KEY POINTS:
How very sad that former NZ First MP Brian Donnelly has had to resign as High Commissioner to the Cook Islands so soon after his appointment because of poor health.
While his appointment was viewed cynically as all political appointments are, he was highly qualified for
the post, and few who know him would argue about that.
The cynicism was less about Brian and more about the fact that Winston Peters had previously been critical of political appointments.
Donnelly lived and taught in the Cooks years ago (deputy principal of Titikaveka College 1977 - 80) and maintained strong links not least because he and his wife, Linda, adopted Cook Islands children. He has loads of integrity and for the 11 years he was in Parliament, operated in a strangely a-political way, for the most part.
I went to Brian's farewell at Parliament earlier this year. He he had lost a lot of weight after an operation but had been given the all-clear as is required before taking up MFAT positions.
His resignation is a loss for the Cooks and a loss for New Zealand.
Here's hoping he battles his way back to health.
I'm part of that unofficial club of New Zealanders who love the Cooks and who are either talking about their last visit or planning their next, but not too loudly because you don't want the whole world to know about it.
For me the last visit was in October last year, some highlights of which later found their way into the travel pages of the Listener via one of those in our touring party, Dean Parker.
I like to catch up with the local Cooks news through the Cook Islands News online.
A former excellent journalism student of mine, Moana Moeka'a, writes for the News. Another former top student, is Wilkie Rasmussen, the Cooks Foreign Minister (you know you are getting old when your former students become Foreign Ministers!).
He was reported by NZPA this week as being one of three contenders for the post of secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum - to be decided in Niue next week.
The other two are Tuiloma Neroni Slade of Samoa, a judge in the international criminal court, and acting Secretary General, Feleti Penitala Teo of Tuvalu.
I don't know who New Zealand will back - it tends to keep its views to itself for fear of offending - but I hope that Wilkie's stint as a NZ Herald reporter won't prejudice his chances with NZ's Foreign Minister!