SINGLE AUTHORITY COOK ISLANDS LEGISLATURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26616, 12 November 1947, Page 5

SINGLE AUTHORITY

COOK ISLANDS LEGISLATURE

FIRST MEETING OF COUNCIL Rec. 9 p.m. RAROTONGA, Nov. 10. The Cook Islands group has for many years suffered under a disability in that although there have been bodies in each island called Island Councils, there has been no legislative body which would exercise authority for the whole group. The Cook Islands Act, which was amended last session, provided for the establishment of the Legislative Council of the Cook Islands. This council consists of official and unofficial representatives of each of the islands, both northern and southern of the Cook group, and has authority to pass ordinances for peace, order, and good governmfcnt of the whole of the dependency.

Following elections held in the various islands earlier in the year, the first session of the Legislative Council was opened in Rarotonga on November 5, there being representatives present from Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia. Mauke, Atiu, Penrhyn, and Manihiki. Messages of congratulations and good wishes were received from the Gov-ernor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg. the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, and Mr A. G. Osborne, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister. The Government was officially represented at the opening meeting by Mr R. T. G. Patrick, Secretary of Island Territories.

After the reading of messages from New Zealand, the Legislative Council settled down to business, the first item on the paper being the consideration of the rules of procedure for the guidance of the Council at its sessions. Business undertaken since the opening day has been the adoption of Standing Orders, the consideration of the current year’s financial estimates, and a discussion of the requirements for next yedr’s estimates. The formation of the Council has aroused lively interest in the islands seeing that opportunity has been afforded for the islanders themselves to take an advanced part in regard to their own government.