Politics
PM Puna visits Te Mato Vai Matavera intake
Monday 11 March 2019 | Published in Politics
Prime Minister Henry Puna spent time with David Sloan, the Te Mato Vai GHD water engineer along with Te Mato Vai contractors McConnell Dowell as they conducted a site inspection of the Matavera intake with landowners and media last week.
Ministers home
Saturday 9 March 2019 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Politics
All ministers except deputy prime minister Mark Brown are expected to remain on Rarotonga this week.
Climate change policy approved
Saturday 9 March 2019 | Published in Politics
The Cabinet of the Cook Islands has approved the Cook Islands Climate Change Policy drafted by the Climate Change Cook Islands (CCCI) office, at the Office of the Prime Minister.
PM welcomes NZ's new top diplomat
Saturday 9 March 2019 | Published in Politics
“We acknowledge the Cook Islands has been active in its regional and international engagements,” said Her Excellency Tessa Temata as she presented her credentials to Prime Minister Henry Puna yesterday.
Wigmore at food biodiversity talks
Friday 8 March 2019 | Published in Politics
Ministry of Agriculture’s director for crop research William Wigmore launched the State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture Report at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) headquarters recently.
Parliament to sit this month
Thursday 7 March 2019 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Politics
The opening parliamentary sitting for the year is expected to be held sometime this month.
Browne attends seabed minerals workshop
Wednesday 6 March 2019 | Published in Politics
Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority geographical information systems (GIS) officer Rima Browne attended the first-ever “Abyssal Initiative” workshop held in Nuku’alofa, Tonga.
DPM backs name-change body
Tuesday 5 March 2019 | Published in Politics
A committee in the Cook Islands tasked with finding a new name for the country has received tentative support from the government, ahead of a possible referendum on the issue.
Ministers return home
Monday 4 March 2019 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Politics
All three government ministers who were out of the country on official engagements last week have returned home.
Foreign developer warned
Monday 4 March 2019 | Published in Politics
A Democratic Party MP wants the National Environment Service (NES) to regard any breaches of the Environment Act with the severity it deserves after a foreign developer allegedly proceeded with clearing a historically significant coastal section before obtaining approval from the Rarotonga Environment Authority (REA).
Debt distress not China driven
Saturday 2 March 2019 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Politics
Debt distress in the Pacific is not a result of lending by China, revealed a paper published by the Australian National University’s Development Policy Centre late last year.
QR to be drawn into Hagai row
Tuesday 26 February 2019 | Published in Politics
Democratic Party head and Opposition Leader Tina Browne is looking for Vice-Regal support in a bid to stop the government appointing Toka Hagai as a 7th Cabinet minister.
Group slams lack of democracy
Friday 22 February 2019 | Published in Politics
The integrity of the current government has been challenged by Group for Political Reform (GPC) founding member Lynsay Francis saying it is failing to deliver democracy to the Cook Islands people.
Glassie reveals his work for Atiu
Thursday 21 February 2019 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Politics
Nandi Glassie says Kau Henry, the chairman of independent candidate Te-Hani Brown, must be “colour blind” not to see the development that took place on Atiu during his time in government.
CI looks to boost Nordic relations
Wednesday 13 February 2019 | Published in Politics
Cook Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand Elizabeth Wright-Koteka was delighted to join diplomatic representatives from Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Estonia for a combined Pacific/Nordic luncheon last Thursday.
Wright-Koteka at Waitangi Day celebrations
Saturday 9 February 2019 | Written by Losirene Lacanivalu | Published in Politics
The High Commissioner of Cook Islands to New Zealand Elizabeth Wright-Koteka has been active in her role in representing the Cook Islands at the Waitangi Day commemorations.
Leading the way in UAE
Friday 8 February 2019 | Published in Politics
Prime minister Henry Puna will be attending the World Government Congress in Abu Dhabi this week after an invitation by His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates.
Date set for by-election
Friday 8 February 2019 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Politics
Chief electoral officer Taggy Tangimetua has set March 18 as the by-election date for the vacant Tengatangi-Areora-Ngatiarua seat.
Nicholas enters not guilty plea in NZ
Thursday 7 February 2019 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Politics
Member of Parliament Albert Nicholas entered a plea of “not guilty” in the Manukau District Court this week, to the charge of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.
Te-Hani quits Demos
Thursday 7 February 2019 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Politics
Te-Hani Brown has quit the Democratic Party and will stand as an independent candidate for her current seat in the upcoming by-election.