Opinion

Let the people decide

Monday 8 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I agree with letter writer, Very Concerned Voter in Thursday’s paper. If cabinet, which by the way includes the PM and his four ministers, can’t see that Tata Crocombe has a clear and direct conflict of interest as chairman of the Cook Islands Tourism board and the owner of two major hotels, then […]

'Fruit picking' is based on invalid science

Monday 8 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In response to Tap Pryor’s editorial equating harvesting nodules to picking fruit, I have issue with the few details he provided. He claims there ‘may’ be life down there, but most likely not because of the photographs he examined in the 1990s. Let’s take a closer look at the size of the area […]

Go back to the people, please

Saturday 6 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, A lot of public opinion has been aired about government’s plans, through the proposals for political reform presented by both Crocombe and Short. The 12-point reform proposal put forward by Tata and Iaveta has in one way or other preempted the people’s views on what direction we should be taking. This planned initiative […]

Kata - February 6, 2010

Saturday 6 February 2010 | Published in Kata

Power savings to the people

Saturday 6 February 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

It’s said there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but you can get something for free when you next pay your power account. In a project between the country’s electricity utility Te Aponga Uira and the Asian Development Bank, householders in the Cook Islands get a voucher for three energy-saving light bulbs. The only […]

Picking fruit 6000m below

Friday 5 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The letter writer “Finding Nemo” is concerned about the impact of sucking nodules off the bottom and that’s good. However, he/she says that “Tap seems to think that there’s no life down there”. In fact, the several previous explorations had taken thousands of close-up photos of the seabed that is 6000 metres below. […]

The Rarotongan hits back

Friday 5 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This is in response to Albert Tini’s letter to the editor in the Cook Islands News edition of February 1, 2010. The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa has for many years paid three separate incentive bonuses to all wage earners in addition to their flat rates. These bonuses are paid out weekly and […]

How lucky can you get?

Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, When one looks at the Toagate scandal one cannot help noticing the easy way Brett Porter makes millions of dollars without spending a cent – settlement out of court $1.75milliion, 8 years of guaranteed profit at $1.2 million a year, $9.6 million dollars, a total of $11.35million without ever contributing a dollar! How […]

Irreversible damage done

Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, We, the people of this country, address these issues directly to prime minister Jim Marurai. 1. As PM, all cabinet portfolios belong to you but you delegate them amongst your ministers. 2. As chairman of cabinet, you chair all cabinet meetings and you are the only one who can call cabinet to meet. […]

Prayer study unconvincing

Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear editor In Kenny Valoa’s letter of Tuesday February 2 he refers to a study by Dr R C Byrd published in the Southern Medical Journal in 1988 which claimed that intercessory prayer had a positive effect on coronary patients. Being intrigued as Valoa suggests many might be, I downloaded Byrd’s study and read it. […]

Profile all the MPs, please

Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, With all political turmoil we are experiencing, some of us don’t know much about the politicians really. Would it be possible for you to publish short biographies of them? It could be spread out a few at a time. It would be better if the public knows a bit more about them such […]

Critic answers concerns

Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It’s good to see criticisms and comments flowing into CINews concerning the nodule opportunity. There were two Wednesday morning I’d like to address. The first – ‘Let’s sit on the golden egg’ – has a good point. No doubt metal prices will rise in the years ahead. Someday copper might be worth as […]

Spare me, please

Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am replying to Kenny Valoa’s letter of February 2. Thanks Kenny for the unchristian, personal abuse you heaped upon me in your pathetic, irrelevant, raving and rambling sermon, which I found enlightening only in the fact that it highlighted your bigotry and intolerant attitude towards the other major religions in the world. […]

PM, please explain your 'Chosen One'

Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council has every right to be concerned and angry about the new found power and influence that businessman Tata Crocombe seems to have acquired in recent months and the way in which he is in full control of the new destination sales and marketing committee. While I fully […]

Tap should remain locked up in the closet

Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am glad that the five cabinet ministers are dragging their feet on the seabed mining adventure as Tap Pryor suggested in his editorial. What’s the rush, Tap? Do you really think that our current government can manage billions of dollars when they are struggling to manage the few millions we have? Perhaps […]

Dump asbestos our way

Thursday 4 February 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Neigbouring nation Niue might follow the Cook Islands’ unorthodox method of dumping asbestos roofing at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Niue MP Terry Coe suggests that asbestos roofing from homes damaged during cyclone Heta in 2004 should be loaded on to a ship that is then sunk 2000 to 3000 metres down. He suggests […]

Where to now?

Wednesday 3 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It seems that the short honeymoon for Marurai and his cabinet is already at stalemate. No new initiatives except they’re back-pedaling and going over ideas and initiatives already thought of by the Demo government. This little team is already exhausted as they no longer have the insight to think outside the square. In […]

Tap's suggestion 'horrifying'

Wednesday 3 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Tap Pryor has concerns about the ‘nodule opportunity’ he sees as about to be killed by the government and states that no appropriation of funds is required to pass and implement the seabed mining legislation and for the minister to sign an exploration licence. What a horrifying thought that is! The objectives of […]

Let's just sit on our golden egg

Wednesday 3 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I make reference to the letter in your newspaper the other day from ol’ papa Tap Pryor who appears desperate for this government to urgently proceed with the exploration of the country’s manganese nodules as soon as possible. The way I see things, if the value of the minerals contained in these deep-sea […]

More positives than negatives

Tuesday 2 February 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, My wife and I vacationed in Rarotonga and Aitutaki two years ago spending a week on each island. Our two-week vacation contributed much to the local economy. We will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in April and we have decided to return. But we’ll be visiting only Rarotonga this time, staying at […]