Opinion

Take control of your own health

Tuesday 20 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am incredibly disappointed to learn that a person I know who went to the hospital in Rarotonga for a Pap Smear was told she would be too young by the gynaecologist. I want to know why in the world would a medical professional want to stop a young person who is taking […]

Not extended, yet

Tuesday 20 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller called at the BCI yesterday at 3.30pm to renew their motor vehicle annual licence as an advert in Cook Islands News has been saying that the bank will remain open until 5.30pm for this purpose until the end of the month. “Unfortunately nobody told the staff about it – the bank was […]

What mechanisms protect local employers?

Monday 19 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, My letters over the past few days have brought employment issues of both the employer and employee’s to the fore. Good employees are a key to a business’s success. When employers in the Cook Islands lose a staff member they have trained, they get peeved off when the company down the road offers […]

Don't let the bureaucrats get you

Monday 19 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In reply to the article in last week’s news about the harbourmaster leaving because he is worried about receiving his NZ pension, I don’t blame him. In 2002 I was living in Christchurch and receiving the pension and went to WINZ and told them I was considering going to live in Rarotonga, they […]

The Lost Tribe strikes again

Monday 19 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Last week’s reports and letters about the NZ pension emphasise the gross deficiencies in the NZ Superannuation Act as it relates to eligible NZ expats and Cook Islanders living here. Your recent coverage of the dilemma of Bill Framhein, a Cook Islander and Vietnam War veteran who is stuck in an untenable situation […]

Kata - March 19, 2012

Monday 19 March 2012 | Published in Kata

Bunglings and lies on NZ pension

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It was with shock and disbelief that I read yet again the bungling and lies that continually come from the various New Zealand governments when in office on the subject of the New Zealand Pension. Your article ‘Harbourmaster quits over NZ pension’ featured in the Thursday issue of the Cook Islands News strongly […]

We're too negative and too critical

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read the smoke signals the other day in which someone wrote in complaining about the appointment of Russell Thomas as the new PSC Commissioner and how there must have been more qualified applicants than he and the whole thing wreaked of political favouritism. I just wanted to air my personal views on […]

Kata - March 17, 2012

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Kata

On 'Travel Duty': Yeah, right!

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

That was the gist of an interesting auto response email message from a person overseas who obviously likes to give the impression that travel is a difficult task. A smoke signaller quipped: “That’s a new piece of jargon in officialese, which our public service will no doubt adopt…’I will be on ‘travel duty’ from blah […]

Kata - March 16, 2012

Friday 16 March 2012 | Published in Kata

'Employers have rights too'

Friday 16 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I was told by a local businessman the other morning that – Employers have rights too – in fact employees seem to have more rights. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this comment – it is a shared view of many businesses in the Cook Islands. Other comments about employees include – […]

Kata - March 15, 2012

Thursday 15 March 2012 | Published in Kata

Female public servants are 'culprits' in the work force

Thursday 15 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, After reading Lynnsay Francis’s article and former public servant’s letter to the editor, it made me bold to express my views as a public servant at one stage who has witnessed how female public servants are treated to make way for male employees. These are males that have been promised a job at […]

Women bullied in the public service

Thursday 15 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In response to former public servant – you may not realise it, but you’ve just made a difference – you had the courage of your convictions to write a letter to share your experiences, and it is through sharing those experiences that we can make a difference. Your letter highlights the importance of […]

Female public servants have no real redress

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Well and good for advocates like Lynnsay Francis (March 12) to claim that women employees have avenues to redress their employment issues – if only that were true. It is not true if you are a female public servant. The reality is, when all other avenues are exhausted, who, with their public servant’s […]

Commissioner's appointment irks

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“What a complete shambles the appointment of the new Public Service Commissioner has turned out to be,” a smoke signaller writes. “In my opinion the Prime Minister and Cabinet did not select on merit but looked at this from a close family and party connections. What happened to the PM’s speech about the promises that […]

Kata - March 14, 2012

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Kata

Women must challenge unfair treatment

Tuesday 13 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In a conversation with a friend last Friday, I was told that a person had called me a “troublemaker and that I should mind my own business”. My response was, “I’m a women’s human rights defender and “that’s exactly what I’m doing – defending the rights of women”. We celebrated international women’s day […]

Road rough

Tuesday 13 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, While out riding my bicycle on Saturday afternoon, I decided, with much anticipation, to check out the new tar sealed section of road by the airport. What a disappointment. I thought I’d be riding on a smooth hot mix machine laid surface the likes of in front of Ocean Fresh and Panama petrol […]