Letters to the Editor
What is a Cook Islander?
Tuesday 20 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, National, Opinion
Dear Editor, A bit harsh to say that your identity will depend on one knowing the language (Cook Islands people need to value their language: Turua, Cook Islands News, December 6, 2022).
LETTER TO EDITOR: Tricky side to cannabis legislation
Saturday 17 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor: Te Marae Ora mainly buys therapeutic products from New Zealand and Australia. These generally fall under three categories: medicine - including prescriptions, over-the counter medicines, and complimentary medicines, such as paracetamol.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Traditional vs contemporary
Friday 16 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Totally agree with you on that (Authenticity of culture promoted in tourism industry questioned, Cook Islands News, December 5). It’s a global trait, culture is becoming an entertainment commodity, to win hearts, tourists etc. Sadly, there’s little that can be done to reverse this evolution.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Educate yourself about cannabis use
Thursday 15 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Although every part of the marijuana plant can be used, it’s primarily the buds that are cured and used in which way you prefer. I stand with legalisation, but I feel that education is so very important in order to prevent abuse of the plant.
‘We have earned our NZ citizenship’
Wednesday 14 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Why do we live in a situation where our closest constitutional partner says no, it will cost you our deepest part of connection, and a no when balanced against the threat of losing our New Zealand citizenship (when bidding for UN membership).
LETTER: UN Membership bid: NZ behaving ‘like a coloniser’
Tuesday 13 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, If the Cooks wanted to become a sovereign nation, it needed its own citizenship. Cook Islanders would remain New Zealand citizens but “if they want to change it, they can”. Then Prime Minister Helen Clark said in June 2001. “If they want to exert full independence, New Zealand will not stand in their way.”
LETTER: Have we earned our NZ citizenship, or not?
Monday 12 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
If the Cooks wanted to become a sovereign nation, it needed its own citizenship. Cook Islanders would remain New Zealand citizens but "if they want to change it, they can." Then Prime Minister Helen Clark said in June 2001 "If they want to exert full independence, New Zealand will not stand in their way."
LETTER TO EDITOR: Homosexual Law reform remains in limbo
Friday 9 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
‘Science shows us that people are born LGBTQ+’
‘Vicious and uncivilised’ marijuana laws
Tuesday 6 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Did you know that under the Ministry of Health Act 2013 that marijuana fits the description of a medicine? In the Act it reads in part that, “Medicine means any substance whether of animal, plant or synthetic origin which is used internally or externally for alleviating disease”.
Lawmakers – Hypocrites or pearly white?
Monday 5 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, This writer sat in the High Court, Criminal Division, on Friday and watched two sentences handed down from the 2021 Police operation on Aitutaki – the operation that brought an end to the international, million dollar drug cartel carried out by the young criminals of that island. I would have sat through more of the sentencing, but it was just too painful seeing young lives destroyed.
LETTER TO EDITOR: History behind Kimiangatau’s founding
Friday 2 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, While it’s good to get new local programmes on CITV, it is not good practice to source material from just one person and not do any cross-checking.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Give us clean water or come clean
Thursday 1 December 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, While the stated “nearly $90 million” cost to date for Te Mato Vai may not be correct (and many think it’s closer to $120m), we all need to be reminded that when the project was announced at a budget of $59 million, multiple Cook Islanders argued that something like $15 million would put […]
Legal recreational drug of choice
Monday 28 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Perhaps you have a young cub reporter on staff who could work his or her way through the last five or so years of Cook Islands News and come up with a rough estimate of the percentage of newsprint reporting on the downside of our national acceptance of alcohol as our legal recreational drug of choice
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Time to review electricity rates?
Saturday 26 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
TAU (Te Aponga Uira) were quick to respond to fuel increases by increasing their electricity rates across the board.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Making up law as they go?
Saturday 26 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, In 2020, Te Marae Ora, through the Director of Clinical Services put out a release that stated “There are no laid down import regulations for methadone”. Methadone is a Class B controlled drug in the Narcotics and Misuse of Drugs Act 2004.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Pero’s airline ‘a missed opportunity’
Wednesday 23 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, It’s disappointing that this government would choose to reject this new airline proposal (Pero’s national airline dreams dashed again, Cook Islands News, November 19).
LETTER TO EDITOR: Airline’s ‘monopolistic airfares’
Tuesday 22 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Browsing online through NZ Herald today there’s an Air New Zealand advertisement offering one-way airfares from Auckland to Honolulu at $589. The distance between Auckland and Honolulu is three times that between Auckland and Rarotonga.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Where are our ministries?
Monday 21 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Did you know that under the Narcotics and Misuse of Drugs Act 2004, there is a provision that would allow relief of the physical and emotional pain of the Cook Islands people, with the introduction of medicinal cannabis but the TMO, Crown Law and Customs are too inept to bring this to fruition.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Medicinal cannabis plan
Friday 18 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Given that the vast majority of Cook Islanders, 62 per cent voted in favour of medicinal cannabis being introduced into the Cook Islands, the Prime Minister Mark Brown has the authority and the command to legally change the Narcotics and Misuse of Drugs Act 2004 in so many different ways, in order to introduce a medicinal cannabis plan that suits us and does not defeat the purpose of making this medicine available at cost effective prices.
Let’s celebrate our talent
Thursday 17 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Let’s all just celebrate that we can showcase talented Cook Islanders no matter where they reside (NZ CIRU to represent Cook Islands at Oceania 7s, November 12). Appreciate the families (and businesses) who’ve stepped up to fund their child’s airfare to NZ at such short notice.