Articles by Utopia Support

Demos face off over 'bullying' claims

Wednesday 12 May 2010 | Published in Local

Democratic Party president Makiuti Tongia claims government officials have bullied outer island constituency executives to support the party conference being called this month. He said some constituency committee (puna) executives’ government jobs were even threatened in the process. Yesterday, Tongia issued a press release saying despite the bullying, some outer island Demo officials have refused […]

Telecom needs to improve

Wednesday 12 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor The Telecom letter to the editor titled ‘Telecom one of the cheapest’ could be called damage control and I was hoping to instigate a response. Guess what, I am still paying 650 per cent less for internet access than the tourists if they buy a WiFi card for 50 megabits. That’s a fact. […]

Do not belittle our people

Wednesday 12 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

E Tama e, Kia Orana koe e toou aronga angaanga i te aroa maata o to tatou Atu ko Iesu Mesia. Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus. Te tuku atu nei au i teia leta naku kia koe ma te pati akatenga atu kia tuku atu ki roto i taau Nuti Peapa Kuki […]

George fires back at Tasker

Wednesday 12 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Norman George with his grandchild after his not guilty verdict. “/> Dear Editor, Re the letter to the editor by the ex-police commissioner Pat Tasker on May 8. In response to Pat Tasker’s letter, he did not put the record straight, he displayed wilful ignorance with blurred eye views on events leading to the slush […]

Kata - May 12, 2010

Wednesday 12 May 2010 | Published in Kata

Netball gives arena big tick

Wednesday 12 May 2010 | Published in Netball

After two weekends of netball at the Telecom Sports Arena, across-the-board improvements have been seen. Cook Islands Netball Association president PJ Hockin said holding the 2010 season at the Nikao arena has met the associations’ expectations. She says that the most notable improvement has been the higher standard of professionalism the clubs now bring to […]

Netball action at the arena

Wednesday 12 May 2010 | Published in Netball

After two weekends of netball at the Telecom Sports Arena players and officials have been pleased with the results. Cook Islands Netball Association said that holding this year’s netball season at the Nikao arena has met their expectations. Here are some more photos from the weekend’s action at the arena. Netball gives arena big tick, […]

Share the direct flight banners

Wednesday 12 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

The newly-launched cookislands.travel website features a banner on the home page to promote the July 4 start of Air New Zealand’s direct Sydney-Rarotonga flights, which needs strong bookings to avoid the country paying for any losses by the airline on this route. A number of local businesses have agreed to place the banner on their […]

Cooks aims to have largest marine park in the world

Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in Local

Cabinet has approved a proposal to pursue the esta- blishment of a national marine park. Last month cabinet decided to give the go ahead to local authorities to progress work on the concept. “The Cook Islands has the opportunity to designate a significant part of our waters as a protected marine area and to have […]

Weston set to be named new CJ

Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in Local

Justice Tom Weston is expected to be appointed as the Cook Islands next Chief Justice at a special sitting of the High Court on Thursday. Attorney-general Wilkie Rasmussen advised CI News yesterday that a press release regarding the judicial appointment is due to be released today after cabinet and the executive council meets. Justice Weston, […]

Demo Party puna call conference

Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in Local

The majority of the Democratic Party constituency electorates (puna) have announced that an annual conference will be held on May 31. The controversial notice of the conference has been issued by the ‘majority of the party’. In a press release issued yesterday this faction of the Democratic Party stated that the conference date is now […]

Sir Terepai not the answer

Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Sir Terepai has got a lot to answer for the millions of taxpayers’ money wasted on the Toagate fiasco and the potential millions of dollars more that could still have to come out of the public purse. With the country’s general elections looming ever so closer, I am not happy to see that […]

Arorangi jetty plan a shambles

Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor The unfolding fiasco relating to the Arorangi Jetty project speaks volumes of just how unorganised, disjointed and utterly incompetent this Government really is. During the recent visit of New Zealand’s foreign minister Murray McCully, one of the pet projects that this government pushed hard to receive funding was the construction of the Arorangi […]

A very bizarre political situation

Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In the past two years, the now five believers and followers of Jim – Rasmussen, Wigmore, Eggleton, Heather and Piho, all planned to have the PM thrown out on a vote of no confidence with the help of the CIP. It was two years in the planning but on two separate occasions they […]

Kata - May 11, 2010

Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in Kata

League showdown looms

Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in League

Rarotonga rugby league clubs will be well represented in this weekend’s league grand finals, with the main battle in the premier grade between the Avatiu Eels and Tupapa Panthers. The Arorangi Bears premier side was forced to hang up their boots on Saturday after a heavy 42-12 defeat by the classy Tupapa Panthers. The Bears […]

Higher airport taxes in ticket

Tuesday 11 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“For all those beating up on our country’s taxes,” a smoke signaller writes, “these are the airport taxes for a trip to Fiji from Auckland New Zealand next week. The difference is these are in the purchase price of the ticket.” AIRPORT & GOVERNMENT COSTS: Airport Departure Tax NZ$56.40; Airport Security Charge $3.80; Airport Development […]

Joyriding a concern

Monday 10 May 2010 | Published in Local

Police commissioner Maara Tetava said that police have been receiving a number of reports of ‘joyriding’ in recent weeks where youths unlawfully take vehicles for a spin and then abandon them. Five minors were charged recently with unlawfully taking vehicles from the airport car park. Tetava said the youth were stealing vehicles that had keys […]

Toa judgment due this week

Monday 10 May 2010 | Published in Local

The High Court is expected to issue its judgment on the high profile ‘Toa profit guarantee’ case this week. When the two day court hearing wound up late last month, Justice Tom Weston reserved his judgment saying it would likely be issued in the second week of May. The court was asked by Toa owner […]

Address the immigration anomaly

Monday 10 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In support of recent comments by John Cooper and Dennis Keith regarding immigration requirements of New Zealanders to reside in the Cook Islands, I would like to add that within the next year or two the retirement of many ‘Baby Boomers’ (those born at the end of the war) will be about to […]