Articles by Utopia Support

Let's get the truth' on Colagate issue

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The current witch-hunt for Mr Clarke and Mr Stoddart is a total waste of time, and so too are the numerous calls for a commission of inquiry (just thinking about the millions of state dollars that will be spent on one is numbing and scary). The bottom line is that the ability to […]

Audit report should be released

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, So they have had 14 months since my second complaint to create a new Colagate report to rubbish the first. Your letter writer ‘Non-concerned taxpayer’ (CINews November 28) is one of the few privileged ones apparently who has seen it, and the only one qualified to pass judgement on the original. Interesting indeed. […]

'Colagate needs to be tested in court'

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This is my reply to the letter by ‘Non-concerned Taxpayer’ of November 28.Talk about shooting the messenger, auditor or whistle-blower. The assertions and allegations by the writer are way off the truth. The facts and information I am about to release are freely available from the Audit Office and the views that I […]

Kata - November 29, 2013

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in Kata

Netball comes to paradise on Monday

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in Netball

The sports focus on the island will shift from the water to the Telecom Sports Arena in Nikao next week, where close to 600 netballers, officials and supporters will gather for the second Telecom Netball in Paradise event. In total, 34 teams from across the Pacific and the Cook Islands ranging from under 13 age […]

Cooks black pearls backs netball

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in Netball

The Cook Islands Pearl Authority has joined the netball family after committing to sponsor the Cook Islands national netball team and the development of the under 21 national netball team. The two national teams will now be called the Cook Islands Black Pearls and the Junior Cook Islands Black Pearls. Netball Cook Islands chief executive […]

Remembering to practise gratitude

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in Raro on my mind

Yesterday, America celebrated Thanksgiving. The occasion has little bearing on the rest of the world (aside from triggering a spike in commercial activity, which of course has global implications), but the meaning behind it is universally relevant and internationally important. Thanksgiving is a day for reflecting, appreciating, and counting blessings – things that we, all […]

Seasoned paddlers lead the way round Raro

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in National

Seasoned paddlers in the senior master men’s division led the early charge in yesterday’s Bob Worthington Memorial Trophy round Raro relay race in choppy and messy seas. Local senior master men’s crew Boiler Boys of the Te Tupu o Te Manava club flew off the line to lead the fleet of senior mixed master men […]

High Commissioner tackles new obstacles

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in National

New Zealand High Commissioner Joanna Kempkers tackled a military-style obstacle course on Tuesday, with help from her team. The ‘time trial’ course rules meant that the team was penalised for breaking a rule by having seconds added to their overall completion time. The exercise took place at 2.30pm at the Mitiaro Hostel, with the high […]

Business group supports Muri night market

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in National

Most of the people selling food at a night market in Muri are experienced vendors who are unlikely be serving up contaminated meals, says the head of a major business support group. Tourists have been flocking to the Thursday night market in Muri but a number of restaurant owners approached the Business Trade Investment Board […]

Waiting time for fuel hosting bidders

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in National

Companies competing for a controversial fuel storage contract have submitted their best offers and are waiting to find out who the winning bidder is. Crown-owned power authority Te Aponga Uira (TAU) invited tenders for the fuel hosting contract at the start of November and closed the door to bids earlier this week. The contract involves […]

Parliament start date announced

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in National

A firm date for the beginning of the final session of parliament in 2013 has been announced by clerk John Tangi. A sitting of five days is scheduled to begin at 1pm on Monday December 2, with a possible spill-over into the following week. Tangi said the final day will be devoted to members of […]

Telecom calls for old SIM cards

Friday 29 November 2013 | Published in Technology

A late shipment and extra demand created by Vaka Eiva visitors have combined to leave Telecom running low on SIM cards and calling out for help. Telecom Cook Islands mobile customers received a text message yesterday asking them to return any old SIM (subscriber identification module) cards sitting at home. Telecom sales and marketing manager […]

'Suspicious' fire investigated

Thursday 28 November 2013 | Published in Local

A fire alleged to be deliberate and a stolen motorbike were among the incidents that kept the police on their feet over the weekend. “At about 6pm on Friday November 22, a resident of Turangi, Ngatangiia reported of a suspicious fire to their property. It is alleged to have been a deliberate act. As yet […]

Stoddart 'advised on tax-free pension'

Thursday 28 November 2013 | Published in Local

A New Zealand pensioner says he was advised to transfer his plan to the Cook Islands for tax-free treatment by former Inland Revenue collector Geoff Stoddart. Rarotonga resident Don Reid – who collects the NZ-paid pension after working and paying income taxes in New Zealand for most of his life – said Stoddart provided the […]

High achiever!

Thursday 28 November 2013 | Published in Local

It was a wobbly start on the stilts for young Johahn Strecker (12) at Titikaveka College yesterday where he, along with his Sunshine Coast teammates, were invited to take part in traditional games and taught coconut husking and ei making. As part of the Vaka Eiva ‘adopt a school’ programme, the crew visited the college […]

'Kudos to Vaka Eiva believers'

Thursday 28 November 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I was reading some of the Vaka Eiva material and thought that some individuals have not been afforded the acknowledgement they are due as they have taken the "back seat" as contributors to this event. When the idea of Vaka Eiva was proposed, many prominent paddlers and other businesses were not supportive of […]

'No two cases are the same' – Pitt

Thursday 28 November 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It was once the custom of newspapers to ensure that articles are balanced and, prior to publication, to make a reasonable effort to give anyone criticised an opportunity to respond. Unfortunately, with Helen Greig’s precipitous departure, standards of good journalism appear to have gone with her. I am referring to the article in […]

Local input needed on solar project

Thursday 28 November 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing to respond to the article about the northern group solar project. First of all, this project has been in the pipeline for years with a lot of money wasted on consultation, mucked up tendering and government processes. Only now that the Prime Minister has based a lot of his re-election […]

Colagate report created 'false impression'

Thursday 28 November 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In recent days there has been further comment and reporting in this newspaper about the so called ‘Colagate’ affair. This matter came to the public’s attention as a result of a report prepared by Paul Allsworth, formerly of the Audit department. The central thesis of that report (and what has caused all the […]