Rashneel Kumar: Cook Islands journalist on New Zealand pausing funding to the Cook Islands

Rashneel Kumar: Cook Islands journalist on New Zealand pausing funding to the Cook Islands

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive · 2025-06-19

There's claims the Cook Islands were left in the dark over New Zealand pausing funding. 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters says a $20-million-dollar pot of development aid won't resume until trust is restored between our countries, who operate under a special relationship. 

Its Prime Minister signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, without giving New Zealand any insight on the deal. 

Cook Islands journalist Rashneel Kumar says the Government was caught off guard - and he explained that it has tried to ease fears the agreement with China may have caused. 

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Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

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