Articles by Utopia Support

Elderly called to discussion

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in National

Elderly people aged 60 and over are invited to a meeting on Monday at the Sinai Hall to discuss what services and activities they would like access to here in the Cook Islands. According to Dr Rangi Fariu, director of community health services, a number of different agencies are currently involved in providing services to […]

Economic Summit scorecard: 2/10

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in National

By Vaine Wichman Development Economist Almost a year has passed since government hosted an economic summit that promised: So what is on the ground today? A pledge was made to ensure that policy interventions would boost economic growth. Since then an economic taskforce was set up and the second Sustainable Development Plan was softly launched […]

PM expresses condolences

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in National

Prime Minister Henry Puna expresses his condolences to the family of the former leader of the Democratic Party, Robert Wigmore, who passed away yesterday. Paying tribute to Robert Wigmore, who was deputy prime minister in 2010 and a cabinet minister the year prior, Puna said he had forged a formidable legacy as a businessman and […]

'Man of wisdom' honoured

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in National

Papa Robert Wigmore’s passing leaves a void in the Cook Islands Parliament, the Democratic Party, the village of Titikaveka and the heart of the nation. A senior politician, successful businessman and diligent grower, Wigmore, who died at age 62, made myriad contributions to his beloved village and to his country. Wigmore lost his battle with […]

Youth offenders – what to do?

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in National

Cook Islands Police are becoming increasingly frustrated with the repeat offending of delinquent youth at Rarotonga and are considering a range of suggestions in order to crack down on underage burglars. A number of delinquent youth have been apprehended by police for committing burglaries during the last fortnight. This week a 17-year-old male was apprehended […]

Tourism a contributor to youth crime?

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in National

Following years of research into Cook Islands criminal behaviour, Australian psychologist Meg Perkins proposes a means of combating the problem of young children stealing from tourists. She believes tourism has widened the gap between rich and poor in the Cook Islands, thereby elevating crime rates. Accordingly she suggests that tourism operators should be responsible for […]

Police portfolio goes to Heather

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in National

Teariki Heather will take over duties as Minister of Police from Prime Minister Henry Puna in a swap that will also see Puna become Minister for the Outer Islands. Puna will officially hand over the duties to Heather at a police parade to be held on Tuesday. The ministerial duties of the outer islands has […]

Taxing a shrinking population

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Most of us cannot believe time after time how the minister of finance and his advisers are planning our economic and tax policies,” a smoke signaller writes. “They, including government, seem to be fixated with imposing more taxes on a depleting population as a means of balancing the budget. Surely Mark Brown understands that you […]

100 Apostolics attend council

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Church Talk

Members of the Apostolic Church from across the South Pacific will be gathering in Auckland next week for the 22nd annual South Pacific District Council. From the Cook Islands, 100 members of the Apostolic Church including three from Atiu, seven from Mangaia, 20 from Aitutaki and 70 from Rarotonga will travel to Auckland for the […]

Second climate change report to be launched

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Environment

Environment minister Henry Puna and the National Environment Service (NES) will be launching the Cook Islands Second National Communication Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) today at USP from 12.30pm. This report outlines the Cook Islands’ progress in addressing the issue of climate change since the Initial National Communication report […]

TB patient in hospital

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Local

A 33-year-old man is recovering in hospital after being admitted in a seriously ill condition three weeks ago and subsequently diagnosed with tuberculosis. The man went into hospital on March 18 and was placed in isolation after it was suspected he may have tuberculosis, a bacterial infection the patient said he once had when he […]

Tax increase 'insane'

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Local

Business leaders yesterday used words like “insane” and “gotta be nuts” to describe proposed government increases to departure tax and airport charges. News of the controversial increases was leaked to Cook Islands News despite attempts by officials to play down their intentions as being “for discussion only”. Airlines operating international and domestic flights in the […]

Have a heart

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read the story on April 11 titled ‘We want support not criticism’. Have a heart! People criticise because their life is not interesting enough for them to talk about so they pick on others. First I will speak about Patty (Patricia Taea) – who is ‘my girl’. I was her athletics coach […]

Paranoid and guilty for not killing a pig

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’m really annoyed at the person calling himself or herself ‘Always for Matavera’ and also at you for printing his or her stupid letter. By not being specific, he or she in one sweep cast suspicion over a number of people living in Matavera because someone wrote a letter to you complaining about […]

Finsec explains trade gap or trade deficit

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing in relation to the lead headline in your paper on 10 April 2011 ‘Widest trade gap in region’. I would like to take the opportunity to explain the wider context of the balance of trade picture which has been reported. I hope it can provide your readers with a more […]

Tax increase will help send us under

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Every tourist is starting to hate the Cook Islands all because everything is expensive, the wages to locals are crap and now minister of finance and first-time member of parliament Mark Brown is putting the departure tax up from $55 to $80. CIP was the one that cocked up the Sheraton failed resort […]

Kata - April 13, 2012

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Kata

New group will write code of practice

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in National

Technicians from various businesses on Rarotonga met and formed the Cook Islands Refrigeration and Airconditioning Association on Wednesday. Forming the association can protect industry members from possible negative impacts such as legislative changes and foreign enterprise, strengthen capacity by developing a code of practice and generally create an alliance of individuals and businesses with the […]

Policeman pastor reaches out in both roles

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in National

New Life Church pastor Ngatamariki Pouao wears two hats – he’s a minister, but he’s also part of the Criminal Investigation Branch of the Cook Islands Police. On the public holiday following Easter Sunday, Pouao wore both his hats. He organised a sports day for members of the Kavera church, focusing in particular on kids […]

Vaka heading for the Tuamotus

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in National

Alex Olah reports from Marumaru Atua as the ocean-going vaka sails toward French Polynesia. Kia orana kotou katoatoa on a wet and windy Easter Sunday morning here on Marumaru Atua. It has been a good week of sailing for us since our last correspondence with nice steady winds of approximately 15 knots. This has kept […]