Articles by Utopia Support

MPs, take a pay cut, lead by example

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read an interesting article recently headed ”French Government takes pay cut and fights for growth in Europe“. The first item on the agenda was a 30 percent pay cut for the President and Ministers. The sizeable wage reduction was endorsed at a first meeting of the 34-minister team. It was described as […]

Disband 'phantom' committee and start again

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Prior to the 1st July 2012, the ‘official handover date’ of the Punanga Nui Market from Minister Mark Brown, BTIB, to the new Ministry of Agriculture and Minister Nandi Glassie, the above committee was already in the process of being selected, by the chairperson, appointed by the PM, without the knowledge of the […]

Kata - July 13, 2012

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in Kata

Franky shares and shows her dream

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Franky got the annual national health conference moving yesterday. Francis ‘Franky’ Browne, certified group fitness and Zumba instructor, spoke about the benefits of physical activity at the health conference, and at the end of her presentation had everyone – doctors, professors, researchers – out of their seats and doing Zumba. She explained her fight to […]

Collaboration vital between NZ and CI

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

To improve the level of healthcare service to Cook Islanders both here and in New Zealand, both governments should focus on working together, on jointly establishing training programmes and sharing information. This was the crux of three presentations delivered at this week’s health conference. Counties Manukau District Health Board chief executive Geraint Martin talked about […]

Fizzies decried

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Fizzy drinks contribute 20 percent to gains in unhealthy weight, says Dr Gerhard Sundborn. At the risk of offending the industry, he opted not to call fizzy drinks ‘poison’, but was firm in his declaration that governments need to consider reducing fizzy drink consumption an ‘endgame’. He shared programmes being undertaken in the Untied States, […]

How much salt is too much?

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Most people in the Cook Islands have no grasp of how much salt is too much. There is strong evidence that consuming too much salt can increase blood pressure and put a person at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and renal disease. As cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the Cook […]

Gout warning

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Pacific Islands men have been found to be more susceptible to gout than other ethnic groups. In South Auckland, gout affects 15 percent of Pacific men, nine percent of Maori men and four percent of European men. Dr Robert Eason, who presented the above findings at yesterday’s health conference, suggested Pacific men inherit a defect […]

NCDs chew up 43% of drug budget

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Non-communicable disease medications comprise 43 percent of the country’s overall drug budget. Biribo Tekanene gave an informative presentation at the health conference on the burden of non-communicable diseases – which cause 74 percent of deaths in the Cook Islands – on the Ministry of Health budget. The national budget is $179m and the Ministry of […]

Driving taxis

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Struggling to find taxis could soon be a thing of the past. The Cook Islands Taxi Association (CITA) could get more uniformity, awareness and peace of mind if a proposal by the Business Trade and Investment Board (BTIB) is approved. Interim president Larry Price said they approached the BTIB to see how they could assist […]

Atiu meet

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

The Atiu community of Rarotonga is meeting with the Atiu Island Trust today to discuss the slow-moving Atiu hostel project. Recently the community ran a ‘monster raffle’ to raise money for its hostel project, the draw for which was delayed multiple times. Eventually a winner was announced, and the Rarotonga-based Atiu community wants to join […]

'Ski' trip to Raro!

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Rarotonga is not normally where one would go for a ski trip – but it was the first choice for the Shirtliff family. Four generations of the Auckland family are on the island for a unique ski trip – Spending the Kids Inheritance trip, that is! The family group of 25 arrived on Rarotonga last […]

BTIB goes local?

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Social networking website Facebook has been abuzz with rumours that the Business Trade and Investment Board ignored its own message to go local. A local Facebook user posted an indignant comment about the Business Trade and Investments Board (BTIB) getting their ”Go Local“ stickers printed offshore. The back of the stickers are printed with American […]

Tuck shops a health problem

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Nutritionist Karen Tairea says her biggest challenges in making schools healthier places are the tuck shop managers. She talked about overweight and obese children at the health conference yesterday, noting that the weight of Cook Islands children is becoming an issue of increasing importance. The Ministry of Health has been monitoring child weight since 2003. […]

Man imprisoned for 'unsound mind'

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

A young man has been ”languishing“ in prison for nearly five weeks after being accused of having an unsound mind, prompting court to order urgent action before his human rights are breached. Felix Willie Tua was arrested almost five weeks ago by police, who found him wandering in front of cars near the back-road shack […]

DPM rejects independent shippers' plea

Friday 13 July 2012 | Published in National

Transport Minister Tom Marsters has rejected a letter from independent shippers concerned about a monopoly caused by the second government shipping licence going to newly-formed company Tai Moana Ltd. The protestors, which include Cook Islands Shipping and Manea Foods, were told to collect the letter from the front desk of the minister’s office and resubmit […]

Lagoon Day looks at issues for 2 days

Thursday 12 July 2012 | Published in Environment

Highlighting the health of the Rarotonga lagoon and solutions to lagoon issues is the main focus of Lagoon Day which opens today and continues tomorrow. The annual Lagoon Day programme this year will be held in Arorangi with the headquarters of the two-day event to be set up in front of the Ministry of Planning […]

Blake back

Thursday 12 July 2012 | Published in Local

CISNOC secretary-general Rosie Blake has been appointed to chair the committee overseeing the Punanga Nui Market. Minister of Agriculture Nandie Glassie was reluctant to comment about the appointment yesterday but gave a brief statement when confronted about the issue by Cook Islands News. ”All I can say is the committee has been set up and […]

Operation Eagle defendants plead guilty

Thursday 12 July 2012 | Published in Local

In a dramatic turn-around in the Operation Eagle jury trial yesterday, all three defendants changed their pleas to guilty. The defendants Giovanni Marsters, Inano Matapo and Samuel Tangaroa had entered pleas of not guilty in the High Court at the start of the trial on Monday to numerous offences occurring between October 27, 2010, and […]

Man stopped at airport for unpaid tax

Thursday 12 July 2012 | Published in Local

A departing Cook Islander was prevented from boarding his flight at Rarotonga Airport over unpaid tax, which he was then apparently told the next day he did not have to pay. In a letter to the editor, a man says his son was prevented by airport officials from boarding his flight back to Auckland, where […]