of the tiff he's got with New Zealand at the moment. It's not a good thing that we're breaking away from tradition and also that we're New Zealand citizens, so why not raise the flag and sing the national anthem? When the high commissioner arrives, and then after that, when the premier arrives, we can raise the flag and sing the national anthem for Niue.
MACKENZIE SMITH: Tell me about this tiff with New Zealand.
TC: Well, [Sir Toke] said there was no tiff, but I believe that there is one and he's not getting his own way with New Zealand with the aid funding and the projects etc. [New Zealand is] wanting accountability and transparency in the money that New Zealand is giving to us and this is not happening. And the proof of that is the auditors from New Zealand cannot get the documents and that to sign off on the audits for the last 3 years. The accountability in the state-owned-enterprises, there's no documentation and no auditing of those accounts as yet because they're not clear and they're not available.
MS: So, there's a backlog of unaudited accounts in Niue right now and you're saying that's affecting New Zealand's willingness to provide funding?
TC: Not so much that way, but the Premier is criticising the audits and saying it's their fault and not our fault. But it's our fault alright because we haven't got the accounts ready for the auditors when they come up. It's quite plain, and we need more staff in the treasury to make that happen. We've got an expat that's coming in every 2 or 3 months, but you need an expat here permanently so that we can make sure all these documents that the auditors want are available on time. It's quite clear that there's the conflict in that area and, as I say, with the projects that have been going on, the museum and that, the cost overruns on those is quite a bit. It's cost about $NZ3.5 million for the museum and it's still not completed yet.
MS: So, you're saying that this move around constitution celebrations and not raising the New Zealand flag, that's about a tit-for-tat with New Zealand, or that's about trying to get a response?
TC: I think it is, and I just hope [New Zealand Foreign Minister] Winston Peters doesn't fall into a trap of giving things that really [Niue] is gotta be accountable for, funding and that, and don't relax those protocols that they've got. But there's no New Zealand ministers coming up this time [for the constitution day celebrations] either so there's something going on, and I hope that the public service and the SOEs become more accountable and transparent to the people on Niue as well as the auditors.
MS: You don't think it's a good idea to try and pursue a more independent outlook?
TC: I don't think so because the people will not support independence if they're going to lose their New Zealand passport. That passport has got a really strong feeling for the people and they don't want to lose that.