Opinion

Kata - July 29, 2010

Thursday 29 July 2010 | Published in Kata

I have a fantastic life

Thursday 29 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Te akaroa iakoe e te po (unknown identity) i te kiteanga au e, ko taau pauanga openga teia ki taku au kiritianga autara ki te etita. I am saddened for you (unknown identity), knowing that this will be your final response to my letter to the editor. Te akaroa nei au iakoe no […]

Kata - July 28, 2010

Wednesday 28 July 2010 | Published in Kata

No tourists, no money

Wednesday 28 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, What a good start to boosting the economy, tell tourist to go somewhere else. When are these people going to learn? Do the maths no tourist, no money for the country, simple as that. Max (Name and address supplied)

In support of Uncle Tai

Wednesday 28 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am a regular reader of the Cook Islands News and certainly do enjoy the news. I write this letter in support of my uncle Tai Tura who is standing in the coming elections in Mauke. Uncle Tura has lived and dedicated his time to know the needs of Akatokamanava. I am only […]

The inconvenient truth

Wednesday 28 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Are flights always or ever convenient? We leave Detroit, Michigan at 7am to Chicago, wait one to five hours to LAX to wait up to eight hours to catch Air New Zealand to Rarotonga arriving at 6.30am. Some 36 hours after getting up in snowy Michigan. For several years we as Global Volunteers […]

Sad to see Wong publicly crucified

Wednesday 28 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It is good to see Chris Wong’s name cleared with the conclusion of investigations and the announcement that no criminal charges will be laid against him. I have always known that this would be the outcome of the long saga he and his family have had to go through and I have seen […]

Ignorant and irresponsible

Tuesday 27 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, To the person that wrote ‘Thoughtless tourists not wanted’, I’m appalled by this careless attack on a visitor to our shores. Doug May was merely giving feedback from his experience and did not deserve such a rebuke. This isn’t a great way to welcome our Australian friends to our country, whether you’re an […]

Battle of the Henrys

Tuesday 27 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write in connection with a letter published by you recently written by Tupui Henry headed ‘The Good Ol’ Days’. In that letter he claimed that he challenged me in Cabinet in 1983 because I “stripped” him of his “normal” portfolios “of Internal Affairs, Justice Lands and survey and the Cook Islands Broadcasting […]

Makea Takau penny stamps

Tuesday 27 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“Are there any keen stamp collectors in the islands?” asks a smoke signaller. “I have come across a Cook Islands full mint sheet of 60 stamps issued in 1893 picturing Queen Makea Takau. The face value is 1d blue. Goodness knows what the value might be! The stamps are mint unused in pretty good order […]

Time for change

Tuesday 27 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Politicians are voted into government by the people, to help the people, to be a voice for the people of the land, but NOT voted in so they can line their pockets with the people’s funds. Conflict of interests, yes they should be ashamed of themselves. They should be forced to pay those […]

Van collides with three-year-old

Saturday 24 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Police report that there have been three motor vehicle crashes this week. On Wednesday afternoon in Arorangi, a three-year-old child was hit by a van. The driver of the van alleges she was traveling at 35kph when the child darted onto the road. She said she applied the brakes but didn’t have enough time to […]

Kata - July 24, 2010

Saturday 24 July 2010 | Published in Kata

Muri eyed for sewerage test

Saturday 24 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

A meeting will be held next week with the community in Avana-Muri, which has been identified by the Cook Islands Marine Resources Institutional Strengthening (CIMRIS) report as the best site on the island to test run the upgrades of a new sewerage system. The aim of the system is to help improve lagoon water quality. […]

Another audit report bites the dust

Saturday 24 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Another audit report bites the dust! Fantastic result regarding the Wong ‘investigation’. Pity our police couldn’t come with those conclusions themselves, even I could’ve come up with that without burdening the NZ taxpayer with another fantasy allegation by the Audit Office. So, much more important now is that Audit immediately takes over the […]

Why not crucify them?

Saturday 24 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Mataauri Ruta begs us not to crucify father and son over the loans granted to two companies owned by the two MPs who created the scheme. May I ask why not? In September 2007 the fishing vessel Moana sank at sea after operating for five years without a General Safety Certificate. The principal […]

Mangaia was already civilised

Saturday 24 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“A point for clarification please,” writes a smoke signaller. “The history reference in yesterday’s smokies titled ‘Backstabbing never dies’ paints a skewed picture of the rest of ‘these fair islands’. Mangaia for instance does not share the same history of usurpers as Rarotonga does. She already had her own civilisation and system of governance before […]

Kata - July 23, 2010

Friday 23 July 2010 | Published in Kata

Wong replies

Friday 23 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This letter is to ‘Gutless’ Concerned Taxpayer. If you are really concerned about where the Chris Wong saga case is going, why don’t you grow some balls and put your name to your letter to the editor? Are you so dumb as to not realise that I cannot appear in court without first […]

Backstabbing never dies

Friday 23 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “Poor Chris Vaile, the man can’t understand why liars, arsonists and conspirators are running for Parliament. Chris, you have to look a bit further back in history than the arrival of diesel oil to these fair islands, indeed you have to look back before the arrival of the white man. If […]