Letters to the Editor
LETTER TO EDITOR: Some questions for CIIC …
Friday 10 March 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I have some questions for CIIC (Cook Islands Investment Corporation), regarding the new plan for the market, and thought a public forum like the paper would a good format to do this, so everyone concerned can get the answers they need. I understand all stallholders (arts, crafts, and advertising for tourism) are being moved to the new location, past the current huts into the park, and all food vendors are heading to the old playground.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Extent of negativity ‘disgusting’
Thursday 9 March 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I cannot believe the extent of negativity I’m reading on this trail regarding Jack Ma’s visit to our island and judgements passed based on hearsay and assumption. All you need to do is read up on Mr Ma’s Foundation and the huge financial support the foundation has given that spans over almost 10 years (and I’m not talking $millions, but $billions) to support education for teachers and students in the most rural and remote areas, funding for women empowerment, created thousands of jobs, helped eradicate poverty in China and then in 2020 spent millions on research towards a cure for COVID-19.
LETTER: ‘Unlawful and misguided act’
Tuesday 7 March 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The phrase above the law describes a person who is exempt from following the rules or at least thinks he or she is exempt. Usually a person who is above the law has a very high government position or a lot of power.
Letter to Editor: Dog owners ‘are the problem’
Wednesday 1 March 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Dog owners need to take responsibility for their part of not taking care of their dogs! (‘Stop dog culling’: SPCA threatens to leave Dog Committee if shooting doesn’t stop, February 24, 2023). They end up roaming and causing chaos for all!
Tender for road works
Tuesday 28 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Good to see the roads being sealed but I never seen any tender for this clean up job. Come on e Garth (Henderson, Financial Secretary), come on e Arapati, eaa teia angaanga repo. Why no tender. I think same thing happen for the Ngatangiia and Avatiu valley roads before the election. No tender too. Na kotou rai e aati ta kotou ture. E kino tikae teia tu.
Where’s the stair climber machine?
Monday 27 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, With all the current excitement about a new lift (elevator) being installed at the Court House/Justice complex, finally addressing the long existing issue of how to get the pakari, elderly and infirm, as well as mothers and babies, up those stairs and into the Court/land/BDM sections, one is forced to ask what ever happened to that Stair Climber machine, which the then Minister in charge trialled and demonstrated live on CITV, and no doubt had photos in the CINews back in the day? Does anyone else recall that event, which was touted as being the beginning of a new access era in a Justice building already fraught with issues.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Dog problem ‘getting out of hand’
Saturday 25 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The animal welfare group and Dog Registration and Animal Control Committee (DRACC) who are looking at changing the Act and legislation relating to animal welfare are wasting their time and should leave it alone – karuke i te ture – it won’t do any good.
Tackling Raro’s dog problem
Friday 24 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, After reading this article (Authorities ramp up dog euthanasia on Rarotonga, Cook Islands News, February 23, 2023), I’m really disheartened to see that the Cook Islands Police are clearly just blatantly shooting people’s pets. The numbers just don’t add up? 34 dogs killed in January by the Cook Islands Police – two involved in attacks and eight strays. That means that 24 of the dogs that were shot were obviously people’s pets? Was there substantial and fair effort made to contact the owners? Did they have time to come and collect their pets? Were they fined or given warnings before their fur family members were shot dead?
LETTER TO EDITOR: Under pressure, high school staff offered ‘gift packs, massages and wellness checks’
Thursday 23 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I write in response to Mathew Littlewood’s article, “Under pressure high school staff offered ‘gift packs, massages and wellness checks”, of 22nd February 2023.
Ministry of Finance and Economic Management responds
Wednesday 22 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Kia Orana, Further to the letter to the editor published on the 20 February, 2023 under the heading “MFEM’s ‘sheer arrogance’” , I would like to respond to some of the comments made by the writer as follows: The decision to release details of any costs does not rest with the Financial Secretary, the Director of Revenue Management or anybody else in MFEM. The decision rests with the Court and until the court makes the documents public, which can only be done at the instruction of the judge who heard the matter, any release of information contained in the judgement can result in prosecution against the person who released the information.
Bank burn-off . . . unhappy in the valley
Tuesday 21 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, This weekend past a local bank had a burn-off in a residential area in Takuvaine. This is where the bank burn off sensitive printed documents and paper waste, among other things. Without consulting the neighbours, this burn-off went ahead resulting in plumes of acrid smoke hanging over the whole neighbourhood.
LETTER TO EDITOR: MFEM’s ‘sheer arrogance’
Monday 20 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The sheer arrogance that MFEM (Ministry of Finance and Economic Management) is displaying with regard to the Air New Zealand tax refund debacle, and subsequent legal fees Cook Islands as a country has incurred trying to fight this issue, is quite ridiculous and mind boggling (Cook Islands News, 13 February, 2023).
‘Partition’ of Nukupure Park
Friday 17 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, This is sad for all the people of Ngati Tangiia and Rangiatea (Court application to determine the future of Nukupure Park, Cook Islands News, February 14, 2023). The biggest issues here is greed for dollars. There’s a lot of people that came through that club and they left their legacy behind in that […]
LETTER TO EDITOR: Partition ‘will not affect’ Nukupure Park
Wednesday 15 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The landowners wish to correct the statements in Tuesday’s paper regarding the Ngatangiia Matavera Sports Club (Court application to determine the future of Nukupure Park, Cook Islands News, February 14). This land has not been “gifted” to anyone. It remains the landowners’ land, and the landowners are the ones who get to decide what happens to our land.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Medicinal cannabis industry
Tuesday 14 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The new Minister for CIIC (Cook Islands Investment Corporation) Albert Nicholas has already got a lot of good work done as was reported in your paper on 11-2-23 when he announced the appointment of the new CIIC Board members after meeting with Cabinet at the end of last month. Rose Brown, the Minister of Health, needs to show the same work ethic and start the process to get our medicinal cannabis industry jump started in the Cook Islands.
LETTER TO EDITOR: History and tradition: The ‘truth’ from the belief
Saturday 11 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The challenge of tradition and or the interpretation of history associated with tradition is that like beauty – it is in the eyes of the beholder (Vaka Paikea to get whale art as tribute to legendary Maori ancestor and his journey, February 9, 2023). All it takes is a misinterpretation of the original message and it soon becomes Chinese whispers which then takes on a life of its own to such an extent that the truth is not really the truth.
Starlink set to enter Cooks market
Thursday 9 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Regarding Starlink access into the Cook Islands, what is not confirmed in this article is who will be a local partner and it would be silly not to (Starlink set to enter Cook Islands broadband market, Cook Islands News, February 6).
When will we ever learn?
Tuesday 7 February 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, You may ask what has the installation of that ugly new Papa’a style fence at Takitumu School got to do with culture and heritage? Here in the Cook Islands we are experiencing a cultural revival … especially in Te Reo and dance.
Letter: The ‘truth’ of Australia Day
Thursday 26 January 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, This is information that all Australians need to know. Especially those that believe it has to do with how anybody was treated. People should learn the true facts before opening their mouth to spew falsehood.
Letter: Australia’s ‘Invasion Day’ debate
Tuesday 24 January 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, January 26th is a date that polarises opinion in Australia.