Opinion
Back road digging causes more problems
Friday 20 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I hope that any further digging alongside the back road in Tikioki will receive proper assessment to avoid wasting limited resources on unnecessary activities.
Reform: It's time to think beyond the obvious
Friday 20 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, In 20 years of discussing political reform, no-one ever seems to get beyond the thought of cutting some constituencies out and reducing seats.
E tu e ara e te iti tangata Kuki Airani
Friday 20 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Kia Orana e te etita, E reo poroki teia na te Koutu Nui e te au arongamana e manako nei i teia au tumu tapura.
Outer islands need doctors
Friday 20 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, A number of decisions made by this present government over the last two terms of parliament have affected some, if not all Cook Islanders and were enacted despite serious protests from various sectors of the public.
Road toll deemed 'money-grabbing'
Thursday 19 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
In March my family were holidaying in Rarotonga. I was very surprised to find that we had to pay a $5 toll every time we drove down the road to Wigmore’s Waterfall (there is a $2 charge per walker).
Brown presents 'delusional picture'
Thursday 19 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Is this a case of the pot calling the kettle black, or people in glasshouses should not throw stones? And who actually qualifies for his description of “ignorant”?
Now's the time for another road check
Thursday 19 April 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
After all the rain and flooding, now’s the time for PM Puna to do an inspection of the roads on Rarotonga, a smoke signaller says. “But try a motorbike this time and my advice wear a helmet: it’s a pothole minefield!”
Tax on NZ pensions
Thursday 19 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
A number of decisions have been made by this present government over the last two terms of parliament. These decisions affect some (if not all) Cook Islanders and were enacted despite serious protestations from various sectors of the public.
Kata - 18/04/2018
Wednesday 18 April 2018 | Published in Kata
Smokies - 18/04/2018
Wednesday 18 April 2018 | Published in Smoke Signals
TE MATO VAI COSTINGS A LITTLE VAGUE In discussions with a fellow petitioner to parliament regarding Te Mato Vai, a question was raised regarding the lack of costings for the project. What would our three local banks think about lending on an application to finance a project of this magnitude? The application would read something like this: “It will be roughly $30 million for the ring main and another $34 million for stage two. A total of $64 million. (These figures are estimates only; we will know the real costs after we start the project).” EXTORTION CLAIMS What is the outcome of these ridiculous claims by Wilkie Rasmussen regarding George Pitt? Have the police completed their investigation? After all the media hype surrounding this much-publicised incident, nothing comes of it? SS: Our repeated questions on this subject have met with silence. It is strongly rumoured however, that Pitt is, or has been, advising some factions of the Democratic Party. CULTURE CONTEST JUDGING Congrats to all the Tereora College teams that competed in the cultural festival competition at the Auditorium last Thursday night. However, in the spirit of fairness, in the future, please don’t select judges who are directly helping the teams in the competition which is what happened at the auditorium. If judges are helping a particular team, then they should not be allowed to judge when their team is performing to show fairness to everyone. Otherwise it puts other teams at a disadvantage and will destroy the hard work and effort that has been put into the performance by the other groups. On a positive note, it is good to see that our culture is still alive. DON’T CYCLE ON THE FOOTPATHS! I was walking along the footpath on the way to the market on the lagoon side the other day when I nearly got run into by a very fast local cyclist coming at top speed from behind. I then had to move over as several tourist cyclists came towards me on the same footpath. This is happening more regularly than ever before and since the tourist season will be starting in earnest soon, I think signs should be put up to say this is not a cycle track! MURI SPEED LIMIT Early in the first term of government the then police minister (Henry Puna), imposed a speed restriction in the area of Muri. There has been very little by way of enforcement of this restriction (by traffic authorities and little radar or checkpoints). However, the condition of the road throughout Muri/Titikaveka is such that any speeds above the imposed limit would be hugely detrimental to the integrity of any vehicle. STOP TALKING AND DO SOMETHING There is continual rhetoric from the government regarding the condition of Rarotonga’s lagoon waters. However, over the last few years there has been very little actual decision-making as to what remedial works or causes of the problems are required, to correct the unhealthy situation. BIKE SAFETY When school resumes next year, let’s hope the students get a good talking to about the need to take care on the roads when they ride their bicycles. Some elementary knowledge of the road rules and the need for common sense, might be helpful. Doing wheel stands, weaving all over the road and not bothering to look before riding on to busy roads, isn’t conducive to a long life.
