Opinion

Let COLA keep working

Thursday 24 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Was Wilkie Rasmussen right in Monday’s front page story? Would compensation tied to merit discriminate against some government workers? Oh, I can understand Wilkie’s argument, to be sure.

COLA, it's the real thing

Thursday 24 January 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals

KEEP the smokies rolling in! Smoke Signals and interesting island photos will be accepted by email (smokesignals@cookislandsnews.com), or text to 188 or a phone call to the newsroom on 22-999.

Spreading the aloha in LA

Wednesday 23 January 2013 | Published in Raro on my mind

I’m closing my eyes, absorbing the fullness of this sound, receiving the music of this Hawaiian with his slack-key guitar, this artist telling the stories of the secret valleys and the stately mountains of Hawai’i Nei, the stories of the people who knew those trees and those peaks.

COLA fair for public servants

Wednesday 23 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am very disappointed in the rather casual response by the Minister of Finance, Honourable Mark Brown about my initial comments on the cost of living adjustments (COLA) scheme.

'We know who we are'

Wednesday 23 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Mr Editor, I respond to Ngatokorua Ata Piakura seeking the truth of the history surrounding Ngati Pa of Takitumu.

COLA in current form obselete

Wednesday 23 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Kia orana e tama, COLA in its current form is archaic and should be amended.

Kata - January 23, 2013

Wednesday 23 January 2013 | Published in Kata

COLA keeps the engine running

Tuesday 22 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Adjusting the cost of living is a relatively straight forward matter for any government.

Ministerial travel costs questioned

Tuesday 22 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In the absence of a Parliament sitting, I wish to raise questions of extreme importance and urgency in the public interest concerning a ministerial travel budget blowout.

School road needs work

Tuesday 22 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In preparation for the beginning of this year’s back to school for all the kiddies at Takitumu Primary school next week, it is my fervent hope that the Matavera MP, Kiriau Turepu, will do something about the dreadful condition of the road that leads to the school from the main road.

2 smiles

Tuesday 22 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Young twins Uhain-Ngaru and Haize-Hau (pictured) show off their best smiles while having a dip in a tub.

Pukapuka NZ, Puaikura unbeaten

Tuesday 22 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Puaikura and Pukapuka New Zealand have shown they are the early candidates for top honours at the Women’s Pacific Cup by winning their opening matches at the three-day tournament yesterday.

Dig deep for a good cause

Tuesday 22 January 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “There is a noticeable trend for sports teams and such like to travel around the island on a Saturday morning holding up traffic and begging for a donation, so they can travel to some far off land to play a game or whatever.

Kata - January 22, 2013

Tuesday 22 January 2013 | Published in Kata

No need for cost of living adjustments

Monday 21 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The issue of COLA is not new.

Maire is part of our identity

Monday 21 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Aloha.

Sunday flights: Would Jesus mind?

Monday 21 January 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals

‘Would Jesus Christ Mind If You Flew to Paradise on a Sunday?’ is the provocative heading of a new article in The Atlantic, a well known publication based in Washington and New York.

Kata - January 21, 2013

Monday 21 January 2013 | Published in Kata

Kata - January 19, 2013

Saturday 19 January 2013 | Published in Kata

Where does the truth of our history lie?

Saturday 19 January 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I would like to send a short message through CINews to the cowardly ‘Ngati Had Enuf’ that it’s a waste of time and pen to make a sound decent reply to his trivial-minded letter which appeared in your issue of January 15.