Smoke Signals
Where is the due process?
Tuesday 21 January 2014 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “In the week before Christmas 2013, the local watering hole patrons were graced with the presence of the best of the government’s Three Opportunists, Terry Rangi, Peter Tierney and Ben Ponia.
Norm's not 'our economy's saviour'
Monday 20 January 2014 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Our highly respected Papa Tom Davis must be turning in his grave after Norman George’s release in the Cook Island News last Friday,” a smoke signaller writes in response to the Teenui Mapumai MP’s column titled ‘What is missing from our economy?’ “In 1986 Norman was the very person who campaigned against Papa Tom for the Demo leadership so he, Norman himself, could become prime minister.
Travelling the world, yet again
Friday 17 January 2014 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Regarding the Grey Power television advert about our travelling Prime Minister, please keep on running that advert every night.
Tell us 'where's the sand?'
Wednesday 15 January 2014 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller asks: “If the public and common sense cannot stop the ministerial lemmings from plunging over the Chinese cliff and into the sea of debt with this absurd water project, can the brightest of the genius promoters tell us where the sand for backfilling the pipe trenches is going to come from? First tell us how much sand will be required.
Comparing the rates of airlines
Saturday 11 January 2014 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller who receives email updates of specials writes: “Interesting to see how the email compares with the advert in Monday’s paper for sale fares between the Cook Islands and New Zealand.
Only kitchen taps need treating
Thursday 9 January 2014 | Published in Smoke Signals
In response to the planned multi million dollar project to install treatment plants at each water intake on Rarotonga a smoke signaller asks: “Guys, would you spend millions of dollars to treat water to flush down your toilet and water the garden? Come on! Just put good filters on the mains, then households can have ultraviolet treatment for their kitchen taps only.
Who wants to drink pool water?
Tuesday 7 January 2014 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Chlorinating drinking water is a dinosaur technology,” a smoke signaller writes in response to yesterday’s lead article ‘Chlorine water treatment recommended’.
Party buses 'don't blast us'
Monday 6 January 2014 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “It is the Xmas and New Year festive season, so have a good time by all means.
'Stand up to Puna and say enough is enough'
Friday 3 January 2014 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Teina Bishop is the only one in the Henry Puna Cabinet that has the guts and fortitude to stand up to Puna and say enough is enough,” a smoke signaller writes.
Exposing the jetty 'boondoggle'
Saturday 28 December 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Well, Don Dorrell’s at it once again, setting the record straight as to the Arorangi jetty being one more boondoggle that had all the experts, aid donors and politicians cutting the ribbon and patting each other on the back,” writes a smoke signaller in response to his last Saturday letter to the editor ‘Arorangi jetty danger ‘obvious from the beginning’.
Duty free a VAT thief?
Friday 20 December 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes in to ask a question about the increase in the personal duty free allowance for arriving passengers, which increases from $250 to $750 on January 1. “Can the Minister of Finance or the opposition please explain why we are giving away a potential value added tax content of $5.5 million (100,000 […]
NES 'rubber stamps' everything
Tuesday 17 December 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The National Environment Service has been giving people permission to butcher trees for decades,” a smoke signaller writes in response to reported anger over the recent felling of more than a dozen ironwood and coconut tress on a beachfront section at Vaimaanga. “Remember the ancient ironwoods on the beach where John Scott’s hotel now stands? […]
Chase thieves, not the Queens baton
Wednesday 11 December 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “There was an extraordinary show of police force on Friday escorting, guarding, protecting, defending, shielding, call it what you may, ‘The Baton’, the likes of which can only be compared to an American presidential motorcade. I counted five police vehicles, one behind the other, and at least six foot soldiers. Who […]
193 disadvantaged children: why?
Saturday 7 December 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “The 193 tags hanging on the Westpac Christmas tree representing 193 disadvantaged young Cook Islanders is a wonderful gesture, but does it not raise the question of how such a small community of people can have 193 disadvantaged children? At say five persons average family size, that must represent almost 2000 […]
'Sell 4WDs' to cover back tax
Thursday 5 December 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Government should just sell off one or maybe two of their flash government 4×4 vehicles that they brought with taxpayers’ money to cover the back tax on the pensioners,” a smoke signaller texts to 188. “Do all secretaries need a government owned vehicle when most already own a vehicle themselves? These GA vehicles already have […]
Christianity not so peacefull
Tuesday 3 December 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “As a follow-up to Saturday’s Smoke Signal regarding the invasion of Christianity into the North American Indian communities, Dan George (1899-1981), a Canadian native chief said: “When the white man came we had the land and they had the bibles; now they have the land and we have the bibles.” It […]
Not just a mama and papa market
Saturday 30 November 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“I have to share the concerns of the Muri businesses that are affected by the Thursday night Muri markets,” a smoke signaller writes in response to Thursday’s page 7 article. “When you see the Muri Night Markets advertising on national television, they move from the realm of ‘mama and papa just selling food to make […]
Diwali: hiding behind a 'non-issue'
Wednesday 20 November 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes in response to yesterday’s letter to the editor from Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church titled ‘From darkness to light’: “Ho hum, if ever I can’t sleep I start reading one of ‘Bishop’ Pere’s same old same old and, praise Jesus, I am a-gone to dreamland by the second paragraph. […]
'If I was Police Commissioner'
Friday 15 November 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“It’s great to hear the Prime Minister has a reward out for the capture of the arsonist,” a smoke signaller writes. “However I would have thought that the $100,000 plus salary the Police Commissioner gets would be incentive enough? If this smoke-signaller was offered that salary he/she wouldn’t sleep till this arsonist was bought to […]
Water rates 'won't go down well'
Thursday 14 November 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Government officials are being coy about the water rates they intend to impose on all households and businesses in Rarotonga,” a smoke signaller writes. “That is not going to go down well with the community – also known as the electorate – if the government uses their own stats on water usage, said to be […]