Opinion

Stan Wright a Leinster legend

Wednesday 25 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I dont believe there are many of your compatriots who live in Ireland and unfortunately one who does live here will shortly be leaving. Stan Wright came to play rugby for Leinster in 2006 and played his first match literally a few hours after landing. From that inauspicious start Stan has played for […]

Bishops scripture reading wrong

Tuesday 24 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I find Tutai Peres Churchtalk message in Fridays paper disappointing, misleading, and wrong on some aspects. I agree totally with him on not being able to predict the date of the end times etc. This man Harold Camping is walking into areas Jesus told us not to (just as he did in 1994). […]

Being absolutely Frank

Tuesday 24 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

If Cook Islands News is going to continue printing the words prime minister in the same sentence with the name Bainimarama, could you please insert the words self-appointed? writes a smoke signaller. This man is an armed terrorist by any definition of that species. Stop giving him any credibility please. SmokeSignals: Its interesting to see […]

Pukapuka entitled to people of integrity

Tuesday 24 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Is it just me or is there something rather strange about putting up a candidate that the High Court held committed bribery? Surely the party brass could have found someone else for the candidacy we already have two Members of Parliament with blemished records with the court and if by chance this candidate […]

Fewer government employees needed

Monday 23 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wasnt surprised about the present financial situation. I knew all along that we did not have the resources to deal with our infrastructure. I did remind the previous government about restructuring the government entities to save money but it fell on deaf ears. Well over 40 percent of revenue is used to […]

Great injustice done to our family

Monday 23 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, To Rahui David, genealogy is a very big part of Gods work since the beginning yes, you have your genealogy and we have found ours. Firstly I wasnt pointing fingers but verifying what my sister and I found in the courts when we did our research. As mentioned earlier, our ancestors guided us […]

Chasing dead butterflies

Monday 23 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

What or when exactly is 12pm midnight? asks a smoke signaller after reading Public Notices in our daily classifieds from establishments seeking a restaurant liquor licence from the Liquor Licensing Authority. 12pm is midday and midnight is 12am! Cmon Cook Islands News, read and think carefully unless the notice came from the Authority and you […]

Kata - May 23, 2011

Monday 23 May 2011 | Published in Kata

Leave the waves to the real locals

Saturday 21 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Theres suggestion of offering surfing tours and surfing camps here on our small and lovely island. We LOCAL surfers who have been born and grown here still wish our spots to remain uncrowded. Ive surfed many places but nothing compares to our local spots. Less crowds and less aggression. Lets keep it that […]

Laugh or cry

Saturday 21 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I dont know whether to laugh or cry in regards to the meek excuse received from Telecom Cook Islands on the terrible TV reception that we poor CITV viewers in the Matavera area have had to bear for an entire week now. Obviously the Head of TCI does not live in Matavera. If […]

Swapping ika for tita

Saturday 21 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: The following extract was found on page 10 of a 2008 report on seabird populations in Suwarrow, regarding Motu Manu: As noted in the 2000 survey, much rubbish, including plastic rope, floats, glass and plastic bottles, pieces of wood, rubber jandals and shoes, litters the eastern shoreline as well as some […]

We like to enjoy our waves as they are

Saturday 21 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The letter Dont pick on our girl Charlotte in Fridays paper develops the same attitude that the two surfers were writing about. A who-cares attitude. Quote who cares what they think?, talking about the local surfers in general. This person obviously does not surf as he suggested they will listen to you if […]

Kata - May 21, 2011

Saturday 21 May 2011 | Published in Kata

Dont pick on our girl Charlotte

Friday 20 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, How dare those two surfers pick on our girl from Rakahanga Charlotte Piho for trying to promote the Cook Islands as a surfing destination! Good on you girl, you have definitely done your homework, you are not just sitting around like these bums who are criticising you. Who cares what they think, lets […]

Tax time never ends

Thursday 19 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes in with a tax dilemma. TVNZs Close-Up programme mentioned the Rapture, according to some predictions, will happen on their May 21 which will be our Friday May 20 [tomorrow]. Do we pay our monthly VAT and PAYE taxes before that, or do we hold onto it? Surely the Tax Department cant […]

Getting great waves is a bonus

Thursday 19 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Wed like to add our voices to the discontent regarding the proposition of promoting Rarotonga as a surf destination. As a long time surfer (30 years plus) and residents of Rarotonga for nearly six years, we can attest to the fact that there are great waves to be enjoyed here. However, there is […]

Dont promote surf tours to Rarotonga!

Wednesday 18 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The idea that Charlotte Piho wants to promote Rarotonga as a surf destination is a terrible self interested money making idea. No local surfer wants groups of tourist surfers in Rarotonga. Perhaps Charlotte would like surfers over-crowding her local break, but we dont want it. We only have a handful of breaks as […]

Preventing a pushers haven

Wednesday 18 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller reckons many young Cook Islanders have most likely been nave victims of the sellers of drugs who just have easy money on their brains. He says if such a person is convicted but gets off with hardly any penalty like the Manihiki aviation terrorists did our country will be become a haven […]

What happened to open governance?

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor So after several months the PSC terminates the employment of a senior Public Servant without giving the public specific reasons and says he can say no more because it is being referred to the Police for further investigations and it would be unfair to the accused! Excuse me. The public was under the […]

Norman George vs. Teina Bishop

Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Now that Minister Bishop has finished announcing to the nation what a bad MP I am, then moving motions to the Privilege Committee of Parliament which included having my seat declared vacant, it is time I need to ask questions about him: (1) Does the MP for Arutanga, Reureu and Nikaupara have a […]