Articles by Utopia Support

'No confidence' stalls Parliament

Tuesday 20 July 2010 | Published in Local

Any chance of Parliament sitting this week was lost last Friday, but it is understood Prime Minister Jim Marurai may still call Parliament before the end of the month. It seems fear of a vote of no confidence being moved against Marurai may be the reason he has held off on giving the seven day […]

CIP Tumu dead

Tuesday 20 July 2010 | Published in Local

CIP defector MP Albert Nicholas says he will rename his new political party after the High Court issued an order banning him from using ‘Cook Islands Party Tumu’. The judgement issued Friday says no one is allowed to use the party name again, except for reporting the proceeding. Justice Colin Nicholson heard the application for […]

Minister says loans improper

Tuesday 20 July 2010 | Published in Local

Finance Minister and Attorney General Wilkie Rasmussen says he believes it is highly improper for politicians to receive loans or grants from financial assistant schemes. The minister was commenting on the recently completed audit report which found that Former Finance Minister Sir Terepai Maoate and associate minister Terepai Maoate Jnr directly benefited from a total […]

Magic Moko, gone but not forgotten

Tuesday 20 July 2010 | Published in Features

He aitua I’m not sure whether you still have the word “aitua” in Cook Island’s Maori but in my brand of the language the statement means there’s been a death, and that’s what I thought I’d talk about this week. I’m referring to Moko the friendly bottlenose dolphin that, for some reason, preferred the company […]

Patriotic and proud

Tuesday 20 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Thank you to Patriotic and Proud Cook Islands Resident for taking the bait. I’m glad you like living in our homeland, you see that is all we have in this big wide world and we don’t mind sharing our country with you as long as you never forget that it is Cook Islands […]

A big thank you

Tuesday 20 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, My husband and I recently spend two weeks on beautiful Rarotonga. We still miss it as we sit back here in Dunedin thinking about those warm tropical lagoons and golden sunsets. We loved your country and can’t wait to visit again. We would also like to thanks one young man who helped us […]

Waiting on Wong answers

Tuesday 20 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I am simply an interested tax payer seeking some answers re the status of the Chris Wong investigation. We have previously had brief statements from former Police Commissioner Tasker and his successor Tetava neither of which gave any indication of a timeline for the ex head of tourism to appear in court and […]

Kata - July 20, 2010

Tuesday 20 July 2010 | Published in Kata

Support loan opinions

Tuesday 20 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

In relation to the issue over whether there was a conflict of interest in the granting of business support loans from government to businesses owned by the former Minister of Finance, Sir Terepai Maoate and former Associate Minister, Terepai Maoate Jnr, a smoke signaller writes: “More than one government department has retained private solicitors to […]

Top Te Aito effort

Monday 19 July 2010 | Published in Local

Te Aito Cook Islands team (from left) Vaea Melvin, Emilene Taulu, Reuben Dearlove, Fletcher Melvin and Serena Hunter proudly represented the Cook Islands at the prestigious oe vaka festival Te Aito Tahiti. It was a great day for the team in the Tahitian surf and sun on Saturday.

Environment forum on

Monday 19 July 2010 | Published in Local

The National Environment Forum, being held from tomorrow to Thursday, is being organised by the National Environment Agency, and is open to all – but you will need to express your interest in attending as places are limited. A host of topics are being covered over the three days, with the key issue of how […]

CI journalist gets IFJ Pacific role

Monday 19 July 2010 | Published in Local

Cook Islands journalist Lisa Williams-Lahari will be the local coordinator for an International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) project in the Pacific. The project is designed to strengthen the role of media workers and press freedom advocates in defending and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms in the region. Media for Democracy and Human Rights in […]

No conflict of interest

Monday 19 July 2010 | Published in Local

Solicitor-General Tingika Elikana has reportedly issued a legal opinion that rejects the Audit Office view that the Former Finance Minister and Associate Minister had a conflict of interest in receiving $60,000 in business support loans from government. The report condemning the Business Trade Investment Board’s (BTIB) decision to grant two loans to businesses owned by […]

Independents won't make a difference

Monday 19 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The current political drama that’s hovering over our nation at the moment is a joke; this is just one fair description for it. But we seem to accept this sudden turbulence as our country’s new political way of life, and so promoting, and inspiring every Dick and Harry to individually join in this […]

Telecom questioned over charges

Monday 19 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The Telecom monopoly’s rip-offs continue unabated with many broadband users being charged outrageous fees for exceeding their broadband data caps. We can for the moment refrain from commenting on the fiscally punishing charges for “excess” data usage – charging up to 20 cents a megabyte for data that even they sell in their […]

Kata - July 19, 2010

Monday 19 July 2010 | Published in Kata

Tangi not ruling out re-election

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Local

Tupapa-Maraerenga MP John Tangi has lost the chance to remain the Democratic Party’s candidate for the constituency at the general elections. While Tangi has conceded that Nooroa Tupa is the new candidate after winning the three man run off, he has indicated he may consider other options for candidacy this year. “This is only the […]

Audit condemns Maoate

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Local

Former Finance Minister Sir Terepai Maoate and his son, former associate Minister of Finance Terepai Maoate Jnr, have been condemned by a new audit report for introducing an economic stimulus package – a $550,000 business loan fund – and then directly benefiting from it to the tune of $60,000. Sir Terepai, the former Deputy Prime […]

Cowboys of yesteryear

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Features

Country hits writer dies

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Features

Hank Cochran, who wrote a cascade of country music hits, died on Thursday at his home near Nashville, according to his family. He was 74. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer, his family said. Cochran gave Willie Nelson his first break in Nashville, persuading his employer, Pamper Music, to hire Nelson. When Cochran was […]