National
Youth day fun
Thursday 12 August 2010 | Published in Local
Today is World International Youth Day and to mark the event the youth division of Internal Affairs and the Cook Islands Youth Council are having a youth rally today at the bus stop opposite the police station. Internal Affairs youth development officer Sandra Tomokino says that the gathering is to celebrate and recognise the wealth […]
Budgets rushed through
Thursday 12 August 2010 | Published in Local
Parliament is likely to guillotine debate on the 2010-11 Budget in the same way it did to approve the amendments to last year’s annual Budget yesterday. The supplementary budget, which reduced the $215.5 million budget to $186.4 million, went through a name change and was amended before being passed after just three days in the […]
Polynesian art book launched at meeting
Thursday 12 August 2010 | Published in National
The already-extensive collection of Polynesian art and culture books on sale at the Pacific Arts Association (PAA) symposium this week expanded on Tuesday. ‘Polynesia: The Blackburn Collection of Polynesian Art’ went public yesterday at a mid-morning book launch. A thick, glossy hardcover, it details, illustrates and explains every Polynesian artefact in Honolulu-based couple Mark and […]
QR returns
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local
Sir Frederick Goodwin was officially reappointed as Queen’s Representative yesterday. Last month Sir Frederick’s warrant of appointment expired and government had been waiting for official approval of his reappointment until now. Yesterday Prime Minister Jim Marurai announced Sir Frederick’s fourth three-year contract had begun. “The Prime Minister commended Sir Frederick on this achievement today, saying […]
Cool crafts!
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local
The Mitiaro mamas strung their crafts from a line between trees yesterday at Crown Beach, and worked in the shade, at a craft fair during the Pacific Arts Association (PAA) symposium. The conference ends today. 10081024
Hitting out
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local
Aitutaki MP Terepai Maoate Jnr has spat the dummy over allegations he had a conflict of interest in receiving a $30,000 business support loan saying the Audit Office budget needs to be cut. During Parliament yesterday he defended taking the loan, talking at length in reference to outer islands businesses being the hardest hit by […]
Maoates attack audit
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local
The audit report into the Toagate scandal is ‘full of rubbish’ according to former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Terepai Maoate. The Ngatangiia MP has lashed out once again at the Audit Office and the Audit Director Paul Allsworth following the report that condemns government’s attempt to nationalise the fuel industry. “The auditor’s comments – the […]
WHAT BSL RECIPIENTS SAY:
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in National
At a time when the Aitutaki business community needed some sort of boost to their businesses to help alleviate the economic downturn which we all had been suffering the past two to three years, the business support loan scheme came as a welcoming sign of support from the government to the outer islands. We as […]
BSL FACT BOX:
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in National
– The $550,000 fund provided loans to 21 businesses – 20 of them in the outer islands – Maximum loan amount $30,000 – Repayment of soft loan BCI is three per cent interest over five years – 10 tourism, 8 retail and three trade businesses received loans – BSL recipients spent $248,000 on refinancing existing […]
Angene in Parliament
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in National
Cook Islands Party Tupapa-Maraerenga election candidate George Maggie Angene visited Parliament yesterday to acquaint himself better with the roles of an MP. It’s a rare occurrence for election hopefuls to take such a proactive approach – but even rarer to see Angene in a suit and tie. The local builder, traded in the trademark black […]
Law drafted to kill Toa deal
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in National
Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen has revealed government actually drafted a law last year which could have been used to ‘legislate out of existence’ the $5.16 million deal to purchase Toa Petroleum. Cabinet had considered taking the law to Parliament before opting instead to enter into settlement negotiations with the company he said. During Parliament on […]
Campaign 'blinded people': Sir Terepai
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in National
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sir Terepai Maoate has admitted the extensive public campaign against government by Triad Pacific Petroleum halted plans to nationalise the fuel industry. From December 2008 onwards, Vaile pursued the public campaign, which included full page advertisements in CI News, against the fuel farm scheme. During parliament yesterday, Sir […]
No conflict of interest in loans
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in National
Two legal opinions obtained by the Audit Office say conflict of interest cannot be substantiated against former finance minister Sir Terepai Maoate and his son, Aitutaki MP Terepai Maoate Junior for receiving business support loans last year. A new audit report tabled just last month alleges the pair had a conflict of interest in their […]
Tempers flare over Toa
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in National
Tempers flared when the hard questions on Toagate were put to former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Terepai Maoate in Parliament yesterday. Opposition MP Norman George asked the disgraced MP to provide evidence of his claim that the public wanted government to nationalise the fuel industry to bring fuel prices down. Acting speaker John Tangi had […]
King Kapisi plays
Wednesday 11 August 2010 | Published in Local
Samoan hip-hop legend King Kapisi is on Rarotonga and performing at Rehab tonight. King Kapisi aka Bill Urale arrived from New Zealand yesterday with his wife, fellow hip-hop artist Teremoana Rapley, a legend in her own right. Rapley is New Zealand’s first female hip-hop artist, and she’s originally from Rarotonga. She and Kapisi were here […]
Major arts symposium starts
Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in Local
The Pacific Arts Association (PAA) 10th International symposium opened yesterday at Rarotonga’s Crown Beach and brought together artists, scholars and students from across the region and all over the world Although the three day symposium is not open to the public, anyone is free to attend related exhibitions and functions Tonight, NZ-based media artist Janet […]
Maoate plays down Toagate
Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in Local
Former finance minister Sir Terepai Maoate downplayed the Toagate scandal when he spoke on the supplementary bill in Parliament yesterday. It is one of the first times the disgraced MP has spoken publicly about his involvement in the failed attempt to nationalise the fuel industry. Sir Terepai was critical of the Audit Office review of […]
Amended budget likely
Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in Local
An amended version of the 2009-10 supplementary budget is likely to be tabled when Parliament resumes today. Acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen plans to withdraw the $186.4 million bill and then table the new appropriation amendment and validation bill in its place. Progress on the budgets has been slow but at least […]
7s squad named to prepare
Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in National
The two-day inaugural CITC Constitution Cup sevens tournament not only showcased the wealth of local rugby talent but also seconded as the national trials. A squad of 27 players has been selected to train and prepare for possible selection into the national team. The local squad will play the best of New Zealand and Australia […]
Mangaia's harbour takes shape
Tuesday 10 August 2010 | Published in National
Still, six years after the harbour was devastated in a cyclone, the harbour remains non-operational. Mangaia MP Winton Pickering said that the island’s lack of a proper harbour makes inter-island shipping a “dangerous” venture. He added that it stands in the way of his plan to “resurrect Mangaia as a centre of commercial agriculture”. “Agriculture […]
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