National
Pukapuka group in liquidation
Tuesday 19 June 2012 | Published in Local
The Pukapuka Community of NZ Inc has been forced into liquidation by New Zealand’s Inland Revenue Department. The Pukapuka Community of NZ Inc employed 65 people at its peak in preschool and tertiary education, social services and at a bakery. It was described in a book published this year by the NZ Social Entrepreneur Fellowship […]
Heather answers contracting questions
Tuesday 19 June 2012 | Published in National
Infrastructure minister Teariki Heather has said that T&M Heather has secured all its contracts legally and fairly. In Parliament yesterday Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen asked Heather to address concerns voiced by members of the public pertaining to T&M contracts. ”Some time ago the opposition through me raised concerns in the media about the company T&M […]
Budget enacted
Tuesday 19 June 2012 | Published in Local
The Appropriation Bill 2012 received Royal Assent yesterday. Speaker of the House Niki Rattle announced yesterday that the Budget – which was passed by Parliament on Friday after five days of debate – has been formally approved by head of state Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin. She also noted that a delegation of seven – […]
Look after your cows!
Tuesday 19 June 2012 | Published in National
Dear Editor, To the owners of the cows/bulls tied up in Kavera: You are causing harm to your animals by not attending to them regularly. They are tied up on vacant land and left for days and it appears no one checks them so our village has to put up with their constant bellowing and […]
Expat teacher numbers and pays queried
Tuesday 19 June 2012 | Published in Local
Expatriate teachers continue to receive higher salaries than local teachers. Education minister Teina Bishop confirmed the point yesterday in Parliament, in response to prompting from Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen. During question-and-answer time, Rasmussen raised concerns that the Ministry of Education was hiring more expatriates than locals. ”Some of our local Maori people feel that that […]
Fresh tagging
Tuesday 19 June 2012 | Published in National
Fresh tagging on buildings through the Avarua township is a concern for both community leaders and local police. Sports and community leader George George has noticed an increase in the number of buildings through Avarua with fresh tags by delinquent youth using spray cans. He says that this is the time to raise the awareness […]
Maureen Goodwin reports from Nauru
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in Environment
Maureen Goodwin is known to many in the Cook Islands, having worked since 1996 in various educational capacities in classrooms and the Ministry of Education. At present she is employed for one year as Literacy Advisor to the Nauru Department of Education. She says that Nauru, the smallest nation in the world, although still a […]
Plastic bags to be outlawed
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in Environment
Cabinet has agreed to legislate against the importation of plastic bags into the Cook Islands. Prime Minister Henry Puna made the announcement when he stood to support the $1 million allocation for environment in this year’s Budget. ”In supporting the appropriation for environment, I want to say how pleased I am with the support that […]
Missing woman inquest
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in Local
An inquest into the disappearance of 31-year-old handicapped woman Ngatupuna Pokotea is currently taking place at the High Court, six years after she went missing. Pokotea, who suffered from epileptic fits and could not talk, vanished from her Turoa residence on July 11, 2006. Her body was never found and there are still no suspects […]
Deal for $1.6m
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in Local
The Cook Islands Consulate in Auckland is moving from Newton to South Auckland. It has occupied a building on Symonds Street since 1994, which government purchased for $976,000 at the time. Last year government decided that the consulate should be located in South Auckland, which is closer to the Auckland International Airport and to the […]
Maternity leave to be paid
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in Local
Government is aiming to fund six weeks’ paid maternity leave for women in the private sector from January 1. The paid leave scheme is in accordance with the government’s commitment to the International Convention on the Eliminating of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). ”This scheme is intended to provide protection for working mothers by requiring employers […]
Arrested in Bali
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in Local
Kiwi Cook Islander Charlotte Piho been released from police custody in Indonesia, after being detained over the theft of a chocolate bar. Thirty-year-old Piho, a stand-up paddler and yoga instructor, was arrested on Tuesday at Bintang minimarket in Bali’s upmarket Seminyak. She admits putting $17 worth of chocolate in her bag as she strolled through […]
TGA soil school teaches solutions
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in National
Understanding that poor agricultural practice causes land degradation, the Sustainable Land Management (SLM) project supported by National Environment Service and Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning is pleased to support Titikaveka Grower’s Association’s (TGA) Soil School. The first school was in December 2011and the next happens soon with an introduction course, on Monday to Thursday July […]
Annual filing due
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in National
The Business, Trade and Investments Board is warning all foreign enterprises that their annual filing of information is due. A public notice was issued last Thursday by the Business, Trade and Investments Board (BTIB) to notify all registered foreign enterprises and individuals of their requirement to file information under the Development Investment Act. BTIB often […]
Recognition sought for Pacific organics
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in National
Farming organically may be seen the old way of doing things, but it is coming into fashion again. ”Pacific island farmers have been doing it the right way after all,“ says Karen Mapusua, who works with the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom) to promote organic farming and ethical trade in the region. She […]
Tourism minister defends airline subsidy
Monday 18 June 2012 | Published in National
Tourism minister Teina Bishop has defended the Air New Zealand subsidy as a ”cash positive investment“. Responding to allegations from the Opposition bench last week that the subsidies are a ”waste“, Bishop has said that they are crucial to improving the economic health of the Cook Islands. ”The economic data available to us states that […]
Budget passed
Saturday 16 June 2012 | Published in Local
Budget 2012 has been passed without amendment. Yesterday Speaker of the House Niki Rattle went through each schedule and appropriation, and none was opposed. Parliament dispersed quickly just after 1pm when it was announced that the Appropriation Bill 2012 had passed. The announcement was made not long after the bill was read for the third […]
Norman George 'not scared of little boys'
Saturday 16 June 2012 | Published in National
Atiu MP Norman George called Taoro Brown’s mayoralty ”highly unsatisfactory“ in Parliament yesterday. During question-and-answer time he asked the prime minister to comment on the situation of the Atiu mayoralty. ”You’re now the minister of the outer islands. I want to ask you: are you aware of the problem in Atiu where the mayor resigned […]
Workers fear a 'grim future'
Saturday 16 June 2012 | Published in Local
Government has been insistent that a 2 percent cut to the public service budget will not engender job losses, but the Cook Islands Workers Association (CIWA) is not convinced. CIWA president Anthony Turua says he has received a flood of feedback from CIWA executives and members, who are disappointed with the Budget and its ”impact […]
Budget debate 'guillotined'
Saturday 16 June 2012 | Published in National
One hour into yesterday’s Parliamentary sitting, Norman George made a noisy exit, protesting what he called ”a dark day“ in the history of the Cook Islands Parliament. ”I depart from the chambers in protest,“ he said at about 11am. ”People of the Cook Islands, I’m leaving chambers in protest of this horrific move of the […]
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