Letters to the Editor
LETTER: Too little, too late
Friday 4 December 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"Businesses and government have to share the blame for the delay in opening up a NZ/CI travel bubble."
LETTER: Giving credit where it’s due
Thursday 3 December 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"I think the Cook Islands Government are responsible for our Covid free status."
LETTER: Suggestion to improve tendering process
Wednesday 2 December 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"Tenders over $1million should be conducted with a public opening of bids with an independent auditor present to ensure all bidders comply with contract documents."
LETTER: Calling out corruption in Cooks
Tuesday 1 December 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Thank you, John Uri, for taking the time to respond (Letter: Who is corrupting your system? Monday, November 30). You raise a very good point on specificity and of calling people out and I am happy to respond to that. In today’s world, calling people out by name and hanging them out in the public […]
LETTERS: Delaying debate on same-sex rights
Friday 27 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"The government’s deferral of accepting same sex relationships will make them the laughing stock, so to speak, of the world."
LETTER: What are the effects of water treatment on Rarotonga's streams?
Thursday 26 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"Freshwater streams are not used as drain for water treatment residuals in New Zealand - or in Australia. There is no scientific research on the long-term effects of PACl waste on stream life."
LETTER: Landowner concerns with water treatment
Thursday 26 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"The landowners who do not oppose government were invited. As an intake landowner, and Takau Rangatira, I was not notified. I was not invited to witness chemicals being added."
LETTER: Treatment of Rarotonga’s water supply
Monday 23 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"Ozone is far more powerful than chlorine and there is no residual foul taste, and while I am certain the authorities would have considered it, it would have been ruled out for no other reason that it would require the electrification of all ten intakes and the impact of that cost on what was already an embarrassment would have been untenable."
LETTER: Treating drinking water using ozone
Saturday 21 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"We have the unique opportunity of not only getting into the 20th century but also the 21st century by using ozone to treat our water"
LETTER: Te Mato Vai - Dealing with ‘shoddy’ pipework
Friday 20 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"So tragic and so avoidable ... a water system, especially in a climate where winter frost protection isn’t a problem, is a simple thing. With materials meeting the standards of Canada, the USA, etc., a domestic water distribution system should require little to no significant maintenance for 50 years or more."
Letter: Independence and integrity of Government institutions
Tuesday 17 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"The rental of the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance’s private property to the Chamber of Commerce in Tutakimoa borders on a potential and/or direct conflict of interest clouded under the guise of Covid-19 assistance to the community."
Letter: ‘Set the record straight’
Monday 16 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
The transparent and accountable process which the late prime minister and minister of Police Jim Marurai insisted be used to select a new Police Commissioner should set an example for the government, writes Opposition MP William Heather.
Letter: Book your NZ quarantine now
Saturday 14 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"Although we have no virus in Rarotonga, this easy access to New Zealand has been cut off for the last seven months unless we submit to the same quarantine that applies to people coming from countries such as India and Russia where the virus is rampant. "
Letter: Commitment to the cause of men's health
Friday 13 November 2020 | Written by Emmanuel Samoglou | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
I would like to congratulate George George for taking on the challenge in promoting men’s health issues and speaking publicly about something that is very real and all men should take notice. I understand he and others tried a couple of years ago to get this off the ground, but it’s been like, ‘oh I’m […]
Letters: Challenges of a travel bubble
Wednesday 11 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Readers weigh in on the potential for a travel bubble between Cook Islands and New Zealand, as well as the recent US election.
Letter: ‘All I want for Christmas’
Tuesday 10 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"My beef is that the Cook Islands are Covid free, no reported cases, ever, period, but New Zealand will not label us as a “low risk” country."
Letter: Play your part in Covid battle
Monday 9 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
The majority of people who are returning back to the Cooks are returning residents and they are coming via Auckland airport; we currently have no cases in Auckland. Rather than bagging people or arguing on Facebook because that’s clearly not going to solve this decision and trying to execute the PM and his Cabinet, why […]
Letter: Water project points to need for enforcement of environment laws
Saturday 7 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
"When executive government flaunts existing regulations; NES and the Ombudsman are unable to execute their duties; and public petitions are routinely derailed, we don’t need new laws. We need law enforcement."
Letter: Identifying the impacts of seabed mining
Friday 6 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Thanks to Te Ipukarea Society (TIS) for the background information and for outlining how a moratorium would allow time for us to achieve many other goals like establishing Marae Moana zones and aligning with the UN’s strategy. Serious question though, other than supporting other NGO’s who call for the same thing, what actual steps would […]
Letter: Billions of tons of ‘God’s blessings’
Thursday 5 November 2020 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
There is nothing short-term about the wealth we have sitting at the bottom of our ocean – 5kms deep. Billions of tons of God’s blessings sitting there, more than enough to provide for many generations of our people. Look at places like Norway, great example of how they have harnessed their natural resources, harvested responsibly […]