Opinion

We must move on phosphates

Wednesday 13 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Reading James Beers comments on phosphate soaps Stop buying phosphate soaps, published Friday July 8, they cannot be closer to the truth. This is something many of our people now know through the various environment programmes promoting how we, the people of the Cook Islands, can help protect our environment, in this instant […]

Moving savings not disloyal

Tuesday 12 July 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Finance minister Mark Brown should be ashamed of himself for questioning the loyalty of people who have savings in Cook Islands banks and might have to move them elsewhere, a smoke signaller writes. They have worked here and paid their taxes. On retirement they get $400 a month government pension. Thats $92.30 a week. I […]

Sir Apenera applauded by New Zealand

Tuesday 12 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

The Governor-General of New Zealand has recognised the late Sir Apenera Short as a close and valued friend of New Zealand. Governor-General Anand Satyanand sent a letter to Queens Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin on June 17, shortly after the late Sir Apenera passed away in his Muri home. Sir Apeneras family subsequently obtained a copy […]

Opportunity for Rakahanga in tuna

Tuesday 12 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I read the report on the MP for Rakahanga saying there is no opportunity for people on Rakahanga. Rakahanga is on the edge of a large tuna resource and Rakahangans know large schools of tuna regularly pass close to their island. Foreigners have to sail thousands of miles across oceans in large fishing […]

Planned tax a can of worms

Tuesday 12 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The CIPs 15 per cent tax on interest is a can of worms waiting to spill out. This Mark Brown tax has all the hallmarks of a doomed fiscal policy gone terribly wrong. It wasnt in the CIP manifesto and wasnt even discussed at the Economic Summit. Mark Brown admits that this new […]

Kata - July 11, 2011

Monday 11 July 2011 | Published in Kata

Rarotonga becoming a no-go zone?

Monday 11 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Its just sad to read about all the burglaries and breakins that are happening on Rarotonga especially at tourist accommodations. Actually, Im bringing two disabled adults who have saved for this trip for a visit during Constitution Week in a couple of weeks. I would hate our visit to be spoilt by such […]

Burglary news shocking

Monday 11 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am so shocked to read about the amount of burglaries happening in Rarotonga, especially to tourists. I grew up in Rarotonga for the first 14 years of my life before moving to New Zealand and I have never read so many stories about burglaries in one go. Our people must be struggling […]

Whats going on with the games?

Monday 11 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I write in regards to the South Pacific (SPG) and Pacific Games (PG) sagas of eligibility. It is sad to see (as it was for the Pacific Games in Rarotonga in 2009) that some of our athletes were unable to represent their country due to the new charter that was decided upon in […]

Kata - July 9, 2011

Saturday 9 July 2011 | Published in Kata

House rebel and rabble

Saturday 9 July 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: It was nice, if a little patronising, to hear the gentlemanly exchange in parliament between the speaker Sir Geoffrey Henry and opposition deputy leader Wilkie Rasmussen over their slanging match. Sir Geoffrey first apologised for accusing him of being part of a team of rebels, referring to Wilkies criticism of the […]

Aitutaki Hospital burns toxic waste

Saturday 9 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I must say that when it comes to our health, we tend to rely on our health system to help us but what puzzles me is the fact that, they seem to have no knowledge of toxic waste being burnt in a residential area. I am referring to the Aitutaki Hospital who openly […]

Outward migration a grave threat

Saturday 9 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Unquestionably the biggest threat this small nation faces is the continued loss of its people through outward migration. If the trend continues at the current pace, the countrys local indigenous population will probably all but have vanished to Australia and New Zealand within a generation span, and probably replaced by peoples of NZ, […]

Its hopelessly impractical

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The last minute measure of the proposed withholding tax on interest has not been thought through fully. Most borrowers from the banks make monthly payments of fixed amounts. The bank applies part of the payment to interest and part to principal repayment. The interest rate doesnt change but the interest amount changes every […]

Tax proposal will implode

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The proposed new tax of 15% by MFEM on the peoples hard earned savings is not the right way to go. It is penalising people who have built some hard earned savings over the many years and discouraging them and others from saving. Surely MFEM is not that desperate to advise the Minister […]

Kata - July 8, 2011

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in Kata

Charge across the board

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Does government have the wrong end of the stick with the tax on interest? a smoke signaller writes. My savings at the bank is a loan to the bank. That loan earns me a whopping 3 percent. Then when I take a loan for my mortgage the bank earns 11 percent. Go ahead Government; take […]

Stop buying phosphate soaps

Friday 8 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Manea Foods and a few other grocery and drygoods importers recently received a polite note from Mata Hetland of the Muri Environment Care Team wondering why Rarotonga stores still sell wash powders that contain phosphates. Matas concern is, of course, that phosphates can create all kinds of problems with our lagoons. Behind Matas […]

A bad idea

Thursday 7 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Like many pensioners here I rely on the interest on my savings with the bank to supplement my $92.30 a week government pension and now the government is proposing to take 15% of that interest. That means a pretty big paycut for my family. This month my electricity bill will rise by about […]

Quick fix tax will not be good

Thursday 7 July 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write to express my view on the proposed 15% tax on peoples savings as reported in your paper dated July 6. I wish to make a humble plea to the CIP Government to do the right thing and the very thing they are proposing as a plan to improve Government revenue by […]