Cook Islands Prime Minister Jim Marurai
The landmark law covering the management of Cook Islands seabed minerals has yet to come into force because Crown Law claims it is ‘too overworked’ to provide a document that, once signed, will complete its passage into law.
The seabed minerals bill, passed in parliament last November, still has to receive approval of the Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin by ‘order in executive council’ to become law.
Until recently it was understood the bill had been enacted.
Cook Islands Prime minister Jim Marurai revealed that the executive council (cabinet and the QR) have been ready to pass the bill into law but the simple document needed to complete this process has yet to be provided by Crown Law.
PM Marurai said he had been informed by attorney-general Wilkie Rasmussen that solicitor general Tingika Elikana told him they were too overworked at Crown Law to provide the document.
Meanwhile government continues to advertise for a seabed minerals commissioner to head the authority to be set up to manage the country’s vast seabed mineral resource under the ‘seabed minerals act’ which still does not exist.
PM Marurai also said that Endeavour Mining Capital – the Canadian company which put a mining proposal to government a few years ago – is still pressuring government to make a deal on allowing it to explore and potentially mine the Cooks’ manganese nodule resource.
In fact representatives of the company spoke to PM Marurai’s executive advisor Trevor Pitt last Thursday at the office of the prime minister.
Mr Marurai said the Commonwealth Secretariat, which helped write the seabed minerals bill, has once again warned government against making any deals with the company or any other interested groups until the law is in force
SOURCE: COOK ISLANDS NEWS/PACNEWS
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