Letters to the Editor
Letter: Prime Minister’s reasons for Constitution Amendments ‘weak’
Wednesday 17 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Sammy Mataroa’s letter in yesterday’s edition of the Cook Islands News (Resolving election disputes) gives a very good explanation why Parliament should not support the constitutional amendment tabled by Government which would allow Parliament to sit notwithstanding that there are outstanding electoral petitions.
Letter: Get real with our tax dollars
Wednesday 17 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Perhaps you can have a staff reporter dig through Cook Islands News archives for say the last 40 or so years and pull out all the grand announcements from one government after the other of the commercial enterprises that were launched with government at the controls.
Letter: Resolving election disputes
Tuesday 16 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Constitution Amendment (No. 31) Bill proposes to allow the newly elected Parliament to begin its work promptly after a general election, without the need to wait for the resolution of election petitions.
Letters: Visa extension fees
Monday 15 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
My wife and I are also world travellers from cold, cold Canada. With the exception of the Covid-19 years, we have faithfully returned to the Cooks year after year once we discovered its charm.
Letters: Questioning our governance
Monday 15 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Constitution Amendment (No 30) BIll, which proposes to expand the Cabinet from six to eight ministers. This bill also seeks to remove the provision that allows for the appointment of Ministers from outside the ranks of elected Members of Parliament.
Letter: Airport’s ‘bragging’ rings hollow
Thursday 11 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, We write to you after reading the story published 9th January with the headline, 'Giving back to our people', the account of the upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations of the opening of Rarotonga International Airport, controlled by the Airport Authority Board.
Letter: Staycations
Wednesday 10 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Without being too technical and splitting hairs.
Letter: Quit relying on tourism
Tuesday 9 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, While the people of the Cook Islands witnessed firsthand the devastation that the Covid-19 pandemic had on the economy, the business sector of our nation and the community alike told Prime Minister Mark Brown to get moving on plans to diversify the economy and quit just relying on tourism to drive growth.
Letter: Flag addition raises eyebrows
Monday 8 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Interesting to read that the PM is “suggesting” a flag rethink (Cook Islands News, December 14, 2023, changing the current national flag back to the original flag design from Papa Arapati’s day.
Letter: Taps run wild
Thursday 4 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Perhaps To Tatou Vai (TTV) management is so busy that they’ve not read the comments in letters to this newspaper about the unrelenting wastage of treated drinking water by some of our farmers.
Letter: Prioritise health and education
Thursday 4 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Most infrastructure projects can create significant economic stimulus that can benefit everyone in the economy. But that is not the case in the Cook Islands.
Letter: Sheraton redevelopment saga: The two presents
Thursday 28 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
When Tim Tepaki returned to the Cook Islands, he brought two presents with him. The first was Unit Titles, which was passed by Parliament in 2005 to double the value of property as shown in LAT sales, and the second was Entitlement Titles, yet to be released to the public and expected to rain money when it does.
Letter: $50 Xmas bonus versus MPs’ $5k clothing allowance
Thursday 21 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The front-page story this week reporting on the $50 Christmas ‘Bonus’ for Cook Islands beneficiaries is good news but one wonders just how self-satisfied our Members of Parliament are feeling for this most generous gift?
Letter: Flag change
Monday 18 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
I urge PM Mark Brown to pause and think about the historic qualities of our flag before changing it.
Letter: Leave the flag alone
Monday 18 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Can someone please get the PM Mark Brown to stop globetrotting and get down and do some hard work. Like trying to slow down and manage the cost-of-living increases and limit price increases for fuel, bread and power. Households are struggling. MPs wouldn’t know as they are highly paid.
Letter: Govt should learn to work and live within its means
Thursday 14 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Regarding the Constitutional Amendments Bills presented in Parliament yesterday, all other amendments are fine except increasing the number of Cabinet Ministers from six to eight.
Letter: Cut the red tape, end prohibition
Wednesday 13 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, It’s obvious the Government cannot come up with a plan for the legalisation of medicinal cannabis.
Letter: Motorcycle mayhem returns
Tuesday 12 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Readers will recall Andy Olah reporting from his side of the island and an Avarua reader reporting the same thing - the multiple motor bikes on the main road, day and night, in seemingly endless trips, with no mufflers, making misery for those who, literally, have to stop talking until the deaf riders have gone by.
Letter: Wynne urged to apologise for ‘false allegations’
Tuesday 12 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
I have respect for Thomas Wynne’s writing but I believe he should stop trying to justify his attack on Sir Gaven Donne.
Letter: Opposition MPs must ‘vote down’ Govt’s Cabinet increase proposal
Tuesday 12 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Here we go again. We hear the greedy Members of Parliament from government are trying to push through a constitutional amendment to increase the number of ministers in cabinet from six to eight.