Opinion

Kata - July 10, 2012

Tuesday 10 July 2012 | Published in Kata

'Let down big time by our leaders'

Tuesday 10 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have never met such a stupid government. They even ignored sending a delegation to the Festival of Pacific Arts. Who would ever do that to the people they represent and if it wasn’t for us they wouldn’t even be where they are now running the country. I mean, running, yeah right. I […]

Helmets compulsory at night?

Tuesday 10 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I see the recent late night accidents and subsequent deaths has brought the ‘helmet or not’ argument back to the pages of the Cook Islands News. When I lived on the island in 2002-2004 (and following a tragic motorbike death) this debate was strong then and no doubt the debate has continued since […]

Govt must make helmets compulsory

Monday 9 July 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

”I say that the law must be changed to make motorcyclists wear helmets at all times,“ writes a smoke signaller on this important issue facing the country. ”Wearing helmets must be at all times, not only when going a certain speed. Once you lay the law to wear a helmet, no one should be exempted […]

Helmets are cool, being dead isn't!

Monday 9 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Over here on the ‘Big Island’ aka Australia, the wearing of helmets for both motorcyclists including scooter riders, and cyclists is compulsory. Why? Because put simply, they save lives. A little known fact is that a fall from a pushbike is akin to a force of 60G’s being exerted on the skull. An […]

Keep Punanga Nui Market 'honest'

Monday 9 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Can someone please from this Cook Islands Party government explain to the Punanga Nui Market vendors, hut owners, and the general public, why a chairwoman has been appointed to a ‘board’ and who used to be the Punanga Nui manager, who was also forced to leave before a particular audit report was handed […]

Ariki day food 'a burden' to the people

Saturday 7 July 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

”Ariki Day is turning out to be a burden on the people,“ a smoke signaller wrote us on the eve of the country’s first Ra o te Ui Ariki national holiday yesterday, which replaces the individual island gospel days. ”Leave Puaikura to do the hosting this year, then when it’s the next vaka’s turn, Puaikura […]

Kata - July 7, 2012

Saturday 7 July 2012 | Published in Kata

Road toll a hot topic

Saturday 7 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It is pleasing to see contributors are writing letters regarding our road toll. While it is unfortunate that it has taken several deaths to arrive at this point, at least it is now a hot topic, as it should be. There are many different views as one would expect on the subject regarding […]

Some thoughts on doing it tough

Saturday 7 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Any successful enterprise should welcome feedback and doubtless both the people and Government of the Cook Islands view the development of tourism, whilst retaining cultural values and traditions, as an enterprise. I have been on Rarotonga for five days now (although this is not my first visit) and the goodwill of the people […]

What cameras?

Thursday 5 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, No doubt everyone is concerned with the deaths on our roads but I have to wonder what ever happened to the speed cameras that were gifted to the Rarotonga police (let alone their presence on our roads). Since the ‘clean up’ of overgrown trees on the roadside, the back road around Avarua has […]

Kata - July 5, 2012

Thursday 5 July 2012 | Published in Kata

Kata - July 3, 2012

Tuesday 3 July 2012 | Published in Kata

Stop fish feeding before it is banned

Tuesday 3 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Some tourism operators don’t believe that feeding fish food that is not a natural part of their diet will cause long term negative impact, so to expand upon Saturday’s fish feeding article here’s a few more facts from marine biologist Katherine Ross. Crown of Thorns (COTs) are naturally present on a reef in […]

Helmets won't help

Tuesday 3 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I don’t think compulsory wearing of helmets will help. Some how or some way we have to educate people of all ages that getting paralytic pissed and then hopping on a motor bike and trying to drive home at 80km hour is just not done, it’s not normal and it’s a recipe for […]

Sanctuary should be in marine park

Tuesday 3 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am very supportive of the concept of a shark sanctuary in Cook Islands waters as long as it is included under the umbrella of the prime minister’s proposed Cook Islands Marine Park. I am not in favour of different organisations seeking self aggrandisement via setting up various different schemes all competing for […]

Plea for more police checkpoints

Tuesday 3 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It is beyond heart-breaking seeing not just our young but any individual die on our roads. But I am sick to death, reading ridiculous comments, articles or letters about why it is all happening. Honestly, have you ever heard a cop or coroner say that the reason someone died on the road was […]

Pig plowing amuses June Hosking

Monday 2 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I couldn’t make it through my newspaper catch-up Saturday morning due to the tears of laughter fogging up my eyes when reading page 7 of Friday’s CINews. I was present for this interview and realise that it’s not easy for one to write about a subject that is totally new to you, especially […]

Blood on the hands of our leaders

Monday 2 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, If one life lost is one life too many, then the (at least seven) lives lost on Rarotonga roads in the last year or the over 40 deaths in the last 10 years is a national disgrace! Where are our leaders (MPs, church leaders, community leaders and parents) in all this? The majority […]

Netball effort embarrassing, disappointing

Monday 2 July 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This year’s Pacific Netball Competition was so embarrassing and very disappointing. I am sure that 80% of the people involved in our inter-village netball season would agree that we have seen better netball being played here on our little island with our talented local players than the ridiculous mix-up they had representing us […]