Letters to the Editor
Letter: Passport proposal
Monday 23 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, It was with disbelief that most New Zealanders watched on the evening Television 1 News, Sunday night (NZ time), the story about your Prime Minister, Mark Brown, intention to make a break from New Zealand.
Letter: Cook Islands passport - personal ambition or national interest?
Monday 23 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Here’s my observation of this focus on the Cook Islands Passport, designed I might add, to draw attention away from seabed mining.
Letter: Embrace religious diversity
Friday 13 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I am a local hard-core atheist. I have lived in fear many years here for speaking out against Christianly for fear of persecution but I think it’s time to face my fears and speak out about my concerns, with this potential religious restrictions reform. I will not give up and take this message where ever it has to go.
Letter: ‘The Church of Us’
Thursday 12 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Charles Carlson’s thoughtful letter of 3rd December on what he calls, “ … harmful ideologies that threaten personal rights, national security, and the well-being of our people”, cites for example, “some teachings condone child marriages, with girls as young as six being married off under religious justification.
Letters: Brothers in arms
Thursday 12 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, As a proud Cook Islander and New Zealand citizen, I’ve often wondered why our people are not yet actively integrated into the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).
Letter: Ruta’s column
Tuesday 10 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I only know of the Cook Island News via the roving opinion pieces by Ruth Mave.
Letter: ‘Akamanako o’onu - think deeply!
Tuesday 10 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Reflection after reading ‘Deep-sea promotion, not consultation’, Monday, 25 November.
Letter:
Monday 9 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor. The Government and TTV says, “it will bill the registered owners of the connection". What connection? Rarotonga has never had registered water connections before! How is the connection identified? Please, tell us.
Letter: Take your rubbish home with you
Thursday 5 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I am writing this letter with the hope that this letter reaches those who need to know. I am a very proud Tupapa Maraerenga resident who has lived in this village for most of my 62 years. My family has been a part of this village for over 70 years.
Letter: Keeping catchment payments ‘above board’
Wednesday 4 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The To Tatou Vai (TTV) was scheduled to hold a workshop for the catchment committees (CC) last week. The catchment is the land above the Te Mato Vai water treatment plants; the land in the middle of island.
Letter: Fix it or shut it down
Tuesday 3 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, “Rogue operator puts lives at risk”. If Cook Islands Tourism tells us one more time that they will get on top of this debacle at Avaavaroa we’ll put Tourism in the same space as the JP’s who say, “You’ve been in this Court 5 times now for drunk driving and this Court is almost to the point of thinking about putting you in jail”.
Letter: Balancing faith and freedom
Tuesday 3 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The Cook Islands is a beautiful nation founded on respect, Christian principles, values, and a commitment to protecting human rights.
Letter: Masjid Fatimah
Monday 2 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Unlike many of your readers, I decided to establish how Cook Islands News was able to expose that there was a mosque located in Kauare, Rarotonga, and found that it was through looking at Google Maps Rarotonga (GMR) which showed that there was a mosque called “Masjid Fatimah” located in Kauare, Titikaveka.
Letter: Lack of respect at Tereora College prizegiving event
Monday 2 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I recently attended the Tereora College prize-giving ceremony, and I was deeply disappointed by the behaviour of some parents and their children during the event. It was akin to a rooster being woken before dawn – abrupt and disrespectful.
Letter: Enforcement of law
Friday 29 November 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Recently in the middle of town, not far at all from the Police station, a young motorbike rider, black hoodie overhead, white helmet on top of that, not speeding, and helmet just flew off, strap dangling.
Letter: Give the owners the land back
Friday 29 November 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC) wants to move Blackrock Preschool, “to prioritise the development of sporting codes”. May this writer humbly suggest that CIIC in the first instance prioritise Cook Islands landowner rights?
Letter: ‘Shameless racism and Islamophobia’
Friday 29 November 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Recently, there has been substantial discourse over the one and only mosque established in the Cook Islands.
Letter: Religion
Thursday 28 November 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Readers of the Cook Islands News were treated yesterday to a front page with a Minister of the Crown telling the world, and our potential visitors, that one of the most prominent religions on earth are breaking our laws while on the second page we see a parade of people marching on the main road celebrating the Confirmation of youngsters that have been indoctrinated from infancy into that other prominent religion.
Letter: Religious Act ‘an embarrassment’
Thursday 28 November 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Despite the excellent letter by Heinz Matysik of Matysik & Marshall P.C. in your paper questioning whether the Religious Restrictions Act 1975 was enforceable Minister (Vaine) Mokoroa was reported in the lead article of your newspaper on 27 November, 2024 as saying that Muslims “should not be operating” because they are not registered with him as Minister of Justice.
Letter: 7s disappointment
Monday 25 November 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
My name is Maia Samuela, and I am the President of Cook Islands Rugby New Zealand (CIRNZ). I am writing in response to the article published on November 15, 2024, regarding the upcoming Oceania 7s tournament.