Smoke Signals
Let's see Govt travel reports
Monday 7 May 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
“There have been many complaints about how the present government, its ministers, public servants, etc, are not performing,” a smoke signaller writes. “Far too many trips overseas, far too many public servants who do nothing, far too many overpaid consultants, too little REAL action, but lots of tuatua [talk]. Whatever happened to reports of trips […]
Leaders travel while country struggles
Saturday 5 May 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
“More overseas travel for ministers and the prime minister is planned,” laments a smoke signaller. “This shows they have got all their priorities in the wrong places. Pet projects such as renewable energy and marine parks will not help struggling families put food on the table. Most schools are now doing their own fundraising, so […]
Ben's pork loin
Tuesday 1 May 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
Some checking their email inbox a week ago would have been confronted by a nude Ben Bergman, his crown jewels hidden by a pig’s head, inviting you to tonight’s preview of five portraits by artist Nanette Lela’ulu, titled ReSpect. Lela’ulu told CI News’ Rachel Reeves last week the five subjects of her paintings are people […]
Our wayward youth need turning around
Saturday 28 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Sitting at the courthouse on the days when the room is full of young men waiting to stand in criminal court, one is struck by their youth,” a smoke signaller writes. “Some are really just boys. They seem sullen, disconnected, perhaps ‘lost’ is the best Papa’a word. What are we as a community doing to […]
New cool white street lights 'useless'
Tuesday 24 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
“While on the topic of Te Aponga Uira, can someone there tell us, the discerning public, why the street lights are now a cool white colour (which is not very bright at all) and not the warm yellow glow bulbs that used to give more light and softer light to the surrounding areas around the […]
Call that a deal?
Saturday 21 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Watching the Toa tanks being moved, one is left to wonder what drugs the former government was experimenting with when it agreed to pay $5 million for a fuel terminal where the lease was about to run out. The responsible minister’s most recent public remark seems to have been that it […]
High hopes for Dave Rennie
Friday 20 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
A sports writer is betting that Cook Islander Dave Rennie might one day coach the All Blacks. Rennie is the head coach for Super Rugby New Zealand team the Waikato Chiefs. Mark Reason, a sports journalist for over 25 years, wrote an opinion piece yesterday for Fairfax NZ news titled ‘Chiefs proving the Blues race […]
Why the shuffle?
Tuesday 17 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Questions and reasoning behind the recent Cabinet reshuffling between the Prime Minister, giving away the police portfolio to Teariki Heather for outer islands, should be explained to the people,” a smoke signaller writes. “Government should come out and give the reasons why this is taking place. I believe that most taxpayers would want to see […]
Scooter warning
Monday 16 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
A nine-year-old Auckland boy has 34 stitches in his head after a nasty accident on a push scooter, a timely warning for young riders here in the Cooks that helmets should be worn while riding the scooters. Fairfax NZ News reported that when Brent Bradley fell off his scooter and hit his head on the […]
Taxing a shrinking population
Saturday 14 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Most of us cannot believe time after time how the minister of finance and his advisers are planning our economic and tax policies,” a smoke signaller writes. “They, including government, seem to be fixated with imposing more taxes on a depleting population as a means of balancing the budget. Surely Mark Brown understands that you […]
Inland, not coast, for tank farms
Friday 13 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
“If someone were to propose putting a fuel tank farm on a coastline in New Zealand or Australia, where there was any chance of sea surge, the chance of consents being given are a bit less than zero,” a smoke signaller writes. “Why on earth would we make that mistake again here on Rarotonga? We […]
Bring your own chair
Monday 2 April 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
A reader had a good chuckle over a classic Hawaiian poster advertising a Polynesian show and meal that asks those attending to BYOC Bring Your Own Chair! The Friday night Bash, Papa Ole’s Kitchen and Hui Kupono at the Hauula Shopping Centre bills itself as featuring free entertainment including a live band, a Polynesian show […]
Flight subsidy 'a liability, not asset'
Friday 30 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaler writes in response to the government’s $12.5 million subsidy of Air New Zealand’s direct flights to Rarotonga from Los Angeles and Sydney, which Cook Islands Tourism officials say should be viewed as a national strategic asset. “It strikes this reader as a poor business decision to fund flights that are not turning […]
4x4 flood from road fix
Thursday 29 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
The road leading to the top of hospital hill should be left as it is,” a smoke signaler writes in response to yesterday’s front page article ‘Tour operator wants hill road upgraded’. “If they were to make improvements [to the dirt road], you will find that every man and his 4×4 will try and drive […]
Weeds 'needed removing'
Wednesday 28 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
In response to Friday’s Smoke Signal complaining about the clean up of the Takuvaine Stream, another smoke signaller writes: “Well, about time they cleaned it up before the growth of this noxious weed overtakes the river completely and does more damage. We had this problem further inland where our bridge was blocked by this Lucerne […]
Food survey fails
Tuesday 27 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller sent in this tongue-in-cheek ‘news’ snippet: Last month a world-wide survey was conducted by the UN. The only question asked was: “Could you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the world food shortages?” The survey was a massive failure because of the following: In Eastern Europe they didn’t know what […]
Stop-Go guys keep smiling
Saturday 24 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Yes, it can be a bit of pain waiting to be allowed to go through the current road works along the main road at Nikao, however I want to say those two young guys that are on the Stop/Go signs always have a smile and often a bit of humour, which […]
Don't remove stream bank shrubs
Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
“So the director of Environmental Services authorised the removal of ‘shrubbery’ from Takuvaine Stream ‘before it rains’,” a smoke signaler notes after reading yesterday’s front page article. “Brilliant indeed. That ‘shrubbery’ is what holds the soil, what slows down the flow of water and what absorbs pollutants from upstream before they can reach the lagoon. […]
'No job' for Navy at PM's
Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
The chief executive of the Prime Minister’s Support Office has quashed rumours that Navy Epati is to become a policy advisor in his office on public service review. Edwin Pittman said it was a “ridiculous proposition and the former Public Service Commissioner is pursuing private interests and there has never been any offer of a […]
Not extended, yet
Tuesday 20 March 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller called at the BCI yesterday at 3.30pm to renew their motor vehicle annual licence as an advert in Cook Islands News has been saying that the bank will remain open until 5.30pm for this purpose until the end of the month. “Unfortunately nobody told the staff about it – the bank was […]