Smoke Signals
Closely watching the tap kick
Monday 30 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
The CITV commentators of the premier rugby league final on Saturday night bagged the referee so much on his dangerous tackle rulings that they missed an obvious flaw in the application of the rules, a smoke signaller writes. All season the referees insisted that at the tap kick, the ball must leave the players hands […]
Disgusting plan, consultations a sham
Friday 27 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
No surprises that the government has gone ahead and approved 20 new fishing licenses going against huge public opposition, a smoke signaller writes. The so-called consultations were merely an attempt to smooth over the many public objections and make it appear that we had a say over our own marine resources. Sadly, the truth is […]
Being absolutely Frank
Tuesday 24 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
If Cook Islands News is going to continue printing the words prime minister in the same sentence with the name Bainimarama, could you please insert the words self-appointed? writes a smoke signaller. This man is an armed terrorist by any definition of that species. Stop giving him any credibility please. SmokeSignals: Its interesting to see […]
Chasing dead butterflies
Monday 23 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
What or when exactly is 12pm midnight? asks a smoke signaller after reading Public Notices in our daily classifieds from establishments seeking a restaurant liquor licence from the Liquor Licensing Authority. 12pm is midday and midnight is 12am! Cmon Cook Islands News, read and think carefully unless the notice came from the Authority and you […]
Swapping ika for tita
Saturday 21 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: The following extract was found on page 10 of a 2008 report on seabird populations in Suwarrow, regarding Motu Manu: As noted in the 2000 survey, much rubbish, including plastic rope, floats, glass and plastic bottles, pieces of wood, rubber jandals and shoes, litters the eastern shoreline as well as some […]
Tax time never ends
Thursday 19 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes in with a tax dilemma. TVNZs Close-Up programme mentioned the Rapture, according to some predictions, will happen on their May 21 which will be our Friday May 20 [tomorrow]. Do we pay our monthly VAT and PAYE taxes before that, or do we hold onto it? Surely the Tax Department cant […]
Preventing a pushers haven
Wednesday 18 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller reckons many young Cook Islanders have most likely been nave victims of the sellers of drugs who just have easy money on their brains. He says if such a person is convicted but gets off with hardly any penalty like the Manihiki aviation terrorists did our country will be become a haven […]
Keep our surf secret
Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Like our precious fisheries, us local surfers have tried real hard to keep the Cook Islands a secret surf destination, a smoke signaller writes in response to the adventure surfers here on The Awakening mission to find the perfect Cook Islands wave. Ask any local surfer, and believe me theres a few, our spots are […]
Baa baa islands
Saturday 14 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Unless Im mistaken, those fluffy animals look very much like a ewe and her lambs looking across a windswept, treeless coastline, thousands of kilometres from our tropical beaches. A great photo, but will it entice people to visit the Cook Islands? The Travelzoo advert appeared on the home page of the Los Angeles Times website […]
$840k fine for fish trucking
Thursday 12 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
The debate over allowing exploratory licences for purse seining in our waters isnt going to go away any time soon and one of our readers thought a news article about a recent court case in New Zealand which followed almost two years of investigations was very topical to the issue of making sure fishing companies […]
The sticky question of Web suppression
Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
The New Zealand media is running articles about the arrest of 13 people here on drugs charges, with varying degrees of detail. On Sunday night a ONE News reporter named one of the accused on the evening news with the relevant part of the 6pm broadcast shown only to viewers in New Zealand and blocked […]
Reigning in the purse seiners
Monday 9 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Very clever of Cook Islands News putting a picture of Joe Cocker next to the headline Guard our precious marine resources in Saturday’s paper, a smoke signaller playfully writes. Who could resist finding out why Cocker had an opinion on our marine activities? Turns out it was an article by Reuben Tylor and an excellent […]
Singing an old tune
Saturday 7 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A month ago on being appointed chairman of the board of Cook Islands Investment Corporation, Julian Dashwood said politics will not be part of his game in office, a smoke signaller writes. Now hes singing a different tune and is back to square one singing the age-old national tune of the Cook Islands: Me e […]
Tax trumps MMRs $4M
Tuesday 3 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
The report that the Ministry of Marine Resources will make $4 million was probably designed to impress, writes a smoke in response to a front page article in Saturdays CI News. Not so it was a pathetic endeavour to gloss over the bad administration over the last few years. I bet MMR gave the story […]
Noise just a diversion
Saturday 30 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: Its obvious that no matter what the PEOPLE of the Cook Islands think, no matter what noises the minister makes, our government will carry out the so-called exploratory purse seining and then go for it. After all who cares about fish stocks in our waters? Why cant we make a stand […]
New bloodsucker arrives
Friday 29 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
After being told theres a new bloodsucker on the island one smoke signaller wondered who it might be and whether they were of the political or bureaucratic variety. Turns out its neither, its way, way smaller and it really likes sucking the blood of our canine friends. The Brown Dog Tick was discovered on a […]
Cooks licence in $2m drug arrest
Tuesday 26 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
How is a $10 Cook Islands drivers licence linked to a $2 million cocaine drug case in Argentina? The licence is one of three that New Zealander Sharon Armstrong had in her possession when she was arrested about a fortnight ago in Argentina while trying to board a plane with 5kg of cocaine allegedly hidden […]
When competition protects buyers
Thursday 21 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Its good to see that Terry Hagan and the Price Tribunal have some balance to how prices can be determined without over regulation, a smoke signaller writes in response to yesterdays page 8 article Price tribunal reviews itself. A free market economy with lots of competition permits for such tribunals to be made redundant. But […]
What now, fishgate?
Tuesday 19 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Theres growing opposition to the way the government through its Ministry of Marine Resources is handling the future of our oceans. One MMR official, who blames the media for the public reaction, needs to realise the backlash is because of the way they have foisted the fishery plan on an unsuspecting public, and signing the […]
All islands need water tanks
Saturday 16 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The heading in the newspaper [yesterday] ‘Water tanks for all’ is an incorrect heading because it only looks at people living in Rarotonga,” writes a smoke signaller. “Here again the government of the day forgets that there are people living in the outer islands. We are not connected to a municipal water supply, we have […]