Local
PM confirms snap election call
Wednesday 26 May 2010 | Published in Local
Prime Minister Jim Marurai has confirmed that he recently approached the Queen’s Representative, Sir Fredrick Goodwin, to request the dissolution of Parliament so he could call a snap election. But Marurai said that he was advised against it by Sir Frederick. Yesterday, Sir Terepai Maoate issued a statement in which he says two weeks ago […]
Lagoon health in steady decline
Wednesday 26 May 2010 | Published in Local
The Takitumu Lagoon Health 2010 Report Card indicates that the state of the lagoon is in decline. Full results of this year’s report are released today see pages 12 and 13 on the eve of the two-day Lagoon Day expo tomorrow and Friday. Results this year are slightly worse than those of last year and […]
Demo faction plans legal action against conference
Tuesday 25 May 2010 | Published in Local
The Democratic Party faction led by Sir Terepai Maoate is planning legal action against the Demo faction staging the party conference on Monday, May 31. Party leader Maoate, general secretary John Tangi and colleagues have taken legal advice to find out if they are likely to win a declaratory judgement about which side has the […]
George asks pithy questions
Tuesday 25 May 2010 | Published in Local
CIP spokesman for finance and economic development Norman George has issued another statement raising numerous questions surrounding the recent Toa debacle. The statement reads as follows: There are so many questions that need answering going back to 2008. Who was it that drafted the cabinet submissions in 2008, which led cabinet to agreeing to purchase […]
Fiji flight proposed from Dec
Tuesday 25 May 2010 | Published in Local
A deal with Air Pacific for a weekly flight between Rarotonga and Fiji was hammered out last week at the Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange (BFTE) in Nadi. CI Tourism board member Robert Skews and board chairman Tata Crocombe said they held positive talks with the airline and are now awaiting an official proposal from Air […]
Graham officially named Mauke Demo candidate
Monday 24 May 2010 | Published in Local
Hugh Graham has been officially confirmed as the Democratic Party candidate for Mauke. It also looks likely that he will resign as a Manukau City Councillor in the next couple of days and will not be return to New Zealand any time soon. Mauke MP Mapu Taia, the executive and members of the Democratic Party […]
Originality in dance
Monday 24 May 2010 | Published in Local
The golden oldies and papaa (visitor) dancer of the year competitions held on Friday night were a huge success with 10 mama and papa dancers wowing the crowd that packed into the Hideaway Bar courtyard for the show. Golden oldies contestant Casper Mateariki (above) had the crowd in stitches when he dedicated his chant to […]
Queen's Baton excites island
Monday 24 May 2010 | Published in Local
Rarotonga put on a colourful reception for the Queen’s Baton Relay on Saturday with anyone and everyone invited to hold and touch the baton. Villages around the island went all out to decorate the roadsides and welcome the baton for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. Anyone standing along the side of the road was invited […]
PM won't comment
Saturday 22 May 2010 | Published in Local
Once again prime minister Jim Marurai (above) has refused to speak to CI News on an issue of enormous concern to the Cook Islands people. There will be no word from the PM on Toagate, despite repeated requests for comment or for reassurance for the Cook Islands people from the nation’s leader. The prime minister’s […]
Dog identifies drugs at airport
Saturday 22 May 2010 | Published in Local
Police and customs have arrested a 20-year-old male after he was identified by the police drug dog at the airport on Tuesday night. The person was a local returning from overseas and found to be in possession of cann- abis. “This is a warning to others that the authorities are taking a hard stand at […]
Workers want justice
Saturday 22 May 2010 | Published in Local
The Cook Islands Workers Association (CIWA) says someone needs to be brought to justice and made to pay the penalty for the Toa Petroleum debacle. In a statement CIWA president Anthony Turua said Tuesday’s judgement in favour of Apex Agencies ranks right up there with other major corruption in the country, including the failed Sheraton […]
Mozzie spray 'basically useless'
Saturday 22 May 2010 | Published in Local
Melinda Ponga. “/> Concerns have been raised that the chemical the Ministry of Health (MOH) is proposing to use to control mosquitoes will be ineffective. Melinda Ponga, who led a campaign in 2008 to stop the government using the mosquito spray Reslin, believes that the proposed spray Key Pyrethrum is “basically a useless product” unless […]
Cabinet anticipates negotiations with Toa
Friday 21 May 2010 | Published in Local
Attorney General Wilkie Rasmussen issued a press release yesterday on behalf of Cabinet, explaining that government intends to open negotiations with Toa lawyers which he hopes will mitigate the effects of Tuesday’s court ruling. Under clause 6(b) of the settlement agreement that binds government to a particular payment plan, “the parties (Toa and government) shall […]
Scores apply for tourism jobs
Friday 21 May 2010 | Published in Local
Shortlists have been drawn up for the key executive roles at Tourism Cook Islands. Acting chief executive Halatoa Fua said yesterday there are 20 applications for the position of Director of Sales and Marketing, 40 applications for the job of NZ Manager and 20 for the post of Australia Manager. Chris Ingram resigned from his […]
Porter looks to negotiate with landowners
Friday 21 May 2010 | Published in Local
Apex Agencies director Brett Porter addressed the issue of Toa’s lease expiration yesterday. Tuesday’s court ruling granted Toa a yearly income top-up for the next eight years, but Toa’s lease on its land expires in 2012. Porter said that because the government has technically owned the fuel farm since December of 2008, when it entered […]
Sir Terepai 'selected'
Friday 21 May 2010 | Published in Local
Sacked deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate, who led the team which secured the disastrous Toa deal, has been nominated as Democratic Party candidate for Ngatangiia in the next general election. A meeting was called two weeks ago at Maoate’s own home and was attended by members of the committee and close family members. The […]
Nation to work to fill Toa's coffers
Thursday 20 May 2010 | Published in Local
Steve Anderson’s statement on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce says that grave errors on the Toa deal will have Cook Islanders paying taxes straight to Toa for years to come, as well as slashing budgets for health and education. “The Toa Deal is an abomination,” Anderson says. “That this deal should have been struck […]
George blames debacle on Demos
Thursday 20 May 2010 | Published in Local
Norman George, CIP spokesman for Finance and Economic Development, called the Toa decision a “riveting blow” for the people of the Cook Islands. George pointed the finger at the Demo government, which he said buckled under pressure from Sir Terepai Maoate to enter first into a heads of agreement to purchase Toa, and then into […]
Toagate anger
Thursday 20 May 2010 | Published in Local
Wilkie Rasmussen The whole ‘Toagate’ saga was a disaster for the government from the very beginning, but the stubbornness and persistence of former Finance Minister Sir Terepai Maoate dragged this country into a deep hole. “/> The whole ‘Toagate’ saga was a disaster for the government from the very beginning, but the stubbornness and persistence […]
Fiji flights discussed
Wednesday 19 May 2010 | Published in Local
Cook Islands Tourism board member Robert Skews and board chairman Tata Crocombe are this week talking with the executives of Fiji’s national carrier Air Pacific about the possibility of flights from Nadi to Rarotonga. Skews and Crocombe are currently in Fiji attending the Bula Fiji Trade Exchange and have taken the opportunity to meet with […]
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