Opinion

Kata - April 24, 2010

Saturday 24 April 2010 | Published in Kata

Finish what was started

Friday 23 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This Toagate problem will not be solved, unless someone steps in and picks up the faults and sorts it out without blaming others who did not do their job rightly or did not finish it. Wilkie Rasmussen needs to concentrate on fixing it, because he is the new leader that has been appointed […]

Respect America

Friday 23 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, How sad it is to read and notice straight away the bigoted comments penned by Wilkie Rasmussen in his letter to the editor last Thursday. I was absolutely disgusted that he would stoop so low as to highlight to the whole world, via this medium, Steve Boggs’ country of origin and his relevance […]

Best refs for top games

Friday 23 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In reply to ‘Give credit to the ref’, and his defensive and sheltering of an individual referee, I would like to lend in my support to the writer who was requesting our best referee for top games. Top referees cannot and should not hold centre stage of any match, they should control the […]

Kata - April 23, 2010

Friday 23 April 2010 | Published in Kata

Toagate – worst blunder since self government

Thursday 22 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It saddens me to observe people like Bret and Tony holding the people of the Cook Islands to ransom in terms of what they think is right, that is, for the people of the Cook Islands to pay for not only the stupid and silly mistakes done by former Finance Minister Sir Terepai […]

Glenda must stay as CEO

Thursday 22 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “After reading the exit review from Cook Islands Tourism marketing director Glenda Tuaine in your Wednesday paper, all I can say to Minister of Tourism Robert Wigmore is: Persuade Glenda to return to the office immediately as CEO, invite her to bring her proven team around her, ask her advice on […]

Kata - April 22, 2010

Thursday 22 April 2010 | Published in Kata

Exit review by tourism marketing director

Wednesday 21 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

My five years as Director of Marketing and at times Acting CEO have been years of great enjoyment and professional development. In that time I have seen the corporation expand in incredibly positive ways. It has been a challenge and as we all know, we have had highs and lows. As colleagues we have not […]

Four tourism questions:

Wednesday 21 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Note: these are my personal views and do not include all of my concerns, however these are the main four I have at this time. This latest, very serious revelation from Australia leaves much for you to answer. I hope you and the board take it seriously instead of denouncing the comments and attacking the […]

Sunspots positive

Wednesday 21 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have been following along the recent changes in the Tourism Corporation and have stood by while reading a variety of negative comments in regards to the recent changes and I feel like I cannot stand by anymore without adding my perspective. I have personally worked with the Tourism Corporation for over 20 […]

Stop the Titanic

Wednesday 21 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It amazes me just how blinded Tata is about the clear conflict of interest he has holding his private hotel ownership and the tourism chairmanship. Tata, since becoming the chair of tourism, started all these problems by introducing a vision that doesn’t exist and getting rid of capable and professional staff. I don’t […]

It's a comedy of errors

Wednesday 21 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’m getting tired of the countless letters streaming in from overseas bemoaning the fact that the Cook Islands are on a path of destruction at the hands brutal dictators, inept politicians and a local population that is too stupid to act. Politics in the Cook Islands is no different from other countries worldwide […]

Kata - April 21, 2010

Wednesday 21 April 2010 | Published in Kata

It's treachery

Tuesday 20 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Was it worth your while printing rubbish from Steve Boggs? I wonder whether attributions to me by Boggs require you to check authenticity. Or is it the case that you don’t care? How disappointing. Anyway, I called Steve Boggs an American because he is. That’s not being a bigot. It’s telling the truth. […]

Stress relief!

Tuesday 20 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“The audacity of the man!” exclaims a smoke signaller. “Brett Porter somehow got an agreement with ‘government’ to buy his failing company – with now just two years left on the troubled Toa Petroleum land lease – and now he wants taxpayer money to help him buy stock in order to stay in business, pay […]

Cancel the direct Aussie flights now

Tuesday 20 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I tried to find Christopher de Doby amongst Australian travel wholesalers without success. His damming report on Tata Crocombe may have some legs, however we should be made aware if he is in a position to be so scathing and if he does indeed represent Australia wholesalers’ thinking. Australians have a wide choice […]

Just get on with it or please go away

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Reading this morning’s (Saturday) news on tourism and the Aussie comments of an imminent collapse of the industry I can’t help reflecting on the long list of failed projects over the last 30-40 years, from the simplest and smallest to the intricate and largest, from copra, bananas, pineapples, coffee and vanilla beans plus […]

Allow board to do their job

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor It is incredible that someone from Australia, most likely with the help of a small group of disgruntled tourism people both in Australia and Rarotonga, is now leading the most vitriolic charge against Tata again with one focus to get him sacked and removed from the Tourism Board. We understand that Christopher de […]

Wilkie accused of bigotry and hypocrisy

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In Wilkie Rasmussen’s letter to the editor on Thursday he points out that I’m an American living in the Cook Islands with no importance to his people. What does that have to do with anything? The only type of person who would bring this up is a bigot, someone who can’t stand another […]