Opinion

Fish traps (pa's) have cultural heritage

Tuesday 25 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write this letter on behalf of concerned members of the Ngatangiia Community. The focus of the letter is to provide an informed, knowledge based understanding of the existence of the “pa’s” of the Muri reef flats. It will also take into account the advice of foreshore engineer Atatoa Herman (MP for Ngatangiia) […]

Aitutaki recovery effort defended

Monday 24 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Allow me to respond to Teuira Ka from Darwin, Australia. His accusation that the Demo Government put in place a “poorly structured organisation” to deal with the Aitutaki Cyclone recovery programme is a cheap misleading and misplaced political shot. The Demo Government must be praised for its urgent response to the cyclone and […]

Tuatau to te au mea katoatoa

Monday 24 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Kia koe e Etita, Kia Orana I teia mataiti ou i te aroa maata o to tatou Atua. Te tuku atu nei au e Tama i tetai manga patianga kia akao uatu i teia leta naku ki roto i tetai tuanga o taau Nuti Pepa me ka tika i toou ngateitei. No te maata o […]

WAIHEKE SHARES OUR CHALLENGES HEADACHE CURE CENTRE LESS BUMPY APOLOGY TO RASMUSSEN

Monday 24 January 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Good on you minister Heather for taking the initiative to go and see first hand the waste management systems in Gisborne, Opotiki and Wairoa,” a smoke signaller writes in response to an article in Saturday’s CINews about his forthcoming NZ-funded tour of waste and sanitation schemes. “Finding a permanent solution to our pollution problems is […]

Please, give the new PM a break

Saturday 22 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I find it very rich that the Pitt Media Group has the nerve to criticise newly elected Prime Minister Henry Puna for not adhering to strict protocol during a couple of formal ceremonies. How trivial. As one of the Pitt Media Group’s senior reporters, it is my guess that Trev Pitt had a […]

Look at court examples

Saturday 22 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I can see the dilemma of having sympathy for the person who is HIV positive but also concern about the far reaching health effects in that he may have had relationships with others who could now be in danger of becoming HIV positive as a result. Two overseas stories could be of interest, […]

Representation without taxation

Saturday 22 January 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“The American Revolution was founded on the principle of ‘no taxation without representation and no representation without taxation’,” a smoke signaller writes. “What is now proposed by the Cook Islands Government is that 14 non-taxed constituencies are supported by 10 taxed constituencies and we are going to be faced with the weird proposition that a […]

Stop the crap

Saturday 22 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, There have been far too many speculations from outsiders about how our CIP caucus members and supporters are behaving. It’s time to stop the crap. Comments of that nature, without a roto does not interest te toke enua o to tatou basileia. We need people with positive waves from on which we can […]

Yes or no will do

Saturday 22 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Palmerston Health Clinic questions remain unanswered. I thank Helen Sinclair for the rundown of what is happening recently regarding the Palmerston Island’s Health Centre, however my questions have not been answered and I will ask them again. 1. Is it true that Ministry of Health has already reported to EU that the Palmerston […]

Kata - January 21, 2011

Friday 21 January 2011 | Published in Kata

Good work!

Thursday 20 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, A few words of expressing many thanks to the Action Minister Teariki Heather and Tupapa Action Man Member of Parliament George Angene. A stream opposite my place in Ooa Tupapa which has been blocked and overgrown with debris and grass for the last three years is now being cleared after just a day […]

Bubble blower

Thursday 20 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Why would/should we the tax payer contribute anything to Taio’s latest reef wrecker’s delivery cost? He has already said that he has no interest in servicing the Northern group and his boat sounds too large to make most trips economical anyway. I would much rather support the leaner, cleaner and greener sailing option […]

It's colonial land court 'injustice'

Thursday 20 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Pa’s lawyer’s comments in your front page editorial on January 12 bordered, in my opinion, on contempt and arrogance, not only to the protesting Vaikai Family, but also to the many other families who have been deprived of their lands too by the processes of the colonial Land Court. It would in my […]

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