Opinion

Non-compliance not unusual

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

While the Democratic Party has filed financial statements, albeit sparse records, covering the previous three years, the CIP file at the Justice Department did not contain any of this information for the last financial year. The CIP was struck off the register by the Justice ministry early last year after failing to file annual financial […]

Action against pollutants

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A project team is working to get rid of dangerous chemicals in the Cook Islands. The chemicals are present in lots of everyday items and can cause serious health problems as they fatten tissue in the body. The group of chemicals is known as Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPs. They can cause cancers as well […]

Around the bend

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes on the Vaimaanga ring road: “Mr Wigmore has been strangely quiet on this issue, which is surprising as it could very well make the difference between him winning or losing his seat. And while you are thinking about this perhaps you could explain to the voters of Titikaveka your motivation in […]

Kata - November 8, 2010

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Scumbags spoiling it

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The Australian Advisory re: theft in the Cook Islands spells the beginning of the end of tourism in this country. All because of a few criminal scumbags. What will happen if New Zealand issues a similar advisory? One thing that amazes me is that slap on the wrist fines are only able to […]

Does anybody care?

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Where to start! I read how Rarotonga is getting new road works worth millions of $ and Telecom’s spending more $ for mobile phones in Manihiki and it is all part of progress that our people rightly deserve. These are the days of political ‘vote for me’ slogans that we are bombarded with […]

Independent thought

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“A certain United States Congressman – a staunch environmentalist – was asked why he accepted political contributions from developers, loggers, miners and other despoilers of the environment,” writes a smoke signaller. “He replied that he took their money and then inevitably voted against their special interest legislation. He was happy to take the money but […]

Missing the point

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Through your paper can I ask the Ministry of Health why a teenage girl who was a pillion passenger on a motor bike that crashed into a drunken driver who was swerving all over the road was charged by Ministry of Health more than $900 for the terrible injuries she sustained as a […]

Have a good day

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Kia Orana Jason (Marurai), Your dad is, or was, the minister of telecommunications, and he has the final say on issuing licences. In a previous letter by William Framhein he noted that your father, Jim Marurai, was the one who refused him the licence. Thank you for your letter, and have a good […]

Not fooled

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Your “Supporter” seems to think that the people of Ngatangiia are unable to tell the truth from a lie. What is dirty politics, to lie that you will step down if you lost the run off for the Demo Seat in Ngatangiia or is it dirty politics to point out that someone has […]

Kata - November 6, 2010

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Kata

A load of rubbish

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I would like to comment on the “second annual report” by Telecom Cook Islands under the headline ‘Telecom public report sets out priorities’ published in Cook Islands News on Thursday November 4. Editor, what a load of rubbish! Pu’iiiiiiiii aue te akama! That’s not an annual report and that’s certainly not the sort […]

Claims mostly fibs

Saturday 6 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, If one really wants to gauge just how much or little the MP for Ngatangiia, Sir Terepai Maoate, has done over the past 27 years for his village, you only have to observe the fact that this village has the most terrible roads on Rarotonga. Without question the jewel in the crown when […]

Sponsorship like tax

Friday 5 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Responding to yesterday’s front page article on Telecom Cook Islands’ second annual report to the public, a smoke signaller writes: “Everyone needs to remember the $500,000 given to sports plus the millions given in dividends to government is coming out of the community. Just like a tax. Ever wonder why you don’t have any money […]

Kata - November 5, 2010

Friday 5 November 2010 | Published in Kata

It's not his fault

Friday 5 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, “We are our own enemies” … that will be the likes of yourself, Mike Tavioni. I wish to submit my disappointment in you for assuming/saying that it is Jim Marurai who turned down William Framhein’s Kukicell proposal/venture. It is “not” my father’s fault that William Franhein had been turned down and I would […]

Dirty politics

Friday 5 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I believe ‘Speak the truth’ does not live in Ngatangiia to elaborate on a lot of nonsense about Sir Terepai and Ngatangiia. Please keep your dirty politics and laundry in your own camp. Ngatangiia is the corner stone of economic development in the Cook Islands. If you haven’t noticed please take a slow […]

Eggs again

Friday 5 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, If John Scott says none of the tons of chicken tutai that fills his sheds every year goes into the lagoon, can he please tell us exactly what runs down that stream next to his property when it rains hard? As for 88% of New Zealand’s eggs being produced in cruel cage factory […]

Support for 'local hero'

Friday 5 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write to offer my support and commendation to our Local Hero John Scott for fighting for us local egg producers. Premeditated pricing and wholesaler monopoly is wrong and should not be supported. Some years back there was a monopoly on the shipping service to the Cook Islands. The CIP Government then legislated […]

'Marital upgrade' among candidates decried

Thursday 4 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wish to make one observation of what I have noticed regarding some of the people running in this coming election. I note with interest that we have some candidates who have had and continue to have problems in the most basic unit of any social system or social structure – the family. […]