Opinion

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

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 […]

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 […]

Stop acting like children and blaming everyone

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, What is the problem with these Politicians who are acting like little children? Is this how you behave in your family circles blaming everyone else and not yourself. Those of us who are supporting our families in the Cook Islands through monetary ways are ashamed of what is happening in the Cook Islands. […]

Just wondering where the law balance is

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor A recent Turama program went hard on the law regarding alcohol licensing and stuff. The interview was regarding laws put in place for every owner of a business where alcohol was to be purchased and was very firm on their stance about what the law requires now if they have such a strong […]

Good on George

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I would like to publicly congratulate George Maggie on his selection as CIP candidate for the next election. Like a lot of Cook Islanders my wife and I and children and grandchildren left our beautiful home island of Manihiki for Australia and NZ. We left because of our country’s failed ability to govern […]

Act now Mr Wigmore

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

On a recent marketing trip to NZ I had an extremely worrying conversation with one of our largest NZ travel wholesalers. The wholesaler in question voiced concerns to me that reflected that of the concerns of Australian wholesaler Christopher de Doby outlined in Saturday’s paper. I have voiced these concerns to several of the Tourism […]

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 […]

Why separate rubbish?

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As I watch the rubbish collectors from my window, I am left wondering why on earth we bother to separate our cans, plastics and bottles. Once again, everything just gets thrown into the truck and quashed with all the other household rubbish – not into the ‘recycle trailer’ on the back that seems […]

Thoughts from France

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, No doubt you will be surprised to hear from a French reader of your newspaper, so let me just explain that, almost 50 years ago, I succeeded in introducing to Rarotonga a number of tropical flowering trees, some of which are still alive in spite of repeated cyclones, for instance two spectacular gold […]

Telecom honours 'special' deal and apologises

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I prefer to write this letter to your newspaper rather than to Telecom as I seem to get a different story every time I make inquiries. But I would welcome Telecom responding to this in the paper, to also show they have nothing to hide. More than four weeks ago I inquired of […]

Cabinet needs to act now on nodules

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, One reason why we may lose the nodule opportunity is that there is so much misinformation, which is not surprising for an innovative project of this magnitude. Here are frequently asked question and my responses: 1. Does Endeavour want exclusive rights to the entire CIEEZ? No, the purpose of the exploration is to […]

Safe in young hands

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Those lucky enough to have been at the national auditorium on Thursday for the Rarotonga schools’ culture festival were treated to a spectacular night’s entertainment and a resounding confirmation that the future of our country’s performing cultural arts is in safe hands with our young generation. All of the children, their teachers and their parents […]