Local
Judge who toppled Henry government dies
Tuesday 30 March 2010 | Published in Local
Sir Gaven Donne, the Cook Islands first Queen’s Representative, former chief justice and the man whose decision on the 1978 ‘fly-in voters’ case toppled Sir Albert Henry’s government, has died, aged 95. Sir Gaven passed away at Otaramarae, near Rotorua, on Sunday. He had been chief justice in the Cook Islands when the furore erupted […]
News team changes
Tuesday 30 March 2010 | Published in Local
THE Cook Islands News is pleased to announce two senior appointments in its editorial ranks. Reporter Helen Greig has been promoted to Senior Journalist following the recent resignation of Moana Moeka’a while Martin Tiffany joined the newspaper yesterday as News Editor. Greig, 29, has been reporting with Cook Islands News for seven years and covers […]
Eggelton steps up for Earth Hour
Monday 29 March 2010 | Published in Local
Cassey Eggelton, the country’s newest cabinet minister with the environment portfolio, did not mince her words and meant business when she launched Earth Hour on Saturday night at Takitumu School on Rarotonga. “We are custodians of our natural environment, from the hills down to the valleys, from the ridges to the reefs – every one […]
Tourism board agrees to meet industry
Saturday 27 March 2010 | Published in Local
The tourism board has agreed to meet with tourism industry members to explain the strategies it is developing, following concern expressed by the industry council on Wednesday. Board chairman Tata Crocombe confirmed his board had met with the executive of the CI tourism industry council yesterday to go over some of the concerns. The tourism […]
Travel's musical dream fulfilled
Saturday 27 March 2010 | Published in Local
Travel Moeara’s dream of becoming a song writer has become a reality after the former television presenter won the 2010 Mire Atu composers competition on Thursday night. But the humble Mangaian is crediting singer Andrew George and backup singers Teata Nga and Elizabeth Pitomaki for their outstanding performance of his song ‘E ‘uri to aro […]
Lights out at the Eel swamp
Friday 26 March 2010 | Published in Local
Ever seen the swamp by candle light? Tomorrow the Avatiu Sports Club – in support of the Earth Hour initiative – will be turning out its lights, piling the drinks from the bar fridge into a chilli bin and partying under the stars. The club will be hosting an ‘earth happy hour’ at the Avatiu […]
New minister meets the staff
Friday 26 March 2010 | Published in Local
Newly appointed environment minister Cassey Eggelton told staff at the National Environment Service yesterday that she was a minister who liked to work. “And if we all collectively work together, we can make things better,” she said. In her second day on the job, the minister made an informal visit to the environment office in […]
No comment by tourism executives
Friday 26 March 2010 | Published in Local
CI Tourism NZ office manager Chris Ingram says he prefers not to comment on the reasons for his resignation last Friday other than to say it was regrettable and that he remains committed to the people of the Cook Islands. Questions remain over what the industry has labelled ‘interference’ in the running of the corporation […]
Budget blowout 'exaggerated'
Friday 26 March 2010 | Published in Local
Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen has issued an assurance to the public that government will produce a realistic and responsible budget for 2010-11. “The government is well aware that 2010 is an election year but it will take actions that will strengthen the economy, limit the expenses of the country and maintain its tax base while […]
Fish poisoner convicted
Thursday 25 March 2010 | Published in Local
An Atiu man, Tangata Metuangaro, pleaded guilty to charges of breaching fishing regulations in Atiu waters earlier this month,. He was convicted and instructed to pay a fine of $500, which was handed over to the Atiu Island Council to be used for environment management. The maximum penalty for breaching fishing regulations is $50,000 or […]
Tourism people 'extremely concerned'
Thursday 25 March 2010 | Published in Local
Tourism council calls on board to explain new strategies to industry Local tourism industry operators want answers on staff resignations and the future strategy. The tourism industry council is calling on the tourism board to outline its forward strategies to an urgent general meeting of industry members. The council executive met yesterday and resolved to […]
Hotels must preach water safety: police
Wednesday 24 March 2010 | Published in Local
After the rescue of four tourists from the Rutaki passage on Saturday, police say it’s time to re-visit some water safety initiatives. “We need more awareness programmes, especially for tourists,” senior sergeant Nga Pouao said. “We need hoteliers to tell our tourists not to swim and snorkel around the passage areas and to swim at […]
Cassey joins cabinet
Wednesday 24 March 2010 | Published in Local
Prime minister Jim Marurai welcomed the appointment of Matavera MP Cassey Eggelton as the sixth minister of his cabinet yesterday. He says the addition of Eggelton adds a new dimension to cabinet, which up until now has been dubbed the ‘tight five’. Mararai says it’s not simply because she represents another milestone for female cabinet […]
She hopes to heal rift
Wednesday 24 March 2010 | Published in Local
New cabinet minister Cassey Eggelton (above) hopes her appointment will help heal the Democratic Party’s deep divide. “I don’t want to see this country in turmoil,” she said at her swearing in at Government House in Titikaveka yesterday. She said the move should help bring some stability to government and heal the rift between the […]
New HOM wants 'clear' foreign policies
Tuesday 23 March 2010 | Published in Local
Jim Gosselin officially took up his new post as the new secretary of foreign affairs last week. Until this month, Mike Mitchell had been acting secretary. Gosselin, who has been a resident of the Cook Islands for over 30 years, speaks Pukapukan and Rarotongan dialects and has occupied various Cook Islands government posts since 1972. […]
Tourism heads quit
Tuesday 23 March 2010 | Published in Local
Acting Cook Islands Tourism chief executive Glenda Tuaine resigned yesterday amid continued controversy over board chairman Tata Crocombe’s ‘vision’ for the industry. It has also come to light that CI Tourism NZ manager Chris Ingram resigned last Friday. Both Tuaine and Ingram are reportedly citing ‘excessive interference’ by Crocombe and the tourism board. The Democratic […]
Tourists rescued from Rutaki passage
Monday 22 March 2010 | Published in Local
Police are calling for more warning signs near treacherous lagoon passages around Rarotonga after the rescue of four tourists from Rutaki passage on Saturday. Senior sergeant Ngatamariki Pouao says the incident points towards the need for more signs to warn the public. Police received a report of tourists stranded in the Rutaki passage and on […]
Income testing for benefits, key in review
Monday 22 March 2010 | Published in Local
Public views on welfare benefits have centred on whether people’s incomes should be tested to determine their eligibility. Internal affairs secretary Bredina Drollet says two directions of thinking on the system are emerging from public submissions received over the past month. One is that government has a social responsibility to care for children, the elderly […]
Party politics non-issue with NZ
Monday 22 March 2010 | Published in Local
Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen has called CIP leader Henry Puna’s criticism of next month’s joint ministerial forum with New Zealand as ‘out of touch’. Last week Puna told CI News there was concern that the forum may be perceived as a show of support by NZ of a government now embroiled in political turmoil. Indeed, […]
Govt must explain budget blowout: CIP
Saturday 20 March 2010 | Published in Local
THE Cook Islands Party is calling on government to tell the public what the true state of its finances are following revelations of a budget blow out of at least $4 million for the next financial year. Party leader Henry Puna says government must provide answers on the issue of finance. “Right now government needs […]
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