'Making it happen' cops criticism
Wednesday 18 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, “Let’s make it happen.”
Placing blame for the floods
Tuesday 17 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Regarding the headline in CI News on Wednesday, April 11, ‘Government blamed for flooding’.
Corruption columns amusing
Tuesday 17 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
It was with great amusement that I read the columns by both Demo leader Tina Browne and chief executive Wilkie Rasmussen about corruption.
Demos don't look that ready to me
Tuesday 17 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
‘We are ready, bring it on, we have got this…’ Nek minute! All I can see is panic and insults being thrown as one of the Demo leaders, Tina Browne, prepares to get on a plane on Sunday for a netball game. Helloooo… anybody home?
Awaiting debate with bated breath
Tuesday 17 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, We should be grateful that the CIP President Nga Jessie offered an opinion, even if it has been suggested that he was not the author of the letter he signed, dated Wednesday April 11. But because it is from the CIP president it would have to then be an official position from the Cook Islands Party. If anything, it is precisely what helps build a better democracy; constructive criticism giving a clear indication of where each party stands on different areas of public policy. It is positive to the extent necessary to help voters draw their own conclusions on party policy, helping them make informed decisions in the June elections. So, what can we take from the CIP president’s letter? We can now establish the CIP position in at least four areas, those being the four areas the opposition raised with the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern in February of this year in our open letter. The CIP president says the government is working on electoral reform. He might have this wrong. I think he means the Cook Islands Party, not the government? In general, a government matter would require a bill or an amendment to the Electoral Act, and come to parliament, but before that there would be debate – similar debate as we have seen in the last few weeks on this subject alone. So how the CIP president knows about reforming our Electoral Act when MPs don’t is a curious point. I hope Mr Jessie in a future letter can clarify this. If it is political reform policy that the CIP president is referring to from the Cook Islands Party, now that would be a first, and it would be prudent to now provide to the public the CIP position on political reform. Let’s see it, let’s debate it. We don’t want to read about it after the elections. I seriously doubt that any CIP reform initiatives on this subject would be serious enough to include voter equity. We wait with bated breath. In the same vein, when the CIP president responds, which I hope he does, can he tell us whether he is aware that his government on their recent ‘state visit’ to New Zealand had on its agenda commerce legislation under the guise of ‘consumer protection’ up for discussion and were simultaneously seeking assistance from New Zealand? How does that assistance compare with our suggestion to New Zealand prime minister Ardern as an alternative? Again, I doubt that Mr Jessie is aware of this, otherwise the letter would have been crafted differently. Is this the proverbial left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing? Finally, from the letter in the final two points, both on ‘Law and order’ and ‘Audits’, what is your policy then? Remain with the status quo, and do nothing? If it is then say so – advise the public that your policy is largely to do and say nothing and that the status quo of one law for all, is, for as long as the law doesn’t affect our leaders remain unchanged and to seek no new recommendations. If the CIP are happy with the breaches of the Constitution when it comes to reporting both ‘unauthorised expenditure’, eight years of failure and Crown Accounts’ six years of failure in this area are acceptable to you and the public then please say so. If you have a method that will fix it other than passing legislation to retrospectively cancel this responsibility, like the core tax writeoff, then inform the public. I look forward to robust debate in the weeks ahead on these important subjects. James Beer Democratic Party Candidate 2018
Kata 16 April
Monday 16 April 2018 | Published in Kata
Kata 14 April
Monday 16 April 2018 | Published in Kata
Machiavellian machinations and mismanagement
Monday 16 April 2018 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, Well, well! Following the ‘breaking news’ announcement on CITV last week (which was apparently also revealed earlier during the CI Radio 6pm news session), the QR Tom Marsters has dissolved parliament (as advised by PM Puna to His Excellency of course), with the date of the 2018 election set as Thursday, June 14.
It is time to choose a government
Monday 16 April 2018 | Published in Opinion
Four years ago, the people of the Cook Islands went to the polls and voted back into office the Cook Islands Party (CIP).
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