Articles by Utopia Support

Either blind or stupid

Thursday 12 August 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Dr Maoate and his son might protest they have no conflict of interest, and clearly their supporters agree with them, but they are either blind or stupid. They both have a conflict of interest because Dr Maoate is the minister. That’s the real truth. The relevant question is, how the CITB and the […]

Conflict or interference?

Thursday 12 August 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It is nave to announce that there was “no conflict of interest” based on the findings of Solicitor General Tingika Elikana and Heinz Matysik, when all they were asked to do was review the documents. Of course no one will find conflict on the documents. It is pointless quoting from Elikana that “unless […]

Kata - August 12, 2010

Thursday 12 August 2010 | Published in Kata

King Kapisi plays

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local

Samoan hip-hop legend King Kapisi is on Rarotonga and performing at Rehab tonight. King Kapisi aka Bill Urale arrived from New Zealand yesterday with his wife, fellow hip-hop artist Teremoana Rapley, a legend in her own right. Rapley is New Zealand’s first female hip-hop artist, and she’s originally from Rarotonga. She and Kapisi were here […]

QR returns

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local

Sir Frederick Goodwin was officially reappointed as Queen’s Representative yesterday. Last month Sir Frederick’s warrant of appointment expired and government had been waiting for official approval of his reappointment until now. Yesterday Prime Minister Jim Marurai announced Sir Frederick’s fourth three-year contract had begun. “The Prime Minister commended Sir Frederick on this achievement today, saying […]

Cool crafts!

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local

The Mitiaro mamas strung their crafts from a line between trees yesterday at Crown Beach, and worked in the shade, at a craft fair during the Pacific Arts Association (PAA) symposium. The conference ends today. 10081024

Hitting out

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local

Aitutaki MP Terepai Maoate Jnr has spat the dummy over allegations he had a conflict of interest in receiving a $30,000 business support loan saying the Audit Office budget needs to be cut. During Parliament yesterday he defended taking the loan, talking at length in reference to outer islands businesses being the hardest hit by […]

Maoates attack audit

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local

The audit report into the Toagate scandal is ‘full of rubbish’ according to former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Terepai Maoate. The Ngatangiia MP has lashed out once again at the Audit Office and the Audit Director Paul Allsworth following the report that condemns government’s attempt to nationalise the fuel industry. “The auditor’s comments – the […]

Exhibition reflects old and new

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Features

Local artist Krick Barraud hosted a public exhibition of a piece of artwork she’s been crafting at Avana on Saturday evening. The work, housed in the remains of an old coral limestone building on the beach, represents a portion of the visual exam she took this weekend – the culmination of a Master’s in Art […]

Craft show

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Features

Tongan concepts of time and space

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Features

Last year, artist Semisi Fetokai Potauaine was one of seven recipients of the Commonwealth Connections International Residency. He is the second Tongan to win the coveted spot. ‘Okusitino Mahina, Jocelyne Dudding and Kolokesa Uafa Mahina-Tuai have recently published a book about his work and the philosophies that motivate it. Yesterday at the PAA symposium, they […]

Inspirational artist returns

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Features

Well-known Tongan artist Filipe Tohi is back on the island for the Pacific Arts Association (PAA) symposium. A long-time visitor to the Cook Islands, Tohi completed an artist-in-residency on Mangaia in 2004 and has since inspired many a local artist. Master lasher, carver, painter and sculptor, Tohi has to a great extent influenced local artist […]

Call for TV at airport

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Rarotonga is surely heaven on earth, as some romantic poet will put it, but that is a yesteryear notion. Today, we have internet and television. Sadly Rarotonga is geographically placed in the middle of the Pacific and even today’s progress cannot alter the fact that Rarotonga is positioned at an ambiguous location that […]

Arise, sir Robert?

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Did the Suva-based South Pacific Tourism Organisation make a mistake in a press release this week, or has someone jumped the gun and released information about an event that hasn’t happened yet? In an SPTO press release about the World Shanghai Expo celebrating Cook Islands Day on August 4, the first paragraph refers to the […]

2010 soccer season to kick off soon

Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Football

The 2010 Rarotonga Football season will kick off in the next few weeks with the date to be finalised early next week by the Cook Islands Football Association (CIFA). The start of the Rarotonga football season has returned to its normal season as it was shortened last year due to the hosting of the Pacific […]

A week of fun and adventure

Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in Church Talk

A one-week Vocational Bible School was held during the term holidays at the Avarua Seventh Day Adventist Church. The main theme for the week of fun and learning was ‘Wild Wood Forest – discover the untamed nature of God’. To attend the day camp was free and open to all children from five to 14 […]

Major arts symposium starts

Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in Local

The Pacific Arts Association (PAA) 10th International symposium opened yesterday at Rarotonga’s Crown Beach and brought together artists, scholars and students from across the region and all over the world Although the three day symposium is not open to the public, anyone is free to attend related exhibitions and functions Tonight, NZ-based media artist Janet […]

Maoate plays down Toagate

Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in Local

Former finance minister Sir Terepai Maoate downplayed the Toagate scandal when he spoke on the supplementary bill in Parliament yesterday. It is one of the first times the disgraced MP has spoken publicly about his involvement in the failed attempt to nationalise the fuel industry. Sir Terepai was critical of the Audit Office review of […]

Amended budget likely

Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in Local

An amended version of the 2009-10 supplementary budget is likely to be tabled when Parliament resumes today. Acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen plans to withdraw the $186.4 million bill and then table the new appropriation amendment and validation bill in its place. Progress on the budgets has been slow but at least […]

Poor decision

Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I think it was a very poor decision of the newspaper to publish the letter concerning Teina Bishop in Monday’s Cook Islands News. Regardless of whether the man is a politician or not he is entitled to some understanding and sensitivity regarding his actions at this time. I think your newspaper could have […]