Opinion

Loss of Beattie 'a great shame'

Saturday 4 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The sudden loss of CEO Carmel Beattie from Cook Islands Tourism last week should raise many questions. When Carmel Beattie first came to Atiu with her team she arrived to a very sceptical tourism community that sat in the meeting with folded arms, eyes on the floor with a mind set of ‘here […]

'Height of naivety, below the belt'

Saturday 4 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I would not normally respond to such an article as that written by ‘And Justice For All’ published in your column in the August 2 issue. Much as I support the rights of people to free expression, I am saddened by your writer’s totally erroneous insinuations. In this instance, I can only speak […]

Kata - August 4, 2012

Saturday 4 August 2012 | Published in Kata

CISNOC board 'should all resign'

Saturday 4 August 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

”That was a great decision by Cook Islands Tourism to fund our Olympic team’s uniforms,“ a smoke signaller says. ”Exposure to billions of people at very little cost! Hope these types of decisions continue now that the CEO has been ousted. Rumour is the Tourism board was unhappy with the expenditure.“

What a joke

Saturday 4 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am a rheumatism sufferer and I have been planting marijuana for the last 10 or more years and my whole neighbourhood knows about my little garden. My late wife looks after my garden because my plants are kept at her undercover grave and it is kept alight every night. Marijuana don’t like […]

Sentences over the top

Saturday 4 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This is a response to the letter by ‘Justice for all’. I am disappointed the writer chose to make reference regarding the parents and even extended family members of the recently sentenced Giovanni Masters and Inano Matapo. The ‘fuss’ being made over the sentences is in relation to the extremely high terms of […]

Samoan insights

Saturday 4 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, ”Even the blind man can still see.“ This is the caption written by my son Tamarii (T2) on one of the art pieces that he did while he was still a student at Tereora College. The art piece itself depicts his fierce pride in his twin heritage of being a Cook Islander and […]

Tangata ngakau tamanamanta

Friday 3 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Kia Orana e Tama, Te tatau nei au ma te marekakore i te manako o Norman George e tona au turuturu kia riro koia te arataki o taku party te Democratic Party. Kare ai nei ko teia Tangata, e mema aia no te Cook Islands Party, e kua tu aia I raro ake I te […]

'I'm a Demo'

Friday 3 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I will put my case to the public for the last time and will no longer respond to further comments. (a) There is no such law in existence as the law against party hopping. (b) The law being mistaken for it, section 105 of the 2007 Electoral Amendment Act covers 3 things: 1. […]

Silence this man!

Friday 3 August 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

”Mike Tavioni makes too much sense – government should take immediate steps to silence this man,“ a smoke signaller writes tongue-in-cheek in response to the front page article ‘Sack board, not Beattie: Tavioni’. ”We really don’t need him reminding us that most of the dollars spent by tourists getting here, eating here and sleeping here […]

Allegations answered

Thursday 2 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I refer to the news item in yesterday’s CINews wherein the Leader of the Opposition and MP for Penrhyn Wilkie Rasmussen was reported to have made a number of allegations regarding the payment made by the Cook Islands Pearl Authority (CIPA) to the Manihiki Island culture group. I wish to provide the following […]

Papa'a judges the problem

Thursday 2 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Your letter writer calling for an end to ”foreign“ Judges sitting in the High Court of the Cook Islands is certainly a topic that needs debate. The problem however is not ”foreign“ Judges but Papa’a Judges. We are privileged to have two Land Division Judges who, when not sitting here, sit on the […]

Kata - August 2, 2012

Thursday 2 August 2012 | Published in Kata

Support and sympathy from former HOM

Thursday 2 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I just wanted to express my commiseration to Carmel Beattie’s sacking. As a former Head of Ministry and a colleague I have known her to be very professional, articulate, good debater and participated very well in HOMs meeting especially in relation to Government policies, budget planning and business planning. Also as a former […]

A lot want a drug-free country

Thursday 2 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read with sadness the view of Undercover Marijuana Taker in the paper. I cannot believe that we have people living here in our country with this kind of mind frame. One cannot blame the judges for the decision passed on these kids. These judges are guided by the laws of this country, […]

No fear

Wednesday 1 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Since Norman George saw fit to mention my name in his letter to you yesterday, a reply from me is prompted. I have absolutely no fear of him and his intentions to join the Democratic Party. For some time now I have kept my silence and have not responded to his personal attacks […]

Get rid of alien judges

Wednesday 1 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It angered me listening to the Deputy Prime Minister on Thursday and Friday praising the Cook Islands’ self determination. Why are these alien judges or justices still dominating in our court house? Is that self determination? I don’t think so. Didn’t the late Albert Henry fight so hard to get rid of these […]

Backtracking at CISNOC

Wednesday 1 August 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Yesterday’s news release with quotes by CEO Dan O’Brien didn’t fool everybody. Mr O’Brien is quoted as being in a voluntary position. Not so. The CEO’s position is a paid position. His attempt at drawing support certainly didn’t fool this writer. He then suggests there was criticism toward his family. That is not […]

Kata - August 1, 2012

Wednesday 1 August 2012 | Published in Kata

Comments 'cheap shot'

Tuesday 31 July 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: ”I for one was not amused by Norman George’s uncalled for vicious swiping insult of Lady Marito Maoate during the late Sir Terepai’s state funeral. A number of people laughed at the jokes and revelations he made about politicians and what they get up to but when he turned on Lady […]