Opinion

Pa Ariki: It's time for change

Saturday 11 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As we move towards the forthcoming elections, all Cook Islanders must seriously take stock of the path we have travelled and the successive governments we have had to live under before choosing who they wish to lead them into the future. I say lead because if the last 10 years is anything to […]

Kata - September 10, 2010

Friday 10 September 2010 | Published in Kata

Apology over name

Friday 10 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Cook Islands News wishes to apologise for misspelling Sir Terepai Maoate’s surname in the page one headline in yesterday’s newspaper. This occurred due to a typographical error which wasn’t picked up in the proofing process. Cook Islands News apologises to Sir Terepai, his family, the Democratic Party and everyone affected by this error. We have […]

Fed up with 'political poison'

Friday 10 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I don’t expect you to do anything with this letter but I have a secret desire that this gets printed word for word. Wait till you read it. I was going to explore the acceptable newspaper grammar etiquette but if MPs can exercise their ability to “speak before they think” so can I. […]

Potholes in sky

Thursday 9 September 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Onboard the Pacific Blue flight returning home after two weeks abroad in New Zealand, we were experiencing some pretty bad turbulence,” a smoke signaller writes. “The captain of the flight announced, ‘Good evening ladies and gentlemen, we apologise for the unexpected turbulence we are now experiencing. However, just think of it as an experience riding […]

Kata - September 9, 2010

Thursday 9 September 2010 | Published in Kata

Get real Smart Voter

Thursday 9 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I read “Smart Voter’s” letter in yesterday’s paper. Luckily for “Smart Voter” he has not supplied his name. “Smart voter” obviously has no idea what he’s talking about – if we knew who he was we’d all be laughing at him as he drives down the potholed, patched, roads of Rarotonga. Get real […]

Playing the game

Wednesday 8 September 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “Wasn’t it just great to see the Atiu Warrior Norman George in action, in relation to the Group for Political Change and Mou Piri ‘waiting until the last minute’ in relation to political reform and consulting the people? Just great, let them have it Norman, they have no right to suggest […]

Kata - September 8, 2010

Wednesday 8 September 2010 | Published in Kata

Law change needed to protect families

Wednesday 8 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing in support of Moana Rule’s child support petition, which is about time, because it’s a serious issue that needs to be addressed. A law is needed to change attitudes otherwise parents will always get up and go with no responsibility, and in the end, our families and children suffer, as […]

$10m contract not right

Wednesday 8 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Minister Smiley Heather’s article in the paper last week regarding the roading project going on now allowed us to see what is really going on within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning and the corruption and politics involved. Smiley mentioned that the roading programme is a planned programme with funding coming from ADB […]

Food concerns

Wednesday 8 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Food + hot weather + germs = diarrhea This is a simple equation I’d like to share with food vendors of the Cook Islands, especially as summer returns. Many cooked food vendors routinely sell food on tables and countertops without any attempt to chill the food, nor cover it from the sun, nor […]

Wake up to it!

Wednesday 8 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Good on Brett Porter for setting off a panic at the fuel pump by announcing that the country will be out of fuel this week. He claims no one has the ability to purchase tanker loads of fuel; nice. Yesterday Chris Vaile said that government has restricted Triad’s ability to store more fuel […]

Sir Terepai's 'incredible hypocrisy'

Tuesday 7 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Sir Terepai’s front page comments in Saturday’s newspaper must be responded to. Sir Terepai and his committee have refused to accept that we have time and again submitted the better argument and have presented a clear cut case how his nomination was improper and therefore invalid. They keep coming back and pestering the […]

People's Forum part of the debate

Tuesday 7 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The whole idea of the People’s Forum and of asking political candidates to speak up publicly is that we all need to discuss and debate political reform. Our Group for Political Change was asked by supporters to regroup, because of our past work in advocating for political reform. We were asked to again […]

Raro's ego speedway

Tuesday 7 September 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Every so often we have fuel shortages,” a smoke signaller writes. “Our roads are constantly littered with pot holes. Contributing to this are the modern 4 wheel drive vehicles constantly hooning around Rarotonga Speedway. With the size of this island I cannot understand why the importation of these vehicles available for private use continues. Surely […]

There's no quick fix

Monday 6 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Let me take this opportunity to “get it right” as referred to by Serena Hunter of Muri. Reduction in the number of seats in parliament is the one suggestion agreed by GPC, Mou Piri and the Reformers as the referendum topic for this election, a suggestion that took at least two hours worth […]

Let's pressure candidates

Monday 6 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

We want signed commitments on key issues like reducing seats Dear Editor, In front of our eyes on almost a daily basis the political parties are falling apart. It’s time for everyone to seriously question your loyalty to a party because most politicians obviously don’t have any loyalty to YOU in the party, so many […]

Dog epidemic out west

Monday 6 September 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I was not surprised recently to hear that a tourist had been bitten by a roving dog in Arorangi. I wrote to the Dog Ranger, via the police, several weeks ago stating that someone would get hurt by these dogs if nothing was done. Well, nothing was done and as far as I […]

Sinking and rising islands

Monday 6 September 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A big congrats going out to Pacific Resort Aitutaki’s GM Michael Shah for being voted the South Pacific general manager of the year at the 2010 HM Awards for Hotel & Accommodation Excellence in Sydney on Friday night. Shortly after starting the job in Aitutaki he said he has the best job in the world, […]