Dear Editor, with the national general election due within the next few months, I think it's fair to challenge each candidate that is standing.

Throughout recent elections, treating voters has been the common campaign method used by most political parties.

Parties have made promises that have not been fulfilled, yet once again, we see them pulling up to our houses, offering to clean our yard and cut our trees, handing us cartons of chicken, filling the voters minds with dreams and more promises.

These candidates seeking an MP title, know how important each citizen's vote is, so I find it appalling that none of them are educating the voter on how important their vote is.

I find it disgusting that candidates use cartons of chicken or cutting trees to gain votes, rather than creating policies that will benefit the voters health and wellbeing or education of the voters children.

The current common message used by candidates is “I want to end corruption” and people are agreeing with that message, without acknowledging there is still more to do after corruption is sorted.

Food security is an issue, education, health, crime, pollution and waste management.

Muri Lagoon is a joke at the moment and if one tourist were to become sick from swimming there, it would damage our entire tourism industry.

The poverty rate is climbing, animal welfare is a problem, domestic violence, justice and the list goes on.

A nation does not exist without citizens, but over the past couple of years a large number of our people have left our shores to greener pastures.

No one is speaking of ways to bring our people home, but we hear of delays for expatriate workers coming.

The system needs to change and the wellbeing of the people needs to be every candidate's priority.

So back to the beginning of my letter, I challenge all those candidates standing, tell us, the people what your top five priorities are.

Tell us how you are going to ensure that the next four generations of children will not need to worry about the current national debt.

Tell us, the people, what your top five priorities are along with your solutions or views.

Sammy Mataroa

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People are the priority, not projects that benefit a select few

Dear Editor,

Apathetic is how I describe the response from Chief Executive of CIIC and Secretary of ICI regarding the ‘third world problems’ letter to editor of May 14, 2022. 

Pure apathy - a spiritless, non-committal bunch of words drowning in an ocean of Government plans, initiatives, visions and goals which give the impression that the needs of people are being taken care of, when the opposite is more the case.

What our nation needs is a government with a will to implement projects to fix the fundamentals – water supply, as you both pointed out, has been a key priority for decades.

How about allocating the people’s money where government puts its mouth, and actioning it?

The Arutanga Harbour Project is controversial – Yes, the EIA document was put in some stores and public consultations were made.

And like other documents and government-driven, or individual-driven consultations, most of these approval processes are rushed through and people are overwhelmed with a flood of jargonised words.

In the end, people just turn the other way – saying, “they don’t care, they’re going to do it anyway”.

The public consultation box is ticked and there’s the support that you refer to.

Water access is one of many fundamental issues that take the back seat, while multi-million-dollar projects get pushed forward.

Improved education facilities and the upskilling and recruitment of specialist teachers (woodworking, computer science, math’s), better dentistry services and an upgrade of equipment and facilities as well.

Now expenditure on those things without bias would be well supported by the Aitutaki public. The dredging of the Arutanga Harbour was well supported but the rest of the project was not.

People are the priority, not projects that benefit a select few.

Atina

Arenikau

Aitutaki

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Travel and tourism

The articles last weekend and yesterday were good to have out there and I wish to comment on what yield improvement really means, as there appears to be some misunderstanding.

Yield improvement is not just five star tourists at the top end – it is an approach of how do we increase our income across the board, without putting all the strain on our environment and resources.

Yield improvement comes from

Longer stays - Longer stays come from providing more to do when on our islands.

Getting people to spend more time in the islands including the Outer Islands.

New activities. Example – creating Bike tours on all southern group islands – plus many other opportunities. More local activities with local people.

Selling the Southern Group more - We have two June groups from New Zealand with eight-day packages to the Southern Group - escorted (created with CI Tourism support during Covid-19)

Four more of these groups in place for the next 18 months from NZ and another five from our Northern Hemisphere markets – this is all new business.

Encouraging upgrading of existing properties and development of new properties at three-star level.

Sealing of Manihiki runway - Creating more opportunities – Tongareva to follow.

This will provide us all with the ability to visit, and I know the Manihiki people have a number of guesthouses and accommodation s that will open

Groups planned for four days with our Trailfinders programme (created with CI Tourism support during Covid-19)

Sustainable tourism on our islands is going to be key and we need promote what we do in this area – e.g. highlighting the fact that all bar RAR and AIT are self-sustainable electricity wise

So much can be done to increase outer islands

Niche marketing to specific groups

It is not just about selling five star as some seem to believe.

Our five andten-yearr plans are there, but as an industry, I think we could talk more on this subject and explore how we do increase yield, and not focus just on numbers.

Robert Skews