Opinion

Was it just another nightmare?

Thursday 6 June 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Have I gone mad? Or did I dream about it? I am pretty sure I did read when the Demos were ruling the roost that the Chinese had indicated the intention to make a $10 million ship for the Cooks.

'A little smack on the hand'

Wednesday 5 June 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Yesterday’s article in the Cook Islands News titled “Minister Heather’s Powers Curbed?” is just another way of trying to show the public that this government is doing the right thing when in reality they are giving the minister an easy way out with a little smack on the hand.

The Offshore Pirate's offshore impact

Wednesday 5 June 2013 | Published in Raro on my mind

I just watched The Offshore Pirate and shed a tear.

NZ influence 'a real worry'

Wednesday 5 June 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals

“James Beer’s tirade published on May 27 is a load of codswallop,” a smoke signaller writes.

Chinese funding for development

Tuesday 4 June 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We know we have to grow our economy to deliver wages, cost of living and cost of finance on par with our fellow New Zealanders to stop our people migrating to New Zealand and allow those who have migrated to come home, and the sooner the better! We know tourism on Rarotonga has expanded by some 20 per cent since the crash of 2008 and provided a platform on which to grow our economy and the opportunity to expand tourism to the outer islands to revive their economies, so they may contribute to the economy instead of feeding off Rarotonga’s economy.

Czars better for business, environment

Tuesday 4 June 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Brian Baudinet has some very valid points on cleaning up our national act, including cutting back the public sector,” a smoke signaller writes in response to his page 8 commentary in Saturday’s paper ‘The road to repopulation’.

'Taxpayers should boycott Toa'

Saturday 1 June 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Reading about the scrapping of the Toa withholding tax in this morning’s (May 31)CI News, really just throws salt on an old wound doesn’t it? We read that the taxpayer has had to prop up Brett Porter’s failing business to the tune of $0.515 million for the period July 2012 to January 2013, $1.35 million and $1.32 million for the years 2011-2012 and 2010-2011 respectively.

Trying to keep our culture alive

Saturday 1 June 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have written to you in the hope that the government will hear our frustrations and do something to fix the poor performance and lack of interest and investment towards our major cultural events in the Cook Islands.

Kata - June 1, 2013

Saturday 1 June 2013 | Published in Kata

Not convinced

Saturday 1 June 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Thank you Wilkie for your clarification in yesterday’s Cook Islands News on the subject matter of stealing and borrowing.

A cultural perspective on 'borrowing'

Friday 31 May 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have a forgiving nature which is a Christian virtue I practice.

Kata - May 31, 2013

Friday 31 May 2013 | Published in Kata

'So much for customer service'

Thursday 30 May 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Mr Editor, I find the comments of the new Westpac bank manager Brett Hooker simply ‘puppet comments’ rather than comments that the banks work to and actually apply.

Where we went wrong

Thursday 30 May 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We know we need to grow our economy sooner rather than later to stop our people migrating to New Zealand and Australia and allow those who have migrated to come home, and that growth has to be comprehensive, integrated and sustainable to be effective.

Stealing redefined?

Thursday 30 May 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In your paper of Tuesday May 28 (Light bulb ‘thief’ a ‘borrower’) Wilkie Rasmussen defends his client, a repeat offender for the past years, by saying that he broke into a neighbour’s shed (my shed, as a matter of fact) to borrow a light bulb.

'No after hours' Govt wheels

Thursday 30 May 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Isn’t it a policy not to drive government vehicles after hours?” asks a smoke signaller.

Kata - May 30, 2013

Thursday 30 May 2013 | Published in Kata

The power of perspective

Wednesday 29 May 2013 | Published in Raro on my mind

When life gives you lemons, well, add sugar and make lemonade.

Bring back the Pooh-Bah?

Wednesday 29 May 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We all know we have an alarming depopulation of indigenous Cook Islanders laced with alarming repopulation by foreign investors and migrant workers, which is a recipe for anarchy of the type occurring around the globe if not dealt with.