Letters to the Editor
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.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Airport project ‘disaster from inception’
Tuesday 15 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, The $6.5 million runway replacement project was a disaster waiting to happen before it even started. Look at the people in charge. The project manager, Ianis Boaza, is an Airport Authority board member and deputy chairman. He is a political appointment, with no engineering qualifications and experience. Taoro Brown, is the chairman of the Airport Authority, another political appointment, with no engineering qualifications and experience.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Should we be worried about a 16 per cent NCEA pilot pass rate?
Monday 14 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Kia orana ki to tatou iti tangata. I read with shock that our Cook Islands’ students received a 16 per cent pass rate during the NCEA pilot test.
Man’s best friend
Monday 14 November 2022 | Written by Ruta Tangiiau Mave | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
It’s been a hard day’s night and I’ve been working like a dog (Beatles) – this has been a phrase used for ages to describe where an employee is at the mercy of the employer and is made to work on a task without taking any breaks, writes Ruta Mave.
LETTER TO EDITOR: ‘Fleecing the power uses’
Saturday 12 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Kia Orana, if, as Trevor Clarke states in his excellent letter to the editor, (Cook Islands News, October 25, 2022), the main reason for Te Aponga Uira’s existence has been moved from providing sustainable electricity at cheapest prices to the iti Tangata of Rarotonga, to becoming a cash cow for CIIC (Cook Islands Investment Corporation), then surely TAU has to come clean, and provide reasons justifying that position.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Search and rescue mission
Friday 11 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Some observations from someone close to the person brought down off the cross island walk recently. Do not get me wrong, the SAR (search and rescue) teams are an incredibly important service for the community however some other points need to be brought to the conversations being shared over the last few weeks in the newspaper.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Cap on visitor numbers
Thursday 10 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Our Tahitian cousins, it seems, are light-years ahead of us once again, calling for a cap on visitor numbers. They want a cap at 300,000 tourists so that there is one local for each visitor.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Remembering the late Police chief
Tuesday 8 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Please allow me to write a few words about this great Cook Islander. Tangata Nekeare made history together with Fred Goodwin (now Sir Fred Goodwin) when they were the first police cadets appointed by the Cook Islands Police.
LETTER TO EDITOR: China support ‘should be welcomed’
Saturday 5 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Your letter writer of yesterday’s ‘No Chinatown’ message is just sour grapes.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Justice must be seen to be done
Friday 4 November 2022 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I’m confused! In the Cook Islands News court report of 2 November, I read where a young man pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving. The offence being the result of a two car a collision, where he ran into the rear of another vehicle. The police allege it was due to him not paying attention on the road. Full article click on link