Smoke Signals
Being a candidate 'a joke'
Tuesday 29 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller going by the name ‘A Victim’ writes on the Cook Islands Party candidate selection issue: “I can see Peto’s (Albert Nicholas’) point as he does not want to go through what the other CIP punas went through when they had their candidate selection where the CIP executives were misleading, confusing and couldn’t […]
Bikes not safe storage
Monday 28 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Visitors to the island must be educated to the fact that a motorcycle seat is not a door to a secure, hidden safe and valuables must not be left there while the bike renter goes snorkeling or tramping. Some thieves can pop a bike seat off in a few seconds and be off with the […]
Add VAT, deduct PAYE
Saturday 26 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
One of our readers pointed out the “silliness” in Andrew and Melinda Ponga’s letter to the editor yesterday where it was suggested it was often necessary to borrow from a bank to pay taxes. “Not so,” says our smoke signaller. “You add the VAT on to the sale price of your goods and you deduct […]
Tax time thoughts
Friday 25 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Many a company director signing monthly tax cheques to the government this week must have muttered contemptuous things about needing a tax break, like Tav’s and others, and then got a little angry realising that our precious tax dollars are also going into Brett Porter’s coffers. The one question I can’t […]
Paradise recovering
Tuesday 22 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Aitutaki is recovering in good spirits from their devastation from Cyclone Pat,” a smoke signaller says. “Around the island a number of families are in tents but still happy to wave and talk to visitors who stop by. With the world in such turmoil, there are a lot of places you would rather not be […]
Special combo pack
Monday 21 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Raro sandwich boards suddenly got more interesting as seen in the photo at right! Either someone was having a little fun with a piece of chalk and changed the last letter from K to N (or first letter from C to P), or maybe this shop is advertising that they’ve got an internet caf inside. […]
That's a short one
Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Those who enjoy an early morning walk or late afternoon paddle but notice the sun rising later in the morning and setting earlier in the evening will be happy to know that tomorrow is the shortest day and longest night of the year for us in the Southern Hemisphere. The Winter Solstice is the moment […]
Aitutaki mobiles 'not fine'
Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
You report that Telecom says mobile phones are working fine in Aitutaki,” a smoke signaller writes, “but I have yet to make a call recently that was not so bad that it had to be abandoned. It’s just a question of who gives up first, the customer in Aitutaki or the customer in Rarotonga. It’s […]
Who's getting the flight?
Thursday 17 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Dear Editor The promotion of the direct flight from Sydney is not getting to the all the people, only the people that were going to come over here anyway. As only the travel industry were involved in the promotion and it is not getting out to the travelling public. Regular Traveller (Name and address supplied)
Land could bog down septic
Thursday 17 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Saturday’s story on a revolutionary sewage treatment concept for the Cook Islands is inspiring but one wonders if the author Mr Mavromatis and his team are a bit absorbed in the technical side of things and a bit out of touch with the social and land tenure realities of the country. […]
Better to walk before you run
Wednesday 16 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“It’s interesting to note that while Telecom was holding a big customer function for their signing agreement on Monday with O3b, the entire Aitutaki phone system was down,” a smoke signaller writes to highlight the irony of the situation. “It was almost impossible to get hold of someone at Telecom here in Raro who knew […]
JPs, get tough!
Friday 11 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“There appears to be some inconsistencies with the way that driving with excess breath/blood alcohol is being treated by the courts (CI news May 9 front page),” a smoke signaller writes. “If the Police, as they claim, say that they are serious in stopping this, then the courts have to start backing them up. Just […]
Avoiding the big issue
Thursday 10 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “The iti tangata of the Cook Islands could be forgiven for wondering whether they live under a democratic, representative system of government. Not one comment of party leader Robert Wigmore in his rejection of Sir Terepai’s demands, actually refers to the needs, will, demands or future well being of the citizens […]
Canoes pay for airport
Wednesday 9 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“If the Cook Islands’ vaka leaves Avatiu wharf and goes to Samoa, will they be taxed $55 per crew member departure in tax?” a reader asks. “The Fijian vaka crew was billed $990 departure tax as I guess was the crew of the other departing vaka. Why was I under the impression that this tax […]
Harnessing the country's energy
Friday 4 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Why is government leading us down a path where our people and businesses are spending so much time, energy and money arguing about ‘Toagate’ and the ‘Demo fight’ when the nation should be using the same energy, time and money to turn our economy around in time of crisis?” a smoke signaller asks.”In other parliamentary […]
Prison escape email
Wednesday 2 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
The ‘prison break’ early Monday morning resulted in a flurry of FYI (for your information) e-mails from people in various business and government offices who forwarded a police e-mail and pdf attachment – including the WANTED heading in bold Latin typeface with large triangular serifs reminiscent of Wild West posters – about the escapee and […]
'Govt please fund Fiji flight'
Thursday 27 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“After reading the paper about the Fiji flights, I hope and pray that government agrees to fund the proposed flights,” a smoke signaller writes. “Not only do we have quicker access to Fiji but also cheaper fares to the Solomons, Tonga and Samoa, to name but a few. Members of most ethnic communities will definitely […]
Where did Apex money come from?
Tuesday 25 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Brett Porter’s explanation of the Apex deal with Mobil Oil in 2006 is that Apex borrowed some millions of dollars and put up ‘its own’ $750,000 to make a $3.25 million dollar deal. On August 11, 2006 the LAT approved a deed of mortgage from Apex to ANZ Bank of 5.7 […]
Here we go again
Saturday 22 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller sent us this fax: The outrage shown by a number of our citizens in regards to the Toagate financial disaster is justified. The utter arrogance and cheek of these so-called leaders is unbelievable, but you get what you deserve when you give them the mandate to govern in the first place. Now […]
Trying to do a man's job
Friday 21 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
An irate smoke signaller writes in to TXT188: “Well we can thank the arrogance of Terepai Maoate and the nodders or yes men in cabinet at the time: Tangata Vavia, Ngamau Munokoa, Kete Ioane and Jim Marurai. All girls and boys trying to do a man’s job but just costing the country millions over Toagate. […]