Opinion

What a pleasant surprise

Tuesday 21 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have not visited the Tupapa Health Clinic for many months now, but I recall the last time I went there. Whilst waiting to be called, I looked around the waiting room and down the corridor and thought “gee, this place looks almost exactly what it was ten years ago and they should […]

Tourism showing vision and direction

Tuesday 21 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Last Thursday night, I attended Club Raro for the public launch of CI Tourism’s plans for the next few years. The new chief executive, Carmel Beattie, gave an excellent, informed and passionate presentation and the content was very comprehensive. At last, after years of gloom, drama and dreaming in the leadership of our […]

A heartfelt thanks to you all

Tuesday 21 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It is with much sadness and many regrets that I returned to New Zealand last Friday to be with my wife, who is recovering from a series of heart attacks which were related to her heart transplant of 11 years ago. I arrived in Rarotonga some seven weeks ago to join Summerfield Systems […]

Hang in there Norman

Tuesday 21 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, On page 7 in your September 17 edition, the photo and article featuring big Norm’s flip-flop in 2003, I must say that Norm may not be a party pooper, but he is definitely a party hopper and flip-flopper. Originally a Demo, now CIP, in1999 he launched the NAP party which he claimed that […]

Embrace our multiple identities

Tuesday 21 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Last week, on radio talkback a number of people expressed concern over the announcement that Tim Arnold would stand as an Independent candidate for Tupapa-Maraerenga. Sadly, candidates and supporters from both political parties have used this to their advantage and sprung into action, instilling unnecessary fear into local people, for their own political […]

Canada link suggestion

Monday 20 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Early in December my wife and I will be arriving to spend another enjoyable six weeks on the beautiful island of Rarotonga, this will make our fifth year that we have spent Christmas and New Year with you all. My only regret is that we cannot get a direct flight from Canada to […]

Call for integrity

Monday 20 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We call for leaders of ‘integrity’, but what does that mean? I read this description and thought it worth submitting for personal reflection and as we each contemplate who to bless with our vote. Ted Engstrom writes: “The world needs people who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character […]

Challenge issued to Punctillius

Monday 20 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It is so great that you, Mr or Mrs Punctillius is quick to respond to my reply to your letter on September 15. The only sad thing is you don’t know what is right or wrong. You don’t even have the balls to reveal your name to the public. Why is it supplied […]

Come visit our islands

Monday 20 September 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“If you live in Detroit USA and are contemplating an island holiday, would you believe it would be less expensive for you to holiday in the Cook Islands rather than Hawaii?” a smoke signaller asks. “Well it is right now. A couple staying at a nice island location here returned to the USA on Saturday […]

Stop stealing our pawpaws

Saturday 18 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, To the lowlife who is stealing pawpaws from my mother’s plot in Turangi – you must feel proud stealing the fruits of someone else’s labour. It must feel good sneaking up, no doubt in the dark of night and swiping the whole crop, which someone else has spent the time and energy in […]

Ideas for political reform

Saturday 18 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

It is always important to first try to determine whether the problems have to do with the system or the people. If the political culture is corrupt, it will infect any system that is put in place. The success of a political system over time depends on historical context and events – once in operation […]

A case of the 'flip-flops'

Saturday 18 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, An article in yesterday’s paper labels me as a ‘flip-flop’ on political reform. Check the background of the GPC and you will find they too suffer from ‘flip-flops’! They never had national seats and a nationally elected PM in their agenda – now they do! I went off the GPC sometimes in 2003 […]

To tell or not to tell?

Saturday 18 September 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“I’ve just finished reading ‘Chris was Right’ in the smokies,” one of our readers writes this week. “I was thinking the same thing, but the other way around. Brett Porter informed us there was going to be a fuel shortage. Chris Vaile said it will be okay if we don’t ‘Panic Buy’. So everyone started […]

Kata - September 18, 2010

Saturday 18 September 2010 | Published in Kata

Cook Islands spirit

Friday 17 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We would like to publically recognise Tangianu Tuaputa’s support and aid to us following a motor bike accident near his home. His human response seems to exemplify the Cook Islanders’ spirit. Our four day stopover in Rarotonga on the way to Australia has given us the pleasure of discovering the island’s beauty and […]

Ask all the right questions

Friday 17 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I was delighted with the passionate response to my provocative letter “Cut our Cake” earlier in the week, but the correspondent asked the wrong question. The questions he should have asked was: What are the Cook Islands and what is a Cook Islander? A Constitution should deal with the question of who we […]

Disgusted and angry

Thursday 16 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I was so disgusted and angry when I read the “Cut our cake to size” letter by Portillius. The subject about land tenure is not a subject that you can pussyfoot around with. Is that your real name? If not, why didn’t you let it be printed? Who do you think you are, […]

Electric service

Thursday 16 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, On Tuesday at 10pm the electricity to our house was cut off. This was not a power cut to a whole area but just to our house alone. We called Te Aponga’s 24hr fault line and spoke to the very helpful gentleman that was on call. Within 20 minutes there was a Te […]

Why always a dummy?

Thursday 16 September 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

After signing up for zillions of dollars of borrowed money from overseas without serious due diligence –the failed Vaimaanga resort project being a classic example – and now hopefully being the wiser for it, some still must think the country has a ‘We’re Dummies!’ sticker slapped across the forehead of our government. The Cabinet document […]

Thanks for road work

Thursday 16 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I just wanted to offer my thanks and gratitude to the fixing of the Tupapa crossroad inland of Super Brown Store. Minister Smiley Heather, Tou Ariki, Tere Taio and the Works boys –a meitaki maata on behalf of the people living in this area. Although it took seven years to fix it we […]