Opinion

Why are police withdrawing so many charges?

Monday 16 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Reading the court pages it appears the police are now withdrawing a large amount of matters. Is their evidence collection not up to standard, their decision-making skills lacking or has their supervision fallen away? Come on Maara, you are supposed to be a lawyer, well trained at the taxpayers’ expense, bring the success […]

A true Wale welcome

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in Return to Pukapuka

For the last two months, all of Pukapuka attended nightly song and dance practices to prepare for the opening of the new cyclone shelter. Anyone not attending received a two-dollar fine. This helped explain the high-quality entertainment for the grand opening. Pukapukans have been waiting for the cyclone centre since 2005 when the European Union […]

Horror and dismay at dictionary criticism

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write to express my utmost horror, dismay and sadness at reading the letter written by Jan Kristensson in last Thursday’s edition over his views towards the recent efforts of Papa Rod Dixon and the Professors to get the Mangaian Dictionary Online for all to access. It really busted the bubble of excitement […]

Taxing a shrinking population

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Most of us cannot believe time after time how the minister of finance and his advisers are planning our economic and tax policies,” a smoke signaller writes. “They, including government, seem to be fixated with imposing more taxes on a depleting population as a means of balancing the budget. Surely Mark Brown understands that you […]

Kata - April 14, 2012

Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in Kata

Have a heart

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read the story on April 11 titled ‘We want support not criticism’. Have a heart! People criticise because their life is not interesting enough for them to talk about so they pick on others. First I will speak about Patty (Patricia Taea) – who is ‘my girl’. I was her athletics coach […]

Hitches and humour at big event

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Return to Pukapuka

The ceremonial opening of Pukapuka’s new cyclone shelter did not go without a few hitches. As the delegation made its way from Motu Ko to the main island of Wale on the barge, the motor went out. It appeared the visiting guests might have to walk back on the reef in their formal wear. Luckily, […]

Paranoid and guilty for not killing a pig

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’m really annoyed at the person calling himself or herself ‘Always for Matavera’ and also at you for printing his or her stupid letter. By not being specific, he or she in one sweep cast suspicion over a number of people living in Matavera because someone wrote a letter to you complaining about […]

Finsec explains trade gap or trade deficit

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing in relation to the lead headline in your paper on 10 April 2011 ‘Widest trade gap in region’. I would like to take the opportunity to explain the wider context of the balance of trade picture which has been reported. I hope it can provide your readers with a more […]

Tax increase will help send us under

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Every tourist is starting to hate the Cook Islands all because everything is expensive, the wages to locals are crap and now minister of finance and first-time member of parliament Mark Brown is putting the departure tax up from $55 to $80. CIP was the one that cocked up the Sheraton failed resort […]

Inland, not coast, for tank farms

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“If someone were to propose putting a fuel tank farm on a coastline in New Zealand or Australia, where there was any chance of sea surge, the chance of consents being given are a bit less than zero,” a smoke signaller writes. “Why on earth would we make that mistake again here on Rarotonga? We […]

Kata - April 13, 2012

Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Kata

It's tree butchering!

Thursday 12 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I just wanted to lend my full support to the letter writer in Monday’s publication in regards to the tree butchering that has been taking place in Matavera over the past two weeks or so. What a disgusting mess. Those fools involved in the tree butchering in Matavera should be ashamed of themselves. […]

Call to help police fight crime

Thursday 12 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It was heart breaking to see Aunty June Baudinet on the CITV News last night, asking for help and for the return of her laptop. This is not the first time that her shop has been broken into and it’s upsetting and heart breaking. There were a number of burglaries in the Easter […]

Kata - April 12, 2012

Thursday 12 April 2012 | Published in Kata

Better coverage

Thursday 12 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Interesting to read the ‘Advertising is a no brainer’ letter in yesterday’s (April 11) issue of Cook Islands News. It confirms that instead of taking just one advertisement in the proposed Batman compendium, advertisers will get better coverage by spreading their money across different media. However, the figure of $2500 was quoted for […]

Heads up, Patty

Thursday 12 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Heads up to Patricia Taea. It is hard to believe how some people go the extra mile to criticise and try to bring down one of our very own who has represented the Cook Islands to the best of her ability. We totally agree with Chef de Mission George George they need our […]

Please advertise

Thursday 12 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I was fortunate to over hear from a friend of a friend this week that she had just made an appointment to see one of the visiting eye specialists at the hospital, something done annually around this time of the year. Lucky as I had not seen it advertised anywhere, though I was […]

Empty can makes most noise

Wednesday 11 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I had a feeling a person of high calibre that lives in Matavera wrote the article about the tree butchering. Judging by your comments, you are a person that doesn’t do much for your oire or even take part in any community initiative and, why not just come out of your nutshell and […]

Compendium advertising is a no brainer!

Wednesday 11 April 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As a marketing person with no affiliation to any publication I want to point out the marketing options available to large and small tour operators here in the Cook Islands. Spend $8100 per year for a full page in the new John Batman compendium in 40 hotels – 853 actual rooms Versus: Spend […]