Smoke Signals
Farewell Cook Islanders
Saturday 6 April 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The smoke signal asking where was destination Cook Islands for the maiden voyage to Rarotonga of the cruise ship Marina on Wednesday missed a vital clue,” texts a smoke signaller.
'Second-class citizens'
Friday 5 April 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The Prime Minister’s department pa enua governance unit calls a spade a spade!” a smoke signaller writes.
Where is Destination Cook Islands?
Thursday 4 April 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“So we have this massive cruise ship anchor off Rarotonga on Wednesday with over a thousand passengers and what was on offer for them?” a smoke signaller asks.
Get smart, you can't eat light bulbs
Wednesday 3 April 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The prime minister’s drive for renewable energy is commended, but not at the expense of the current living standards that our people are facing,” a smoke signaller writes.
Where are our players?
Tuesday 2 April 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Let’s all get on the bandwagon and revert to the age-old and worldwide response when a team doesn’t perform as we all had hoped they would – SACK the coach,” a smoke signaller writes.
An 'annual requirement'
Thursday 28 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“It was great to read that the two lawyers on the front of Saturday’s paper, during their admission to the bar, “promised to conduct themselves honestly”,” a smoke signaller writes.
Opposition's take on tax review
Thursday 28 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
As Leader of the Opposition I want to categorically say that I and the Democratic Party members of parliament support the tax review.
Dust eaters get brief break
Tuesday 26 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
As the project to lay new water pipes along and across the main road in Avarua continues, a smoke signaller dusts off their keyboard to write: “On Friday morning last, just before rush hour, a water truck wet down the dry dirt on the road in Tupapa and all the homeowners, merchants, cafe and restaurant operators breathed a big sigh of relief thinking, ‘Someone really does give a sh*t’.
Leave 'little people' alone
Friday 22 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“As soon as finance minister Mark Brown finishes his tax review he goes after the little people at the Punanga Nui market,” a smoke signaller writes.
'Don't tax' market vendors
Thursday 21 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller says finance secretary Richard Neves and the Revenue Management Division of MFEM should stop worrying about gathering tax from Punanga Nui market vendors.
Storm drain an afterthought?
Tuesday 19 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Perhaps someone in charge of the reclamation work in Avarua can explain why, moments after the job was ’done’, a good portion was dug up again so that a quite massive storm drain could be installed? Can it be as simple as the designers just did not have the slightest idea what they were doing and no one noticed they had forgotten to deal with the storm drain? Bigger questions: what is this costing and who is paying?” A smoke signaller writes: “I have been reading in the paper about those claiming to be the only kopu ariki of Ngati Makea, which is the Rangi Makea, Upokotokoa, Mere, and Sadaraka, and all these are descendants of Makea Tinirau.
Penalty pot shot
Saturday 16 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Justice Williams in the High Court on Friday refrained from jailing a young Cook Islander who submitted that cannabis was used by his grandparent as a traditional herbal treatment.
Old plants, new puffs
Friday 15 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
After reading Wednesday’s front page article ‘Switch off for Earth Hour’ next week, a smoke signaller quipped: “We probably won’t have to switch off at all – Te Aponga seems to be doing that for us in recent days!”
JC's a walking 'miracle man'
Thursday 14 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Our John Carter [New Zealand’s High Commissioner] is a walking miracle man,” a smoke signaller writes.
'Limit food' in luggage
Tuesday 12 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “There’s lots of talk about the tourist numbers and how they spend money while on holiday.
Our form of govt 'is wrong'
Saturday 9 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
Responding to yesterday’s opinion piece ‘The government is imploding’ by Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen, a smoke signaller writes: “Wilkie is right, the present government seems to be in disarray, traveling around the world, fantasising about billions of dollars in income from selling little rocks from the bottom of the sea when it can’t even hire a dogcatcher for Rarotonga.
Drilling into the seabed board
Friday 8 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Temu Okotai has got it right about the selection of members on the advisory board of the Seabed Minerals Authority,” a smoke signaller writes in response to Okotai’s letter to the editor ‘North on seabed board?’ on Monday.
How prepared are we?
Thursday 7 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“I found it quite incredible that during the power outage in Rarotonga on Monday, the national radio service (630am) was not on air,” a smoke signaller writes.
Cut travel, fix the country
Wednesday 6 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Oh my gosh, the Prime Minister goes golfing in New Zealand after his meeting while his country is struggling with many social and economic problems,” a smoke signaller writes.
Travel honesty needed
Saturday 2 March 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Big Norm [George] is always saying that government has blown its travel budget, but Minister Brown won’t come clean.