Opinion

Former police commissioner wants to put record straight

Saturday 8 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor From afar I keep abreast of the happenings in the Cook Islands and watch with interest. A matter I have kept a keen eye on was the trial of Norman George and his co-defendants. Now the matter is over, as far as the prosecution procedures are concerned, I would like to put the […]

Kata slightly off the mark

Saturday 8 May 2010 | Published in Kata

Dear Editor CI News Cartoonist ‘Kata’, is a brilliant artist known for his humorous social and political cartoons in your newspaper, the Cook Islands News. However, Kata was off the mark with his April 27 cartoon depicting John Tangi as a member of a military led dictatorship telling Robert Wigmore he couldn’t stand for the […]

Supporters 'weren't swearing at players'

Saturday 8 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A reader replies to one of the smoke signals yesterday regarding Tupapa supporters: “I think I have a fair idea who this person is; you may stay in Tupapa, but you’re not a Tupapa supporter. The person who wrote it sounds as vicious as the message and it shows you how spiteful this person is […]

Kata - May 8, 2010

Saturday 8 May 2010 | Published in Kata

Whose money is it?

Friday 7 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I read in our local newspapers that Tata Crocombe is going to get Government to guarantee the losses of the direct Sydney-Raro flights up to $2.4 million dollars! Hey, why is Government so stupid to do this, it’s not their money, it belongs to the people. Only last month Government paid Brett Porter […]

Kiwi friendship

Friday 7 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Re John Cooper, Vaimaanga, letter re “Reciprocal friendship for New Zealanders” I’m all for it. Would love to be able to spend more than the mandatory 30 days in your beautiful islands. Think about it, I’m one of many Kiwis that think the same way. I might even want to live there then […]

Telecom 'one of the cheapest'

Friday 7 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor In response to Tom Douke’s letter in the paper about the cost of Telecom’s WiFi. Telecom is one of about 10 providers of WiFi service around Rarotonga. Tourists can choose which provider they wish to use, depending on price, convenience, ease of use etc. Tourists can also use several competing internet cafes around […]

Foul mouth spoils game for others

Friday 7 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

An irate sports fan writes: “I am a league freak and always have been since I was a little girl, from ARL to NRL and now CIRL, it’s like our own little island State of Origin. I love it! But I am so sick and tired of Tupapa supporters screaming foul and obscene remarks at […]

Kata - May 7, 2010

Friday 7 May 2010 | Published in Kata

Kata - May 6, 2010

Thursday 6 May 2010 | Published in Kata

'Concerned parent' told to open up their eyes

Thursday 6 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor The letter by ‘A Very Concerned Parent’ yesterday is expected of idle hands. For their information, I’ve managed an oil industry built in the midst of a residential and commercial area that distributes over 10 million litres of fuel annually and which has a storage capacity of over 2.5 million litres of petroleum […]

A PM for the people

Thursday 6 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

On the subject of a nationally elected prime minister, a smoke signaller writes: “Under our current Parliamentary structure the PM calls the shots – if he can control Cabinet, which operates under a system of the most stubborn gets his or her way. What the voting public needs is a PM who will try and […]

Telecom must change

Wednesday 5 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Telecom is charging our tourists around 650 per cent more for internet access than we are paying. If you want access to Telecom’s WIFI internet access (Hot Spot) you have to pay a minimum of $15 dollars for 50 megabytes of data. How does this compare to what I pay for 50 mega […]

Kata - May 5, 2010

Wednesday 5 May 2010 | Published in Kata

Please, stand up for the little people

Wednesday 5 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I want to write to you about my sheer frustration at what has happened on the corner of the road to Nikao Maori school and Avatea School. I have children who go to Avatea and am very afraid for their safety. Very quickly we saw a building being erected on the corner of […]

Who foots the bill?

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Kia orana te iti tangata. It’s me again, Uncle Bob! No surprise on the outcome of Norm’s Court Case. But at whose cost? Take a wild guess, te iti tangata, the bill is yours, say thanks to Pai and co. These crackers have cost the country more than their combined worth. They pushed […]

Police action beggars belief

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Helen Greig’s account of the disgraceful treatment of her by the police recently makes for sobering reading. How a competent police officers could pursue an innocent person based on such suspect information beggars belief. It is so important the police maintain public confidence in their integrity and objectivity. Helen Greig’s story does not […]

Alice's tropical wonderland

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “The recent screening of Alice in Wonderland was certainly timely for us here in the Cook Islands where, like Alice’s experience, reality seems to have been set on its head and all is back to front. On the one hand we have spent well over $1,000,000 chasing an allegation against Norman […]

Wrongful arrest disgraceful

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor. After reading the story of misdirected justice regarding Helen Greig’s wrongful arrest, I can only say one word – disgraceful. Disgraceful that the police have suddenly become judge and jury, disgraceful that the police can make arrests or hold a member of the public without due diligence and due process, disgraceful that a […]

Kata - May 4, 2010

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Kata