Transcript
New Zealand's Clerk of the House, David Wilson says he has recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade which provides funding for the scheme to benefit governments in the region.
"It's really to support Pacific Parliaments with the things that they identify as their needs. Really to help them strengthen democracy in their own countries. So it's not about saying 'you should do these particular things because we do them'. But showing Parliaments how we do things, talking about some of the principals behind it and then asking them to identify their needs and see if we can provide support for them."
Mr Wilson, says there is NZ$300,000 per year available to resource the programme called Tai a Kiwa or stronger Pacific parliaments.
"Most likely it's going to be focussed on things around the workings of the parliament, support for it, the kind of resources or advice or services it might need to operate properly. But also to give new MPs in the Pacific opportunities to be mentored by members from here, or to get the support they might need if they're new in their jobs."
Mr Wilson says New Zealand already provides support to various parliaments in the Pacific but this week's visit from the Cook Islands clerk is an example of how Tai a Kiwa will strengthen these connections.
Tangata Vainerere says it was a useful experience learning from Mr Wilson preparing for a parliamentary session.
"To go through the process of vetting the questions, the oral questions before it goes to the Honorable Speaker and then into the house. So that has been good because we don't have that process in the Cook Islands and it's a very good process. And I really appreciate the opportunity to see that happening in real life here."
He says when he sat alongside Mr Wilson in the chamber this week he noticed some real contrasts.
"We have a different requirement in terms of a quorum back in our parliament in the Cook Islands as opposed to here. And the question time is particularly entertaining with all the Members of Parliament having a go at each other. We also have similar things happening in our parliament but at a lesser level."
Tangata Vainerere says he would recommend the scheme to others.
"This is a very wonderful opportunity and a very good initiative. Because we always need to upskill all our people who are in parliament in all the countries, not just Cook Islands. And this applies both to the staff of parliament as well as to the members of parliament themselves. So this is a very good opportunity and I really hope that it can go for a long time to come."
David Wilson says Tai a Kiwa involves a range of ways to extend practical support.
"I have some quite regular email contact with some of my counterparts in the Pacific and can you know answer questions or help or give advice. It might be a phone call or a video conference. Hosting people in New Zealand sometimes. And then either maybe sending staff or MPs to those parliaments to support them if there's a particular need to do that and a reason why it would be useful to go there. So it's a sort of a mixture of different ways of communicating."
David Wilson says he will be writing to all clerks and diplomatic missions inviting Pacific nations to participate in Tai a Kiwa.
