Opinion
Wednesday 15: It's too easy to get day licence
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, Drink driving sentences are a joke. One of the recent court reports published in the Cook Islands News contained a long list of cases where the defendants were found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol. All age groups were represented. What concerns me is that approximately 90% were granted day licences […]
Wednesday 15: Lagoon at risk, don't make it worse
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Teina Rongo offers perspective on the proposed coral removal in Muri lagoon Dear Editor, After reading the article on the proposed coral relocation in Muri lagoon, as a marine biologist and concerned Cook Islander, I’d like to offer some perspective on this issue. Generally, Environment Impact Assessments (EIAs) tend to have less weight in the […]
Saturday 11: New fishing licences bad for conservation
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, In 1883, Thomas Huxley, an English biologist and a strong advocate of Darwin, believed that marine resources were inexhaustible and that man could never do anything that would impact fish populations. Fast forward to modern day and we discover that he was wrong. Today, 90 percent of our large fish populations have been […]
Saturday 11: Imagine $1.2m in road works
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I do not know how other tax-paying citizens of this country feel, but it is outrageous that this government can fork out $1.2 million for the construction of a one-off synthetic track for the national stadium in preparation for the Pacific Mini Games, a two-week regional sporting event. That’s right, a whopping $1.2 […]
Saturday 11: Critical shortage of medics in Aitutaki
Wednesday 15 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, There is a critical shortage of medical staff on Aitutaki. Although I have retired from public service, I am still observant of anomalies within our island’s essential (medical/health) services and this is serious for the people of any outer-island, especially as we have experienced a recent type A influenza epidemic, which could have […]
Tuesday 7: Pukapuka decision outrageous
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, Although not of Pukapukan descent, I am 100% supportive of the justified stance taken by the president of the Pukapukan community in Rarotonga, Mr Makirere Poila, and his group, in regards to the proposed European Union funded cyclone shelter project for Pukapuka island. In view of the obvious simplicity of such a project, […]
Tuesday 7: Lack of tourists is too important
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I would like to reply to two recent letters to the paper criticising the suggestion that the $3m stimulus package should be put into tourism. They have other opinions and fair enough. I would like to comment on each of the points in these two letters – not to be smart but to […]
Monday 6: Issue fishing licences carefully
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I would like to voice my concern at the issuing of fishing licenses to foreign countries. All I ask is that it is done with the greatest of care, thought and with careful restrictions put in place. Some of these countries have depleted their own fish stocks and will do the same to […]
Saturday 4: Sports awards a bit of a joke
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I just have to write in about the sports awards. The awards seem like they’re turning into a bit of a joke. In some cases you only had two nominees.Not sure if that’s because some codes couldn’t be bothered, or if 2008 was a non-event year. Congratulations to the Dearloves, but I do […]
Friday 3: There's room for 2
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I write in reference to Helen Greig’s story in Thursday’s paper ‘Forum Line reviews shipping situation’. The long list of problems associated with shipping will continue, unless there is an urgent review of the current shipping act. The country needs a shipping service that is independent and transparent. Independent in that NO importer […]
Friday 3: Businesses need stimulus more than tourism
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I am surprised no complaints about the ‘stimulus package’ are coming from the struggling businesses. The only complaints seem to be coming from the obviously well off. So I will stand up and say, I find the possibility of the $3 million business assistance possibly going to tourism disconcerting. The small businesses make […]
Friday 3: Kuki 101: work before play
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I feel sick and I wonder if taku iti tangata feel this maki-ness also. It’s that sick feeling you get when you have been betrayed before your own eyes. In 1998, the Cook Islands were referred to as sparsely populated islands with a resource of minerals conservatively estimated at $150 billion dollars in […]
Thursday 2: The quest for meaning of life
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I admit to a personal fascination for science – sort of a ‘quest for the meaning of life’ as Keith Koekoe would put it. For example, 20 years ago I dug 40,000 fossil bird bones out of the soil of Henderson Island in the Pitcairn Group, South Pacific. I used these fossils in […]
Thursday 2: Meitaki e Gumby
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, Meitaki maata kiakoe Sam Crocombe no toku mataora i taau i tuatua mai kia matou no runga i taau e rave nei, i te aruaruanga kia tu tatou i tetai ava (port) maata, kia tomo mai te au pai mamaata turoto ki roto i to tatou ava, i toou tereanga ki Marike. Kua […]
Thursday 2: Put $3m into Punanga Nui
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, May I suggest that the ‘stimulus package of $3 million’ that the government has already budgeted and earmarked for struggling businesses, be looked at again. One writer suggested that this money be diverted to promotion of tourism, which to me will be hard to monitor and gauge the actual dollar for dollar value […]
Tuesday 7: SMOKE SIGNAL- We sell our souls but can't go solar
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
The drawings for the new airport terminal buildings don’t seem to show the north facing roofs covered every square metre in photovoltaic panels, observes a signaler, who writes: Surely we are not going into a building from the past? We sell our souls to the Tiger of the East for millions of dollars to put […]
Tuesday 7: More trips by MPs, and more spending
Wednesday 8 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, There appears to be no real financial planning by the DPM and Sholan on this massive $50 million loan from China. On top of this, another $20 million seems to be given as extra under a grant. Government has not shown just how much our road and water repairs will cost, but at […]
Wednesday 1: The reason behind it all
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, There is nothing confusing about my letter of Saturday March 28 in which I challenged all parties meaning the Evans, the Chittys, the Steadmans, the Wraggs and whoever else wants to join the debate (as they put it) to appropriate the answer ie the truth to man’s origin. Read my letter properly and […]
Friday 27: Promise us a date DPM!
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, According to your front page article on March 20, Sir Terepai pledges to run the Sunday flight referendum. You have quoted Sir Terepai saying that government will deliver the promised referendum on Sunday flights to Aitutaki. He further states that he is a man of his word, yet he cannot say when the […]
Wednesday 1: Not within my brief!
Wednesday 1 April 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, In response to your smoke signaller’s query of March 30, the enquirer is confused. Contrary to claiming the feng shui of Avarua is “wonderful” during my talk of last Friday night, what I actually said was, “it has classic feng shui”. This was in reference only to the fact that Avarua has rising […]