False Start in Paradise

In 1965, after sixty-five years under New Zealand control, the Cook Islands achieved self-government, beginning a politically turbulent period in the life of this tiny island democracy.

Led by the enigmatic Albert Henry, the early promise was left unfulfilled as Henry, attempting to build a self-serving empire, manipulated the political system and used Government funds to stay in power. This led to a major court battle where for the first time a government was overturned by a court decision. It ushered in another enigmatic leader, Sir Tom Davis, who had spent many years in the US with the NASA space programme. Davis changed the direction of the Cook Islands to a liberal, free market, open economy.

Decades of political seesawing followed as the Cook Islands tried to right its political and economic boat in the turbulent winds of a tiny democracy. Too often its mishaps and false starts resulted from lots of enthusiasm but little knowledge and experience running a modern democracy.

This book is an attempt to record many of the events and people that contributed to this enthralling, difficult and politically turbulent period in the short life of a tiny island democracy.

About the Author

Iaveta Short had a bird's eye view of the turbulent periods following self-government and was often in the middle of the clean-up. He was the first Cook Islander to graduate with a law degree from Auckland University and returned home to be in the midst of the difficult winds of change that followed self-governance. He was a minister in the Sir Tom Davis Government, High Commissioner for the Cook Islands in Wellington, and the go-to man to solve many of the problems of government across the political divide. He holds a chiefly (Mataiapo) title on Rarotonga and was awarded an OBE in 1995. He has retired from politics and public service and is a successful businessman on Rarotonga.