Opinion

Kata - September 17, 2012

Monday 17 September 2012 | Published in Kata

Visa change impacts foreign workers

Saturday 15 September 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller texts to 188: “The New Zealand High Commission in Rarotonga’s decision not to process visas for non-Cook Islanders will create a lot of inconvenience for a significant number of foreign workers in the Cook Islands. Perhaps it’s time that government underwrites direct flights to Fiji.” A smoke signaller writes to TXT188: “Just […]

Rethink marine park's location

Saturday 15 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’ve been watching a documentary on CITV and reading articles in CINews on the proposed Cook Islands Marine Park, and I wanted to share my thoughts regarding this. Although I strongly support the idea of establishing this park in the Cook Islands, for some reason, the way we are going about it just […]

Sounds dodgy

Saturday 15 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, To ‘Real Non Nikao SFC Supporter’, are you really going to taint Stephen Willis’ name in the national paper over a bloody soccer match! Firstly, any dignified person giving an example of the indiscretion would have merely stated ‘Tupapa Player’ and ‘Nikao Player’ in their description of events. Sounds a little dodgy to […]

Back roads awful

Saturday 15 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As a person who lives inland on Rarotonga, I have never seen the conditions of the back roads in such an awful state. Huge crater-like potholes that are not only very damaging to motor vehicles but, more importantly, dangerous to motorists. I know of at least five persons who have come off the […]

Cola Gate – 'another rip off'

Saturday 15 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I would like to add my support to the concerns raised by Mr James Beer recently in the Cook Islands News regarding CITC’s special arrangement with its imports since 1980s. I would even go as far as saying that there appears to be a “rip off” of sorts that was occurring from the […]

Wake up, own what's yours

Friday 14 September 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

The minister of Marine Resources and his secretary have the audacity to go overseas and receive gifts, free trips, perks etc from very rich Asian businesspeople and not even be transparent at home first with fishing licences, shark fin hauls and fish catches requested by Reuben Tylor. Now we see that the Prime Minister’s wife […]

3 beautiful goals were scored

Friday 14 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Oh my gosh! It seems to me that Non Nikao SFC Supporter is still crying and hurting after Saturday’s soccer match between Tupapa and Nikao. What surprised me is this, this person claims to be a non-Nikao supporter and yet he/she seems to know the players’ names that played on the field, SURPRISE, […]

Why we feel we've come home

Friday 14 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I picked up my sister and her man from the airport on Sunday night. I’d got them each an ei and it was lovely to see them marvel and luxuriate in the fragrance and beauty of the waxy gardenias and fine, delicate tiare. I remember the time I was first garlanded with an […]

Kata - September 14, 2012

Friday 14 September 2012 | Published in Kata

Feeble excuse

Thursday 13 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, One of the expected benefits of having spent $24m or so upgrading Avatiu harbour is to enable its use by larger vessels, resulting (hopefully) in lower freight rates. But until we have enough inward cargo to fill these larger ships, they will obviously seek cargo for other ports, as has happened in the […]

No one realised it was 'poorly worded'?

Thursday 13 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The pen is mightier than the sword. In this case it should probably read: the printing press is mightier than the devious schemes of government. Thanks to you, CINews, for your full covering of the news. We have heard of the cunning and devious schemes the minister (Mark Brown) and his executive of […]

Inspired to protect our natural assets

Thursday 13 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As a long time resident of Rarotonga , and actively involved in the environmental scene in the Cook Islands, I want to congratulate John Woods and the staff of CINews for the wonderfully supportive and informative reporting on bringing the public’s attention to many issues affecting the future of the Cook Islands through […]

Kata - September 13, 2012

Thursday 13 September 2012 | Published in Kata

Was it poor refereeing or match fixing?

Thursday 13 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I make reference to semi retired soccer fan’s concern for the ‘terrible refereeing’ at the Nikao/Tupapa soccer match last Saturday and I totally agree with him. I am also a retired soccer player and know the rules of the game reasonably well. There were serious offences committed by Tupapa players that were not […]

Stand proud

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wish to publicly pass on my sincere congratulations to the Honourable Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, his Government and all the people of the Cook Islands on the way in which they managed through the recent Pacific Forum. It was an outstanding success. From the Prime Minister of New Zealand the […]

Questions should be asked over 'systematic ripoff'

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in Kata

Dear Editor, You have reported the significance of tax issues faced by Norman George and his associated company and made considerable ground in your attempt to ridicule the man with Kata. But failed you have and miserably, to ask more serious questions relating to the millions in uncollected taxes from CITC – being permitted to […]

Don't blame ship delay

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Brett Porter’s reported efforts (CINews September 11) to blame delayed arrival of a ship for a recent fuel shortage on Rarotonga ignore the facts, and are a transparent attempt to shift responsibility for Toa’s own lack of inventory management. Contrary to his quoted comments, Southern Reef was only four days behind her published […]

'Terrible refereeing' allegation answered

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’m a semi-retired sportsman who enjoys watching local matches and most televised sports programmes. Last Saturday I watched an exciting football match between Tupapa and Nikao that eventually went Tupapa’s way. Congratulations Tupapa. I also overheard from a nearby group that Tupapa had flown in three Manukau City FC players particularly for this […]

Police pay rates are 'a disgrace'

Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes regarding the police pay figures published in Monday’s CINews: “There is an old saying: ‘If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys’, and that seems very much to be a truism regarding the pittance Cook Islands police are paid. Morale must be very low indeed in a force bereft of decent pay […]