Opinion

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 […]

Kata - March 13, 2012

Tuesday 13 March 2012 | Published in Kata

Kata - March 12, 2012

Monday 12 March 2012 | Published in Kata

Stallholders are looking unhappy

Saturday 10 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, People are disgruntled with what’s going on at the Punanga Nui market – fees, tree chopping, repositioning of stalls (with complaints of favouritism, ie best/roadfront positions being reserved for family members of those at BTIB), etc. The stallholders are looking more unhappy than usual. Two remarked to this customer that the removal of […]

Chasing millions here

Saturday 10 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

An account set up in the Cook Islands designated the Baby Mama Trust was mentioned during the trial of Texas banker Allen Stanford, who this week was convicted of running a US$7 billion Ponzi scheme. The jury’s verdict clears the way for the United States government to seize US$330 million of funds that had been […]

New law favours banks

Saturday 10 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This letter is to caution the public about the dangers of allowing the Judicature Amendment Bill which proposes to favour banks and other creditors in their bid to make defaulting borrowers make good on their loans. Not sure what to make of that reasoning considering banks do not need our help or anyone […]

Call to share the love

Saturday 10 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wish to convey my disappointment with the organisers and local representatives of the recent French tourist ship that recently visited Aitutaki on Wednesday March 7. My frustration relates to the appointment of the sole lagoon cruise operator ‘Bishops Lagoon Cruises’ who probably ended the day with thousands of dollars in their pockets. […]

Kata - March 10, 2012

Saturday 10 March 2012 | Published in Kata

Maara mai ia matou te pa enua i vao

Friday 9 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

E te Etita, Kia orana i te aroa nui rava, atupaka, ngao o te Atua. Please tuku atu koe i teia reta naku ki roto i taau nutipepa. Te tata atu nei au i toku tangi, akaaroa i te iti tangata i te pa enua i vao ake ia Rarotonga, no runga i teia tu […]

Taxing airlines a 'bad decision'

Friday 9 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Targeting airlines by now charging them income tax is another knee jerk tax reaction from finance minister Mark Brown and his tax advisors,” a smoke signaller writes. “Hasn’t this government learnt from the withholding tax mess? Now the airlines will increase their fares to meet this extra cost. Who will suffer? The little people, of […]

Kata - March 9, 2012

Friday 9 March 2012 | Published in Kata

A disaster waiting to happen

Thursday 8 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am no expert, no one really is, when it comes to these types of issues, one only needs to use one’s experience with observing similar issues to see and be concerned about the bad planning and development occurring at the Avatiu wharf area. Apart from the potential hazards of the rock slope/wall […]

Focus on the more serious crimes

Thursday 8 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In late January this year a female living in Matavera was viciously assaulted by an intruder in her home. Although the victim of this vicious assault was hospitalised for a few days and the police were immediately called in to investigate what was clearly a home invasion of terrible consequences, the victim was […]

Kata - March 8, 2012

Thursday 8 March 2012 | Published in Kata

Rarotonga's big mushroom

Wednesday 7 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

An impressive mushroom-shaped cloud had a number of people scrambling for their cameras to snap a picture as it towered over Rarotonga recently. This photo, sent in by the same smoke signaller who submitted last week’s cute picture of a friendly kitten and piglet, shows the cloud mushrooming over Upper Tupapa. We asked Met Service […]

'That is a whole lot of taxes'

Wednesday 7 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Thank you for the opportunity to bring this to the attention of all. It seems that we mostly overlook the situation and as obedient citizens just work and pay the outcome of our tax return at the end. These are tough times and with mortgages to pay, one has to look for other […]

Kata - March 7, 2012

Wednesday 7 March 2012 | Published in Kata

LA flight gives us more time in Raro

Tuesday 6 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, My wife and I have visited the Cook Islands four times now. We are due to do so again this year. We fly from San Francisco, and had to fly through New Zealand (my home) the first couple of times. That route meant we spent less time in the Islands, as we split […]

Rock wall requires urgent answers

Tuesday 6 March 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The ongoing debate about the merit and demerits of this Avatiu wharf structure needs some urgent decisions because the country must ask this critical question: Can we afford to render at least a third of the Avatiu harbour useless by building this rock wall? Surely if the rock wall is there purely because […]

Elvis and Apii 'out of tune'

Tuesday 6 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Elvis Puna and Apii the Meter Man are singing a different song when it comes to renewable energy,” a smoke signaller quips. “While the travelling PM is overseas warbling (unrealistically) 100% green, Te Aponga’s bandleader is out of tune with his 6%. And by hogging all the big installations for himself and government and limiting […]