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New Cook Islands Public Service Head to Implement Major Changes |
| Source: |
radioaustralianews.net.au |
| Source Date: |
Monday, March 12, 2012 |
| Focus: |
ICT for MDGs
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| Created: |
Mar 13, 2012 |
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Cooks Islands has a new public service commissioner.
Russell Thomas will guide appointments of administrative heads of ministries mid-year.
He'll also be responsible for carrying out sweeping changes planned for the Cook Islands public service.
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Cook Islands journalist, Ulamila Kurai Wragg
WRAGG: A few years ago he was the Chief Executive Officer within the office of a public service commission. Russell Thomas is a University of the South Pacific graduate, and in this appointment Prime Minister Henry Puna says that he actually wanted Thomas's experience from that office and also with his work in the international and regional organisations. This is a critical appointment for the Prime Minister to make because in the next month there will be advertising professions of heads of ministries. And Thomas's new role, in his new role his first task will be the appointment of the heads of ministries. And also with the appointment and the most functional review of the public service commission as well. Thomas will be looking into this and also with the recommendation by the review that government assets to be streamlined and policies improved right across the board in the public service, and overall performance of the public service itself. So there are three very key issues that he will be looking into, appointments of the new heads of ministries, the functional review as recommended by the Asian Development Bank to improve policies and system's overall performance, and also the appointment of the heads of ministries.
COUTTS: In the Cook Islands you're drafting new immigration policies there, what's behind that?
WRAGG: Actually the International Women's Day last week we brought in the delegation that went to present the country report to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Geneva in February. And they revealed at the meeting that the government is currently drafting a new immigration policy so that all reservations that were captured by the government within the convention will be lifted, and the reservations were really non-discrimination against children and also family reunification. They said at the meeting that the new policy would allow, would sort of pave a clear way for children of foreign workers, the policy will have a proper measure for children to unite with their parents who are working here. Also the policy will make clear that any child of foreign national born into the Cook Islands will not assume New Zealand citizenship … or carry Cook Island status. But they will only assume citizenship of their parents.
COUTTS: And the Family Law Bill has urged to prioritise the passing of it? The committee has been urged to pass it?
WRAGG: Correct, that's one of the recommendations by the committee that the government delegation presented to the Convention on the Rights of the Child committee. One of their recommendations was that they want the Cook Islands to prioritise the legal review undertaken in regards to the Family Bill. The Family Law Bill has been around for a few years now, and the previous government four years ago did absolutely nothing, and now we're hoping that this will be prioritised and the Family Law Bill has a special forum where children, victims of abuse, also where children have to be shown in court, they have a special area for them instead of in a public court where everybody will come and see them. And also more rights for women, victims of domestic violence, it covers all this, and the committee has asked the Cook Islands government to expedite its work on passing or endorsing the Family Law Bill.
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