Opinion

CIP needs to take note

Tuesday 23 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The leader of the CIP and incoming Prime Minister, Henry Puna, is correct to credit much of his party’s landslide victory during last week’s general elections to political infighting within the Demo Party. I think that Puna’s assumption on his party’s emphatic victory is partially correct. However, as a voter I believe that […]

Fired up over Class of '86 lawyer

Tuesday 23 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have deliberately left responding to Class of ‘86 Lawyer’s letter published November 10 ‘Telecom critics one-eyed’ until now, now that the elections have passed. So I respond as follows. Firstly to Class of 86 Lawyer, front up with your name, you racist coward; attacking me personally behind a pseudonym is gutless and […]

Kata - November 23, 2010

Tuesday 23 November 2010 | Published in Kata

We can all breathe easy now

Monday 22 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Congratulations CIP we have won the world cup, pushing the forwards to score the winning try, and are waiting for the ref to blow the final whistle for the Pukapuka seat. Now the people of the Cook Islands can wait and see what changes can be made to the constitution. Can I make […]

Lack of choice is apparent

Monday 22 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Thank you, for responding to my thoughts on, ‘To Vote or Not to Vote that is the Question’. Firstly let me apologise for being anonymous. That was an oversight on my part; my name is Norman Mitchell Ngawaka: Tamatoa. That dealt with, I am sick of it too. The question is what are […]

Accept the blame

Monday 22 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

In response to a front page article last week ‘Demos dug own grave’, a smoke signaller writes to TXT188: “Come on Sir Terepai Maoate, accept you are the instigator of the Democratic Party split because of your greed for power and that you created the Toa problem – stop trying to deny it. We all […]

May justice and democracy prevail always in the Cooks

Saturday 20 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As an electoral officer in the Nikao electorate I felt a great sense of injustice in the mentality of people such as ‘Sick of it’ (18/11 issue). These are people who choose not to exercise their individual rights; Yes, your right! But a right that many in the world were either persecuted, prosecuted, […]

Kata - November 20, 2010

Saturday 20 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Aitutaki speaks

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This latest election also served as a referendum on Sunday flights to Aitutaki. The Te Kura O Te Au party was formed by people who are opposed to Sunday flights to Aitutaki, and that was one of their major campaign issues. Looking at the total number of votes the candidates of that party […]

Maggie for prime minister!

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writing to TXT188 reckons the election night results as ranked by popular vote should determine how the official appointments are allocated: “George Maggie, number of votes 386, prime minister; Mark Brown, 304 votes, deputy prime minister; Kiriau Turepu, 294 votes, senior cabinet minister; and so forth…” SmokeSignals: Now that’s a novel way […]

Congratulations CIP

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Firstly I would like to congratulate the CIP successful candidates especially the new blood. Yes, you have various challenges ahead of you but that is the name of the game. I would also like to extend my acknowledgement to the Demos, even though you had lost the battle. To our tumutoa George Maggie […]

Swimming pool idea 'stupid'

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I can’t believe that anyone would actually consider such a stupid idea as a tidal swimming pool. These pools only work in places with a much larger difference between high and low tide. Here it can be less than a metre and that would not be enough to flush the water (pool will […]

Kata - November 19, 2010

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Kata - November 18, 2010

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Wow Jim, nice speech

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Sometimes when a person says some really dumb things, others automatically assume it’s the result of a few too many drinks. But in outgoing PM Jim Marurai’s case when interviewed on Radio Australia before the start of the election, maybe it was just he wanted to give his honest opinion, without considering the damage it […]

It's my right not to vote

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, To vote on not to vote, that is the question. Thank God we live in a democracy. That means some of us can choose to vote, or choose not to vote, because that is our right. Yes, that’s right – the right not to vote if we so choose. This right was won […]

Island admin top heavy

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I refer to an article in the general news section about a visit by the CIP leader to Mitiaro. It highlighted an administration problem on the island between the island secretary, the island council and the people of Mitiaro. Now we have a similar problem in Mauke. Our biggest problem is with a […]

Superbug threat is real

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing with concern regarding yesterday’s article ‘Superbug threats in NZ’. A Superbug is created when due to antibiotic resistance, antibiotics are no longer able to kill that bacteria, rendering it untreatable. It highlights the risk of infectious diseases and how we should be looking at ‘holistic approaches to combat’ bacterial and […]

Laptop risks for men

Wednesday 17 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

After reading an overseas news article ‘Is your laptop cooking your testicles?’ a smoke signaller writes: “As someone who has been robbed, I hope this article is true and that thieves and receivers of stolen laptops on Rarotonga become infertile for their sins!” The article says that sitting with a laptop computer on your lap […]

Kata - November 17, 2010

Wednesday 17 November 2010 | Published in Kata