Dear Editor, let’s start with a direct quote from the Prime Minister.

“I have advised the QR to suspend Mr. Tapaitau from his duties as a Minister of the Crown, pending the outcome of his court case.” That was on or about the 6^th October, 2021. So the Minister (Deputy Prime Minister) was duly suspended but not his DPM salary plus allowances – $137,750 plus allowances for sitting around and doing nothing! Aue!

Why then Mr. PM, in these difficult economic times, did you insist on continuing Mr. Tapaitau’s DPM salary, when you could easily and legally have relegated him back to his established MP position, which still gets paid a very handsome salary?

And you continuously highlight the subsidies that government has paid out to legitimate businesses, many struggling to keep afloat – at least those companies have been adding to the overall benefit of the economy. I see fundraising around Rarotonga for elderly, and destitute, who literally have no power or water in their homes. Perhaps some even in your own constituency Mr. PM.

Don’t you think this $50k plus that Tapaitau picked up could have been better spent on really deserving and struggling people in the wider community?

This country espouses Christian values, might be a good idea to look after the iti Tangata who really do need help.

(Name and address supplied)

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Pacific Island countries for decades have been pontificated by academics (who blab on about unattainable perfection) about how we go about doing things in our unique Pacific Way (yawn). So it is no surprise that CI News will dig up a NZ academic to provide patronising commentary on the re-instatement of DPM Tapaitau, and on how the Cook Islands will be viewed by the “Pacific community”, by which he means New Zealand and Australia.

It smacks of the tired neo-colonial attitude that we have come from, and also come to expect, from time to time, in dealing with our donor countries.

No one is perfect, not even the academics, but I have to say that the Cook Islands PM Brown certainly has guts and gumption to make this call and to stand by it. What this country needs is a strong leader who can face challenges, make decisions and PM Brown has proven himself during the last two years of global chaos. 

I agree that it is totally unfair to keep someone in limbo for a year while he waits to defend himself, so why not let Tapaitau get on with his job and let him face his accusers when the time comes. I, like many others, will keep a hawk eye on his performance and actions until his day in court. If he wins his case then who will have egg on their face.

Concerned Citizen

(Name and address provided)

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What’s wrong with Raro’s phone and internet service?

I don’t like being one to complain publicly, but what on earth is going on with the phone/internet service in Rarotonga. We seem to be having problems monthly with our internet/and or phone lines in Muri, both work and home. It usually takes a week for the technicians to make the callout, so in that time we are without internet, and on this occasion home phone line also. 

For a business this is a ridiculous situation. 

The staff I’ve been dealing with have been helpful, I am following up daily by phone or email to have our faults seen to, and I know they are doing their best in an impossible situation. I understand there are two technicians to service the whole island, which is why it can take a week for a fault to be seen to.

Meanwhile we are paying premium rates for an internet service we are not receiving. I asked for and obtained a partial refund for the previous months internet bill, and will be requesting the same for this months, seeing as for a week now we have not had internet access, and are not even at a third of the usage of what we are paying for, for the month.

Would be very interested in what is the issue, is it just Muri or island wide, and what is being done to rectify the situation.

Meitaki,

Serena Hunter

Muri