Media Release (OPSC) – Welcome to our new Permanent Residents

15 July 2022

Media Release – Welcome to our new Permanent Residents

The Public Service Commissioner (PSC), Carl Hunter, had the pleasure and honour of joining the Head of State, Sir Tom Marsters and Lady Marsters, the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration as well as for the Public Service, Hon. Mark Brown and Mrs Brown, other political leaders, the Ui Ariki, members of the Religious Advisory Council and hundreds of jubilant families and friends at the National Auditorium to witness the conferring of Permanent Residency on to the 247 residents. Of particular interest for the PSC, were those expatriates who are employed in the Cook Islands Public Service and who now earned PR status.

Employed right across the Public Sector from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management to the Ministry of Education, the contributions of these Public Servants to the Cook Islands Government and Ipukarea has been extremely valued and recognized. This momentous occasion recognizes the commitments, contributions and sacrifices made by our new residents. The PSC acknowledged “that these Public Servants have decided to invest their lives and hopes in our country and we welcome them to the Cook Islands Public Sector family. We both value and recognize the unique skills, expertise and experience many of them have brought into the Public Sector and we therefore celebrate together with them on this special achievement.”

The PSC observed that as an open and inclusive country, we are privileged that all of those who gained PR status today have adopted the Cook Islands as their chosen home. Both the Public and Private Sectors of the Cook Islands are a lot richer with the contributions of our newly appointed Cook Islands Permanent Residents who hail from a range of countries around the globe.