Opinion

Kata - January 20, 2011

Thursday 20 January 2011 | Published in Kata

Kata - January 19, 2011

Wednesday 19 January 2011 | Published in Kata

'Sufferer' disempowering

Wednesday 19 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We were happy to read the article ‘PIAF supports Cook Islands HIV Committee’ in the CI News paper on Monday 17 January. I would like to offer some information that might be useful in writing articles about HIV and HIV-positive people in the future. The article begins with the statement “The Pacific Islands […]

Let's hope Minister's magic is contagious

Wednesday 19 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I would like to offer top marks and a big thank you to the Minister for Works, Hon. Teariki Heather, for the rapid response by the road works crew to repair the road in Matavera that leads to Takitumu school. Three days after I had expressed concern about this very road being in […]

Mitchell report subject to OIA request

Wednesday 19 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Please allow me to respond to certain statements made in ‘High commissioner’s comments with held’ which appeared in yesterday’s edition of Cook Islands News. The Cook Islands-New Zealand relationship is the most important international tie this country has with other countries. As such, it is essential for those holding official positions in the […]

How simple is it to keep a country beautiful?”

Wednesday 19 January 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller joins the debate on the felling of trees on Rarotonga deemed dangerous and writes: “Hey Mr Smoke Signal, how come Hawaii and California can have tall palms and coconut trees and no one gets killed or sued? Could it be they regularly de-nut and prune old leaves? How simple is it to […]

Kata - January 18, 2011

Tuesday 18 January 2011 | Published in Kata

Cyclone recovery 'mickey mouse'

Tuesday 18 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It’s nearly a year since the Cyclone Pat recovery project started, and it is still a distant, far away from completion exercise. And whatever reasoning and excusable manipulation that we would choose to swing from, at the end of the day, we still have people with hindered lives living in tents like sardines, […]

Kata - January 17, 2011

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Kata

Community clean up in Muri

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Residents in Muri Tapere are being called to a community working bee this afternoon starting at 5pm at the Nukupure Park. The working bee has been called by Pu Tapere Keta Williams and will included cleaning rubbish and overgrowth around the sports grounds at Nukupure Park. The working bee is a post festive season cleanup […]

Just research it first

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’m writing to ensure there is no misinformation circulating as a result of your letter writer “Toketoke Enua“. The point I’ve been making all along is that all available information on the fish traps in Avana-Aroko should be examined before springing into action. If the research concludes that the fish traps are the […]

Rounding up the shopping cents

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“From the attached receipt (see photo below right) you will see that I purchased goods to the value of $16.02 at Foodland this afternoon [Friday],” a smoke signaller writes. “The receipt shows that rounding was applied to bring the total to $16.05. It also shows that I tendered a $50.00 note to pay for these […]

Palmerston health clinic questions

Monday 17 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I understand that the Cook Islands Ministry of Health received $160K from the European Union in 2007 to build a medical centre on Palmerston Island. It is now 2011 and still a medical centre has not been built. I want to ask the former Outer Islands Health Director, now Secretary of Health Tupou […]

Call to repair road damage

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, With schools to resume operation in a couple of weeks it is my hope that the Ministry of Works will get in and fix the road that leads directly to Takitumu Primary School in Matavera from the main road. Ever since Telecom Cook Islands dug this road up to lay cables a couple […]

Avana stench inquiry

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am amazed that the horrible stench at Avana harbour has gone ‘un-noticed’ by the appropriate authorities, in this case probably the ministries of health, marine resources, infrastructure & planning and environment services, so that this appalling smell pollution problem can be eradicated. But then again, attending to public nuisances such as this […]

Call to catch scrap-munchers

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This letter to your columns is in justifiable and credible support of Papa Joe Ngatae, the Police and Justice Ministry appointed dog-ranger who, to this time has weathered so much criticism for his sometimes natural overzealousness in eradicating paraiah, unfed and abandoned dogs which kill tethered goats and terrorise almost every pedestrian and […]

A letter from the mayor

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“I have very little respect for prominent persons who use profanity in public,” a smoke signaller writes, most probably in response to yesterday’s headline ‘One big F up’. “Their view can still be made known without subjecting the reading public to such vulgarity. Please consider our school age readers and readers who don’t condone profanity […]

'The honest approach has disappeared'

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It is finished, and finally, the people have spoken. Every election leaves a track of disharmony from the candidates’ supporters, and this mayoral election for Aitutaki, according to some people, is a classic duplication of that unfortunate concept. Various accusations, such as the lack of promotion for such an important occasion, a much […]

Govt has betrayed outer islands: Wilkie

Saturday 15 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Has the Government betrayed a number of voters and candidates in the Outer Islands Local Government Elections held yesterday? My simple answer is, YES – ABSOLUTELY! The Government has committed gross injustice. I understand both the Prime Minister and the Head of the Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure echoed each other with their […]

A case for action man

Friday 14 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As a Ngatangiia family man whose children regularly make use of Muri lagoon for recreational purposes, it concerns me greatly that much needed plans to improve the quality of water in Muri lagoon by removing the fish traps appears to have hit a brick wall all because one person who is not from […]