Opinion

It could be huge

Wednesday 2 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This is a thank you to the people of Aitutaki from an American flyfisherman. Kia Orana and meitaki for sharing your island. Like many of you, I am a fisherman. I like to catch and eat fish. You can use the spear, the hand line and the net. I use the fly rod. […]

Play fair

Wednesday 2 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Congratulations to Telecom for their spin on Broadband. Great news for the small user – who will get “hooked” and then have to pay excess charges. But what about the larger user – who continue to be penalised. What is this claim by Telecom “more you buy, the lower the unit cost”? Let’s […]

Time to open up telecommunications

Wednesday 2 March 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The other day I received my household’s Telecom bill for the past two months of telecommunications usage. What really concerned me about the TCI bill was the fact that almost $400 of this $500 bill related to the usage of the internet by myself and four, school aged children during the past two […]

Kata - March 2, 2011

Wednesday 2 March 2011 | Published in Kata

'Give the new government a chance'

Monday 28 February 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

“Doreen Boggs’ opinion is her own – she does not speak for all Cook Islanders!” a smoke signaller writes to TXT188 in response to her letter to the editor last week. “Sir Geoff has made some mistakes – he’s human just like all of us. I reckon that he will be an awesome Speaker [of […]

'Clothes maketh the man'

Monday 28 February 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write to contribute to the debate about the dress of the parliamentarians because as minor as it is, it points to bigger concerns as the voters hope for a fresh start. There is value in the attitudes of both George Maggie Angene and Tangata Vavia but there is also an opportunity in […]

Kata - February 28, 2011

Monday 28 February 2011 | Published in Kata

Kiss your grass goodbye

Saturday 26 February 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“The genius idea behind grading the verge of the main road was to remove all the holes and puddles,” a smoke signaller writes. “Well that is working – the puddles are now a bit further off the road. Otherwise the arterial vandalism raises at least two questions: (1) Where the work goes outside of the […]

Kata - February 26, 2011

Saturday 26 February 2011 | Published in Kata

Kata - February 25, 2011

Friday 25 February 2011 | Published in Kata

Stop public servant travel rorts

Friday 25 February 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Gossip is rife that Cabinet recently issued a directive for all future travels of public servants be more transparent and accountable. About time and good on Cabinet for taking a hard stand on those frequent global travellers in the public service who seem to live abroad more than on the island. Word has […]

Freedom is conditional

Friday 25 February 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We write regarding the letter to the editor citing freedom of speech as justification for what we would consider to be unsuitable local songs for public airplay. Is freedom unconditional? You have the freedom to drive in Rarotonga, but at the right speed, on the left of the road, without alcohol etc. Does […]

Do away with wigs, gowns

Friday 25 February 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Boo hoo for the speaker and his staff who have to wear silly horsehair wigs and black witches’ capes at Parliament. Here’s a novel idea – do away with them! We’re an independent country with our own culture and traditions. Who says we have to slavishly follow mother England’s traditions to the end […]

Wigs and gowns story 'sensational'

Friday 25 February 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I would like to respond to a rather sensational piece titled ‘Old gowns and patched wigs’ by Florence Syme-Buchanan in yesterday’s paper. My first reaction was, Ahoy! What did I get myself into? Where is the primary issue which you, Florence, raised with me on Wednesday? I am not disputing the facts you […]

Kata - February 24, 2011

Thursday 24 February 2011 | Published in Kata

Island meeting talks over our heads

Thursday 24 February 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Has anyone noticed the irony and parody – or indeed does anyone care – behind the two obscure regional training workshops underway in Rarotonga this week? It says something about the dysfunction within our own public sector. First there’s the gathering of cabinet secretariat and public service commission heads, talkfesting to themselves about good governance […]

Suwarrow the highlight of my voyage

Thursday 24 February 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have just completed my passage across the Pacific. The best place we visited has been Suwarrow in the Cook Islands. Besides being absolutely gorgeous locations, the park hosts, James and Apii, made the stay that much better. They were fantastic and taught us a lot about the island and its ecosystem. These […]

Downsizing details wrong

Thursday 24 February 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter headed ‘Looking back’ written by Teariki Simiona in a recent edition. The downsizing of the public service did happen but it happened in July to November/December 1996, not in 1999. By late June 1996 there were 2904 public servants on the pay roll. By 1st January 1997 the […]

Why wasn't Crown Law held to account?

Thursday 24 February 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It can be argued that the former financial secretary ultimately paid the price for the Toagate botch up by not getting reappointed when his contract expired. Fair enough. The question I would like to know is whether the Crown Law Office was ever held accountable for its involvement in this scandal? Those who […]

Kata - February 23, 2011

Wednesday 23 February 2011 | Published in Kata