Opinion

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 […]

Fresh is best

Thursday 4 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, A good egg is a fresh egg. The fresher the egg the better the egg. Local eggs are much fresher than imported eggs; this is just common sense. If I test NZ eggs, statistically one in six eggs is positive for bacteria. In local eggs, one out of 30 will have bacteria. Fresh […]

Sir Terepai's election brochure attacked

Thursday 4 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We have just seen Sir Terepai Maoate’s brochure for the coming election as an independent candidate in Ngatangiia. We take issue with several things he put in his brochure: On the front page he highlights the building of Ngatangiia through “integrity and honesty.” How can he possibly state this when he failed to […]

'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. […]

'X' is best, tick accepted

Thursday 4 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

The Electoral Office urges voters to follow the Electoral Act and mark their ballot paper with a cross [X], but will count those votes with a clear tick or other clear mark. In response to a question of whether a tick [a] would be counted as a valid or invalid vote, the chief electoral officer […]

Kata - November 4, 2010

Thursday 4 November 2010 | Published in Kata

We are our own enemies

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In a small country like ours everyone knows just about everyone else. I am referring to our people meaning both the indigenous people as well as to our PRs, at least I believe that we are one. We should be mindful of each other, tolerant and helpful. But I can not help thinking […]

Eccentric Yes, mad No

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing in response to Local Business Owner’s letter. Yes, I have rebuilt a steam locomotive single-handed. Yes, I climb mountains barefooted. Yes, I am a plastic-sandaled tamure dancer…, but the “madness” surrounding current investment policies is not of my making! In October 2005 – with 25 years experience of DIB/BTIB applications […]

Noughts and crosses

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“I note in the front page article in Monday’s paper ‘Pencil or pen?’ that we should place an [X] in the box when voting at election time,” writes a smoke signaller. “What are some of the party hopefuls expecting when they are promoting in their advertisements the use of a [a]? Would it be a […]

Be careful

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Be careful about the allegations. We have as much interest as everyone else in keeping the lagoon free from pollution. No manure from our chickens ends up in the lagoon and never has. We bag it and sell it to growers, currently at $3 a bag – a further attempt at import substitution […]

Kata - November 3, 2010

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Ring road no surprise

Wednesday 3 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In response to those critics out there who are obviously not as clued-up as the rest of the population, I want to point out that the re-location of the road in Titikaveka around the back of the Vaimaanga Hotel has been the subject of national debate since the late 1980s. Nothing has been […]

Kata - November 2, 2010

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Kata

A different perspective

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wish to put forward a different perspective to the story from the Demos about their trip to Mangaia. And this is from people who were on the ground and actually saw what happened. Andy Matapo did not want the delegation from Rarotonga to visit Tamarua. Same as Mauke and Mitiaro. But they […]

George answers JP court criticism

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wish to help clear the confusion over criminal Court hearings on Thursdays. There is no such thing as “instant justice” unless an arrested person pleads guilty to the charge straight away and is fined. This is okay for minor charges such as drunkenness or common assault or bad language offences. The cases […]

Secret Mirage land deal 'stinks'

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Here we go again! You would have thought after the TOA scandal those Demo idiots would have learnt their lesson. But no, another secret deal has been inked by a minority Government in its dying days with developers gifting them publicly owned land. There is very little beach access for members of the […]

End of a beautiful harbour?

Tuesday 2 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“The Ports Authority must be on to an environmental winner with the call for placing billboards to block the sea views down at the water,” quips a smoke signaller. “Tourists will soon discover that the Cook Islands are the same as where they come from, billboards everywhere, and tourism will decline with less jet fuel […]

Kata - November 1, 2010

Monday 1 November 2010 | Published in Kata

My Papa catches bad people

Monday 1 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor My Papa is a policeman. I love him because he catches bad people to keep me safe. He is sad when bad people steal and do bad things. He is sad when people die on the road. He works hard. He comes home late at night and goes to work any time. Sometimes […]

Police answer complaints

Monday 1 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Police commissioner Maara Tetava has responded to Putoto Powell’s allegations that police treated her in a ‘totally unsatisfactory’ manner following a motor vehicle crash she was involved in last month. Powell had charged in last week’s CI News that police ‘spin doctors’ would likely make excuses for the way they treated her. Tetava responded: “About […]