Opinion

Govt brave and courageous

Thursday 13 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing to commend the Prime Minister and his newly elected government for the brave and courageous stand towards the prevention of HIV and all other STI, in the Cook Islands. It is rewarding to read that you have all worked together to resolve this issue. I would also like to offer […]

Mayoralty should not be 'political'

Wednesday 12 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It’s that time again – the race for the Aitutaki Mayoral position is up for grabs. I am currently on Aitutaki, and I could feel an air of expected cotton downed tension among my Aitutaki people, especially among family members. Surprisingly, I am experiencing an unnecessary segregation barrier among our people, with their […]

Give nurses credit

Wednesday 12 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’m somewhat bemused by ‘Very Angry’ in terms of nurses having a social gathering to reflect the year’s end of 2010. Whether its merrymaking, or celebrating for that matter, it definitely gives the nurses the chance to express their passion in seeing the year out and to welcome the new year of 2011. […]

Don't listen to outsiders

Wednesday 12 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I was just wondering if someone who is a foreign worker who brings AIDS into our country or receives it while here on our island should be deported back home. We have a population of only 10,000 people and decreasing, so what is of concern is that we don’t know who it is, […]

Do decent thing

Wednesday 12 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The HIV carrier that we have on the island must be shaking in his/her pants for the uproar he/she is causing our people. I feel sorry for you mate, I also feel sorry for all those you may have infected. You both are important however, if you maintain your stance and stay on […]

The fact is, Jesus was born

Wednesday 12 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter of Les Priest yesterday. Funnily enough, the Archbishop of Canterbury is hardly the sort of person you want on your “team”. His views are heretical and do not reflect Biblical Christianity in any way. The fact is, Jesus Christ was born (probably not in December but it is […]

Kata - January 11, 2011

Tuesday 11 January 2011 | Published in Kata

Nurses' party disturbing

Tuesday 11 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write to share my frustration towards an unacceptable event which took place at Rarotonga Hospital on December 31, 2010, New Year’s eve, from 4pm onwards. At the maternity ward outside the canteen (I think it is), there was a party held there. They were nursing staff, senior midwives, registered nurses from other […]

Time to kick some butts

Tuesday 11 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I would like to congratulate Minister Teariki Heather for taking a tough stance on the work attitudes of public servants and the need to improve their work effort. As someone who has worked closely with many public servants over a wide range of government ministries and departments for over 20 years, I can […]

Vaikai have grounds for grievance

Tuesday 11 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, A TV and your news items on the Pa Ariki palace land ceremony invited this opinion. Te Mata O Te Enua, Section 10A1, and adjoining lands in Ngatangiia are some of the lands I am familiar with from research on the Land Court and its works and practice from 1901 to 1954. I […]

Roasting his own coffee

Tuesday 11 January 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

One thing this picture says about Neil Dearlove – master coffee roaster, barista and The Caf proprietor – is that he has a keen sense of humour. Not many coffee vendors the world over would be brave enough to advertise ‘rotten food and lousy coffee’, but in Neil’s case it’s just a matter of wearing […]

Apology negated

Monday 10 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Apology accepted from June Hosking (January 8) but why nearly negate it by long-winded introspection and explanation? Why not just accept that some people on the planet do things differently and some people do things without ulterior motive – they do it because they feel happy doing it. Provided it isn’t obscene, or […]

Leaders' energy a good omen

Monday 10 January 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

“What a breath of fresh air last week to hear candidly from three of our new cabinet members, who’re obviously full of energy, attitude and ready-to-go thinking,” a smoke signaller writes. “Obviously our new leaders haven’t gone to sleep over the festive season, and their brains have been fully engaged. It’s not just good copy […]

It ain't necessarily so

Monday 10 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Regarding June Hosking’s letter in Saturday’s C.I. News, I don’t doubt your sincerity for one moment June, but in the interest of sorting out fact from fiction, I would mention that no less a personage than the leader of the world’s Anglicans, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Robin Williams, has described the Christmas story […]

Extremely narrow-minded world view

Monday 10 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wholeheartedly support the CI National Aids Committee, in strongly opposing the release of any information regarding any person living with HIV in the Cook Islands. The fact that our newly elected government would even entertain such an idea, displays an extremely narrow minded world view of an issue that has had enough […]

Blaming is wrong

Monday 10 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read with deep sadness the statements made by your Prime Minister on the front page of your newspaper on Saturday January 8. It is understandable that the PM wants to protect the public interest and to keep Cook Islanders from contracting HIV. Since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, in the early […]

HIV expert issues plea

Monday 10 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This is in response to your recently published article about Prime Minister Henry Puna’s concern about the recent HIV positive diagnosis in the Cook Islands. As a certified HIV/AIDS educator and global outreach activist, and as someone who knows and loves your nation like a second home, I am writing to you asking […]

NZ AIDS foundation 'seriously alarmed'

Monday 10 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The NZAF would like to acknowledge the challenges faced by the Cook Islands Government following the first HIV diagnosis in the country. The New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF) is New Zealand’s national HIV prevention and healthcare organisation. The NZAF is a registered charity that grew out of gay community initiatives responding to the […]

Blackrock is full

Saturday 8 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Firstly, I’d like to thank your Smoke Signaller for their inquiry. Our centre is completely FULL for term 1 of this school year, so we will be unable to accept any new enrolments. Children attend our centre through first putting their name on our Waiting List. There is often a long wait of […]

Humble apologies

Saturday 8 January 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Kia Orana Elf. I humbly apologise to you and anyone else who thought I was attacking the Catholic Church. My intention was to ask all churches and Christians to consider the Christmas message they are portraying intentionally or unintentionally. In fact, we were confronted with the Christmas tree at a CICC church and […]