Opinion

Our sovereignty was usurped

Monday 14 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have reports of Mr Bruce Ruatapu Mita’s meetings in 2008 and last Thursday night. I also have cuttings of published condemnations and now of Pa Marie’s deprecation of him in your front page story last Friday. I opined that the apparition fibres of all te ‘aka’apa, ‘akakino and scoffing at Mr Mita […]

Not the rightful titleholder

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Your front page story yesterday about Marie Rima Desiree George Ani Rima Peyroux known to others as Marie Pa Ariki urging the “ui ariki not to repeat mistakes” amused me. The Pa Ariki title belongs to the Kopu Ariki of the title, that is, to us the descendants of Pa Tepou Taputapuatea Tepuretu […]

Shame on rip-offs

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am very disgusted to learn that some of our own people will gladly rip off our elderly folks for their own selfish gain. An elderly woman of Ngatangiia was charged $400 for the cutting of her lawns (2), one for $250 and the other for $150. Previously, she had it cut by […]

Kata - March 12, 2011

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Kata

Is anybody home?

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Just wondering what has been organised for warning systems in the outer islands?” asks a smoke signaller following yesterday morning’s Pacific-wide tsunami warning as a result of the massive 8.9 earthquake in Japan. “Just heard some people living on north coast of Mauke knew nothing of the tsunami until they woke up this morning, and […]

What if I blew up?

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Thank you to Thomas Peyroux for explaining a lot about the sound on the night of the composers competition. I was a backup singer on the night and I was getting little electric shocks every time I touched the mic. When I told the soundman I was getting shocks he did nothing. I […]

Is this an attempt to gag?

Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read this article about information being requested by the Clerk of the House. I sincerely hope this is not the first step in an attempt to gag the local news providers. I know from reading your paper over many years (both online and when I am in Raro) that you are not […]

Don't play vulgar music!

Friday 11 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, On Monday morning while driving to work as usual with the radio on, a Maori song that was playing at about 7.40am caught my attention. I was so outraged at such a low class composition on wife beating. What was this person thinking while composing the song, is it a reflection of himself? […]

Undersea cable could never pay its way

Friday 11 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am a 22-year-old Cook Islander living in New Zealand. I was living in Rarotonga from 2001 to 2007 and I have seen firsthand how ridiculous the data and speed plans are from dial up to the ‘New Age’ Broadband, and I can tell you after living here in NZ and enjoying 20MB […]

Kata - March 11, 2011

Friday 11 March 2011 | Published in Kata

Help repatriate Cook Islanders

Thursday 10 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Since the calamity of the earthquake in Christchurch coupled by the loss of lives in a disaster so devastating for the people of Christchurch and the entire nation, it is good to hear the Cook Islands Community in Christchurch coming together to provide spiritual and emotional support amongst each other during these difficult […]

Very murky waters

Thursday 10 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The new Speaker of the House is operating in very murky waters. The other unelected parliamentarian in the Pacific who has problems with the media is in Fiji. Under our Constitution the Government can appoint an additional number of parliamentarians who have the right to speak but not to vote in the house. […]

Ridiculous

Thursday 10 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This is ridiculous… perhaps Sir Geoffrey genuinely feels he has cause for complaint but it’s time journalism stopped apologising for doing its job and I can’t think of anyone better than John Woods to ever so politely suggest there might be other priorities facing parliament such as chronic under attendance and unbridled executive […]

Sound training not finished

Thursday 10 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Regarding the sound quality at the national auditorium, I came down to tutor trainees in 2005 who later became the best auditorium technical crew up until mid 2010. In late 2010 I was asked to return to tutor a fresh crew after the `best’ were dismissed for unbelievable personal issues. I could not […]

Kata - March 10, 2011

Thursday 10 March 2011 | Published in Kata

Blues artist back in Raro

Thursday 10 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

California blues songster Diana Harris – whose husky vocals remind critics of Renee Geyer, Sharon Jones and Gladys Knight – performs tonight at the Little Polynesian. Harris first performed on Rarotonga at Billy TK Jnr’s Cook Islands Jazz and Blues Festival three years ago, and since then has returned each year to the ‘magic’ she […]

Only one choice: not to hit

Thursday 10 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“At the 100th celebration of International Women’s Day, Punanga Tauturu manager Kairangi Samuela said men have the choice whether to ‘hit her or not’,” writes a smoke signaller. “When are we ever going to learn there is only ONE choice – NOT to hit her? C’mon Kairangi – what we should be educating our people […]

Counting potential Chinese tourists

Wednesday 9 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Responding to yesterday’s CI News article about our country looking to progress a memorandum of understanding on travel with China – which recognises the Cooks as a preferred destination for Chinese travellers – a smoke signaller writes: “If the population of China is 1.5 billion and 0.5% travel and ‘we only need 0.001% of that’, […]

Thanks for shopping spree

Wednesday 9 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As the winner of the $500 shopping spree for the Valentine’s Day draw at the T-Shirt Factory, I would personally like to thank everyone involved. It was great fun, and it took me three trips to complete shopping for this very generous prize. Thank you for treating me so wonderfully. It was the […]

PSC should write a public service manual

Wednesday 9 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It has become standard practice for incoming Governments to launch attacks on their inherited (and supposedly bloated) public service as a means of quickly shifting expenditure to their own programmes. However, in the Cook Islands it is not supported by the facts. This past financial year the public service under-spent. In some ministries […]