Smoke Signals
Nation's ideas need nurturing
Friday 15 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Wilkie Rasmussen says the Economic Development Summit was a waste of time and money as government will just go on its normal path, ignoring the man on the street,” a smoke signaller notes. “If one needed one small example, it would be when the Titikaveka Growers took the initiative to source a big commercial mulcher […]
New cars for new leaders
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller spotted at the Economic Summit yesterday the president of the House of Ariki getting out of a blue government car, registration GA79 “that was a real bomb”. Parked next to it was also a blue car, “but a very flash and new” GA387 driven by the acting secretary to Cabinet. The signaller […]
Glass beads and axes?
Saturday 9 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“If I read Temu Okotai’s view correctly, we have two agreements with Telecom Cook Islands,” a smoke signalller writes. “One being the legislated monopoly as an act of Parliament, the other as an agreement between the shareholders, which is Telecom NZ and the local shareholders, namely the Cook Islands Investment Corporation, who would hold shares […]
Tangaroa 'just a statue'
Thursday 7 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes in response to Olivia Heather’s letter to the editor yesterday: “I find it questionable to be calling Tangaroa the principal ‘god’ of our people. This may come as a surprise, but the Tangaroa is actually just a wooden statue, with as much power as a piece of plastic. Perhaps you should […]
What's the fuss about?
Saturday 2 April 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“I don’t know what the fuss is about the CINews reports of the sexual assault case currently before an open court,” a smoke signaller writes [see letters to the editor on Thursday and yesterday]. “We in Raro have the option of sitting in the public area to listen, unlike those overseas and the outer islands […]
Marine park: public must be consulted
Thursday 31 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The prime minister wants to know if the public want to be consulted on the establishment of a marine park,” a smoke signaller writes. “The answer is a very firm yes. The public also want to know who the trustees of the marine park charitable trust will be – we don’t want to see just […]
Cut the lines, too?
Tuesday 22 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Going through Arorangi from town on Friday, a T&M Heather truck/trailer was carrying a digger back to home base,” a smoke signaller writes. “The vehicle was so high it had to swerve to avoid utilities lines hanging over the road, sometimes driving on the opposite side of the road and once holding up oncoming traffic. […]
Solomons opens telecom to all
Saturday 19 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller quips “Everywhere but the Cooks” as he sends across an article from Pacific Periscope which reveals that the Solomon Islands is about to launch revolutionary ‘class licences’ for telecommunications. “Following the rapid pace of reform in the country’s telecommunications sector, the Solomon Islands government this week has announced the launch of what […]
Rewarding the govt for airline loyalty
Thursday 17 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Air New Zealand is playing semantics,” says a smoke signaller in response to yesterday’s article about the airline not budging from its policy that AirPoints is a reward for individual travellers and not the entity that pays or sponsors the airfare. Numerous Cook Islands governments have unsuccessfully lobbied the airline to allow AirPoints earned from […]
Is anybody home?
Saturday 12 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Just wondering what has been organised for warning systems in the outer islands?” asks a smoke signaller following yesterday morning’s Pacific-wide tsunami warning as a result of the massive 8.9 earthquake in Japan. “Just heard some people living on north coast of Mauke knew nothing of the tsunami until they woke up this morning, and […]
Blues artist back in Raro
Thursday 10 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
California blues songster Diana Harris – whose husky vocals remind critics of Renee Geyer, Sharon Jones and Gladys Knight – performs tonight at the Little Polynesian. Harris first performed on Rarotonga at Billy TK Jnr’s Cook Islands Jazz and Blues Festival three years ago, and since then has returned each year to the ‘magic’ she […]
Only one choice: not to hit
Thursday 10 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“At the 100th celebration of International Women’s Day, Punanga Tauturu manager Kairangi Samuela said men have the choice whether to ‘hit her or not’,” writes a smoke signaller. “When are we ever going to learn there is only ONE choice – NOT to hit her? C’mon Kairangi – what we should be educating our people […]
Counting potential Chinese tourists
Wednesday 9 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Responding to yesterday’s CI News article about our country looking to progress a memorandum of understanding on travel with China – which recognises the Cooks as a preferred destination for Chinese travellers – a smoke signaller writes: “If the population of China is 1.5 billion and 0.5% travel and ‘we only need 0.001% of that’, […]
Inaccurate reporting!
Tuesday 8 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “I note in this morning’s paper (last page on Saturday re Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee celebrates 24th birthday) that CISNOC’s president Sir Geoffrey was reported to have made a ‘short speech’… Everyone knows Sir Geoffrey does not make short speeches!” “This Smoke signaller notes that Norman George said […]
Land today, road tomorrow
Saturday 5 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Wake up landowners of Rarotonga!” shouts a smoke signaller. “Minister Teariki Heather’s explanation [see yesterday’s front page article Widening Explained] for why government is taking soil from the roadsides is deliberate obfuscation for stealing the land from under your feet. If anyone bothers to check, you will find that half the soil is being removed […]
Vulgar and disgusting
Friday 4 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Dear Editor, I write in regard to Ken Kingsbury’s question of February 23, Where’s all the good music? You are very right Ken. Where’s all the good music indeed? I do wonder what some song writers are thinking about when writing the lyric to a song. One song that has a very catchy tune caught […]
Could local net be free?
Friday 4 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Our internet link to the outside world takes place via satellite and Telecom Cook Islands CEO Jules Maher says these satellite services are expensive (see his letter to the editor yesterday). A smoke signaller makes a suggestion: “Why not allow all internet transmission within Rarotonga to be free to TCI customers and only charge once […]
Tereora barrier removed
Thursday 3 March 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
The road crossing barrier between Tereora College and the Turamatuitui store in Nikao has been removed due to the number of accidents that have occurred at the barrier since it was erected some four years ago. Police inspector Tere Patia says that around five accidents have occurred at the barrier crossing which was initially installed […]
Kiss your grass goodbye
Saturday 26 February 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
“The genius idea behind grading the verge of the main road was to remove all the holes and puddles,” a smoke signaller writes. “Well that is working – the puddles are now a bit further off the road. Otherwise the arterial vandalism raises at least two questions: (1) Where the work goes outside of the […]
Island meeting talks over our heads
Thursday 24 February 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Has anyone noticed the irony and parody – or indeed does anyone care – behind the two obscure regional training workshops underway in Rarotonga this week? It says something about the dysfunction within our own public sector. First there’s the gathering of cabinet secretariat and public service commission heads, talkfesting to themselves about good governance […]