Opinion
Tuesday 18: Public service easy money?
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
Since the HoM contracts have yet to be signed and sealed, one person has suggested that the public service commissioner start everyone on a base salary of $45,000 and then work their way from there. “What I always notice is that when HoMs lose their job, you never seem to see them working in the […]
Saturday 15: TV coverage a team effort
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, Thank you for your kind comments (William Framhein). Just to clarify, we are currently showing two games a day on CITV with the permission of IFNA. The 5.30pm game is shot with one camera (Pete or Matt) and has one commentator (Mona). The 9.30pm game has a team of eight people: three camera […]
Monday 17: NIGHT RAIDERS
Wednesday 19 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
A recent police report in this newspaper about watermelons being stolen from a patch in Nikao raises the question about who these thieves are and how they’re getting away with this shameless act. “And it’s not just watermelons, it also happens with pawpaw patches, and sometimes whole taro patches are raided at night,” a reader […]
Monday 10: AIM HIGH
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
Referring to whoever advised the Cooks U21 not to worry too much, they just need to do better than 7th place, a smoke signaller said: “Come on kotou, think about how much sweat we had to go through to get them here. Be serious in everything you do or say to them so that they […]
Monday 10: DODGY BAG
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
A satisfied diner asked for a bag of bones and scraps for his dog, which the restaurant duly provided, and on the way home he stopped at Whatever Bar for a drink. While there, someone stole his bag! He laughed when he sent us this smoke signal, adding, “I hope they choke on it!”
Monday 10: TOP SHOW
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
Te Hiva Nui dance team, one of the hit groups at the Billingham International Folklore Festival in the UK that wrapped up this weekend, featured in a news article with the playful title ‘Dancers go nuts as stage bras show up’. “The girls from the Cook Islands thought their traditional coconut bras must have been […]
Monday 10: Bear the badge of shame
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
Those supposedly responsible for the progress of sports in the Cook Islands are “individually dumb and collectively dumber”, a smoke signaller writes. “The vote to amend the SPG charter was taken right here in Rarotonga, and was passed UNANIMOUSLY. That means that each and every representative from the Cooks was there and voted …so no […]
Wednesday 12: Naai e tutaki?
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
E te Etita, Kia orana i te aroa maata o te Atua. E manga manako uiui ua teia no te manga ekoko i te ingoa o te ngutuare tarekareka (WYNC) i raro i Nikao. Iaku e akara uatu nei e kua kite au i te ingoa e ‘Telecom Sports Arena’. Te uiui nei te manako, […]
Wednesday 12: We'll be back!
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I was asked to submit some thoughts and reviews of my recent trip to Raro. I live in San Francisco, California, USA, and travelled to Raro the first week in July with my girlfriend. We had the time of our lives in Raro. We went to many of the bars and shops in […]
Wednesday 12: Don't allow cabinet reshuffle mockery
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I read with interest the comment by ex-Minister Wilkie Rasmussen in regards to Sir Terepai, our current Deputy Prime Minister. I have a lot of respect for Sir Terepai who I believe has been a good minister and may be an honest politician too. But recent events that have transpired in the past […]
Monday 10: WHO ARE THE KINGS?
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
Larry Price says it right in his letter last week titled ‘King or the People?’ comments a smoke signaller. “He asks ‘What is your guess?’ The answer? The court won’t find it easy, but there will be lots and lots of work for the lawyers and lots of work means lotsa money! Who is King? […]
Friday 7: Dear Editor,
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
The Bible refers to Michael the Archangel five times. Mix these references with others, mash them, squish them or squash them, and not a single one of them can be made to say that Jesus is Michael. If Jesus is Michael and all of the angels worship him as we’re told in Hebrews 1:6, the […]
Monday 10: SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
An irate reader reports his disgust at the Minister of Finance’s statement in the budget speech that the Cook Islands faces the same challenges as countries around the world. “Not so,” says our reader. “Other countries don’t have the majority of their politicians as incompetents. Neither do they have a few collaring as many of […]
Monday 10: CONSTITUTION SURCHARGE
Wednesday 12 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
A visiting couple who were in Aitutaki at the time of the August 4th Constitution Day commemoration commented on a 15 percent surcharge they were required to pay at some places. They said the 15% surcharge at restaurants was similar to what they would face on a public holiday back home, but they were a […]
3 August: Something about July?
Wednesday 5 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller suggests an interesting political study would be to investigate why over the past 25 years or so, the majority of attempts to topple a prime minister or government – apart from a general election – have come a week or two before the annual celebration of self government. Maybe some people want […]
5 August: King or the People?
Wednesday 5 August 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, Who should rule, the King or the People? Not long ago, the right to rule in the Tinomana Family was decided by the “Court” and the title is to rotate between the descendents of the three wives of the King. A current controversy exists today with the Makea Family. The “Court” has said […]
5 August: Who's to blame for the utu?
Wednesday 5 August 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, Through your esteemed paper, I’d like to ask a couple of questions which I hope some brilliant legal mind out there can answer for me: Who is responsible for paying for the damage caused by an utu seed falling on the windscreen of my car and completely shattering it, whilst I was travelling […]
5 August: Sewage problem haunts Tepuka residents
Wednesday 5 August 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, I am concerned that the sewage problem in Tepuka is still haunting the Tepuka residents. Back in 1994 when I was the chairman of the Health Board under the Minister Joe Williams, the Tepuka residents complained about the toxic smell coming from the sewage. The board immediately conveyed the message to the minister […]
5 August: POLITICAL REFORM?
Wednesday 5 August 2009 | Published in Smoke Signals
What’s going on with Government’s promise after receiving the Electoral Reform Committee’s report over four years ago, a smoke signaller asks. “It goes to show that the two mainstream parties cannot be trusted and both parties have failed. People Power, where are you?”
3 August: Why didn't you?
Wednesday 5 August 2009 | Published in Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor, Before sacked minister Wilkie Rasmussen goes to Australia I have a question for him. Tell us Wilkie why don’t you expose the ‘horrific level of corruption’ now, or why didn’t you expose it as it happened or when it was exposed to you? Why wait when you get back from Australia? Come on […]