Friday 27: Promise us a date DPM!

Dear Editor,

According to your front page article on March 20, Sir Terepai pledges to run the Sunday flight referendum.

You have quoted Sir Terepai saying that government will deliver the promised referendum on Sunday flights to Aitutaki.

He further states that he is a man of his word, yet he cannot say when the people can expect the referendum to be held.

If I, a lowly planter, promise to deliver kumara at a certain time, people expect the kumara at

that time. If I do not deliver as promised, people will call me a cowardly liar who takes people for a ride. And rightly so because I did not keep my word and they will stop buying from me in the future. Sir Terepai sincerely apologises (to whom?) for having been ‘somewhat harsh’ in his reaction. He has not only been ‘somewhat harsh’, he has also not been telling the truth to the people of Aitutaki regarding the Sunday flight-referendum.

The referendum should have been held three months ago as promised by him.

And we all know that this would never have been held were it not for the issue to come to the fore quite forcefully lately.

What we ask Sir Terepai is don’t hide behind fancy words (about being frustrated etc).

Just tell us in plain words the date when you will keep your promise and a referendum will be held. Finally, please Sir Terepai, tell us how Sunday flights bring ‘widespread financial benefits’ to the Aitutaki people? What people are you talking about? I can count the beneficiaries on one hand. There are not so many hotels on the island and not all are locally owned.

Protester

(Name and address supplied)