Local
DPM wants health portfolio back
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 13: Deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate reportedly started a scrap over portfolios in cabinet yesterday. It is understood the minister made it clear that he wants the ministry of health back in his portfolio. Prime minister Jim Marurai has reportedly objected to this mainly because the DPM now has at least a dozen […]
PSC still waiting
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 18: Public service commissioner Navy Epati says that he is still awaiting clarification on the island secretary and heads of ministry positions which have yet to be decided upon by cabinet. Epati says cabinet has not yet explained why it has not decided on an appointment in the position of island secretary for Penrhyn, […]
Escapees give themselves up
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 13: Jail break was a protest at poor conditions, they claim The two escaped prisoners voluntarily returned to custody yesterday – claiming their escape was a protest against prison conditions. Police and prison wardens have been searching for Roger Tauarea and Daniel Mare since their escape from Arorangi prison last Saturday night. Police said […]
'Freeze super fund'
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Local
Rasmussen wants a commission of inquiry and a freeze on funds Tuesday 18: Government should immediately set up a commission of inquiry to look into the activities of the NZ company charged with managing the national superannuation fund, according to Penrhyn MP Wilkie Rasmussen. Yesterday he issued a statement on what he says needs to […]
Audits find no anomalies
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 17: The audit office has just completed two audit reports which will be tabled and made public at the next sitting of parliament. The first is the review into the unaccounted payments of $32,465 made by the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) during the financial year ending December 31 2008. The […]
Nepotism claim just laughed off
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 17: Did cabinet appoint all the new heads of ministries (HOMs) based on favouritism, nepotism and political attitudes? This is the stinging question opposition MP Nandi Glassie asked prime minister Jim Marurai in parliament last Thursday. But he didn’t get the official answer – and he won’t until the next sitting. Still seated, both […]
Govt waives Aitutaki fuel levy
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 17: Aitutaki MP Teina Bishop says Christmas has come early for his island following a recent decision by government to scrap the levy Aitutaki pays on petrol and diesel. Government has now waived the import levy for all islands except Rarotonga effective from August 1. The new order waives the 22 cent per litre […]
Prison reform stirs debate
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 17: Hot debate has begun over calls for penal reform in Rarotonga. This follows last week’s opening of the prison gates for an inspection of conditions after two escaped prisoners claimed they broke out of jail to protest at sub-standard conditions. Prisoners Daniel Mare and Roger Tauarea handed themselves in to authorities last Wednesday, […]
Dog bites jogger
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 10: A tourist needed medical treatment after being attacked by a dog last week. Around 7am on Monday, two women, believed to be French, were jogging on the footpath ocean side along the main road of Avarua. They were heading towards Trader Jacks jogging behind a man walking his two dogs on their leashes. […]
Tender out today?
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 10: The government tender committee is expected to release its decision as to who will be offered the tender for host broadcasting at the Pacific Mini Games next month. PMG 2009 organising committee marketing & sponsorship director Tui Short was hopeful that a decision would be made last Wednesday, but this was not the […]
Economy contracts
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 10: Value added tax (VAT) receipts for the 2008-09 financial year showed an increase of 0.5 percent over the last budget estimates (supplementary 3), indicating a slowdown in the economy. This slowdown was put down, in part, to the worldwide recession and the loss of one cargo vessel in the first half of the […]
Dangerous criminal and teen escape jail
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 10: Two men tied bed sheets together to escape over the Arorangi prison wall on Saturday night. Police are searching for Roger Tauarea and Daniel Mare who fled from the correction facility around 11.30pm. The escapees had turned the sheets into a ladder which was used to climb over the prison wall. Tauarea, 38, […]
New deli raided a third time
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Saturday 8: Saturday 8: Police are investigating the third burglary since March of Le Bon Vivant. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Avarua café-deli was broken into. Police say those responsible gained entry by throwing a brick through a side window. They then stole the cash float from the register and an army […]
Meet Turts the Onu
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Saturday 8: Saturday 8: The World Youth Netball Championships mascot Turts the Onu made his first public appearance on Thursday night with the help of the Cook Islands under 21 netballers. Turts the Onu toured the Edgewater Resort and Spa on Thursday night where he was mobbed by the local players who just fell in […]
Apology stupid: Wilkie
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Saturday 8: Rasmussen claims Sir Terepai is setting up ‘the Chinese invasion’ Sacked cabinet minister Wilkie Rasmussen says deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate’s apology to China on our nat-ional day brought back memories of a 1980s song, ‘Turning Japanese’. Rasmussen says in the DPM’s case, he has turned Chinese, and his apology is an […]
Sympathy for Tonga
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Friday 7: This week regional leaders at the 40th Pacific Islands Forum in Cairns expressed their deep sympathies to the government and people of Tonga after the tragic sinking of the passenger ferry Princess Ashika on August 6. At the post Retreat press conference on Thursday, Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd said the leaders had […]
Canoeing still hopeful
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Friday 7: Cook Islands Canoeing Association is still holding on to hope that it can get New Zealand passports for its two athletes Vaea Melvin and Tupuna Amo to make them eligible to represent the Cook Islands in next month’s Pacific Mini Games. Both paddlers hold French Polynesia passports and have Cook Islands permanent residency […]
Outer island applicants not up to scratch
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Friday 7: Some of those applying for island secretary positions have obviously not gained favour from cabinet. Public service commissioner Navy Epati says he has had to appoint acting secretaries for Penrhyn, Manihiki and Rakahanga – in place of cabinet not making decisions on these posts. And the position on Palmerston will be re-advertised, with […]
Big changes in HoMs
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Friday 7: The naming of some of the heads of ministries will surely raise eyebrows in the community. Gone are experienced heads like Terry Hagan, Nga Mataio, Tamarii Tutangata and John Herrmann. And in come former Business Trade & Investment Board chief executive Mark Short (justice), Anthony Brown (agriculture), Bredina Drollet (internal affairs) and Tereora […]
Audit looks into HoMs
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Local
Wednesday 12: The audit office will soon begin a review of the recruitment, selection and appointment process for heads of ministries. Audit director Paul Allsworth says the office saw a complaint sent to government yesterday over the HoM appointments made last week and it has prompted the review along with public concern. “It’s also in […]
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