Smoke Signals
Festive timing of tax 'amnesty' a bit suspect
Friday 27 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
THE HENRY PUNA and Mark Brown Christmas tax amnesty announced before December 25 is suspicious to say the least.
Politicians can travel overseas, but we can't afford doctors
Thursday 26 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
SAYS A SMOKE SIGNALLER: “Regarding the front page article in Monday’s CI News about the islands that no longer have a doctor, it is just sickening reading this, especially we can afford air ambulance to evacuate a cabinet minister’s daughter to New Zealand and we can also pay for frequent overseas trips by certain politicians. So sad.
We're being ripped off!
Tuesday 24 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
“WHY DO WE have to pay such outrageous prices for such an inferior broadband service?” a smoke signaller asks.
Different rules for different folks
Monday 23 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
SEEMS LIKE THE idea of one rule for some taxpayers and another rule for those close to politicians also applies to the road rules. Spotted driving through town midday on Wednesday of last week, one 18 or 19-year-old daughter of a cabinet minister, on a bike without a helmet. No worries, it’s who you know, not what you know, that is important in the Crook Islands.
Brown's tax cut fails to impress
Saturday 21 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
FINANCE MINISTER MARK Brown’s promised one per cent tax cut hasn’t impressed one smoke signaller, who has labelled it pathetic.
Attitude to plastic not so fantastic...
Tuesday 17 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
“I WATCHED WHILE the driver of the rubbish truck indicated to his work mate that the large bag of plastic bottles carefully separated for collection by an environmentally aware business should be tossed into the back of the truck instead of the recycling,”
How about a speed gun?
Tuesday 17 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
A SMOKE SIGNALLER complains that as he was tootling along towards Blackrock at the legal 40km/h he was almost knocked off his scooter by the whoosh of air created as a helmetless middle-aged local rider zoomed by him at an incredible rate of knots.
Is the Elvis convention in Australia a coincidence?
Monday 16 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
WHAT A COINCIDENCE, Henry Puna has gone to Australia and guess what? There is an Elvis Presley Convention on in New South Wales from January 11-15. No sign of the PM on the list of guest artists, though.
Tax amnesty sends the wrong message
Friday 13 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
CAN THE GOVERNMENT afford to let big companies and failed businesses off the hook by introducing a tax amnesty, and at the same time say it has no money to provide doctors to any of the outer islands? Mangaia lost its doctor recently, replaced by a nurse practitioner.
MMR propaganda machine gets into overdrive
Thursday 12 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
THE MARINE RESOURCES media propaganda machine is on a roll again.
Pub crawl bus noise
Wednesday 11 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
CAN THE POLICE Commissioner tell us if it is legal to drive with extremely loud music playing from your vehicles as happening with these pub crawl buses? I feel sorry for those living next to the main road being subjected to this blaring music.
Vaka-jumping offers fail to flush out any takers
Tuesday 10 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
WITH GOVERNMENT IN a precarious position given the equal numbers on either side of the House, strenuous attempts are apparently being made by the CIP government to persuade coalition opposition MPs to join the vaka-jumping club.
Get your facts correct
Monday 9 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
THE EELS CLUB manager says the writers of two of last week’s smoke signals, headlined “Take a look at yourself first” and “What goes around” need to get their facts right before commenting on things they seem to know nothing about.
Drone intrusion raises privacy questions
Monday 9 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
THE INCREASED USE of drones on the island is raising questions about invasion of privacy.
Take a look at yourself first, please minister
Thursday 5 January 2017 | Published in Smoke Signals
ALBERT SHOULD LOOK at himself first. When it comes to poaching players, he is the master. He should also keep in mind that goes around comes around. I believe he poached Takuvaine players and Tupapa players to play for the Avatiu Eels. The same players who he has been abusing on the field.
MIXED MESSAGES
Friday 30 December 2016 | Published in Smoke Signals
You HAVE TO feel sorry for the staff at RMD. They work hard to get people to obey the law, and then populist politicians give the few delinquent taxpayers an advantage over those who paid on time. The message is simple: pay off your loan, ignore your tax, then moan to the politicians about penalty tax.
A CHRISTMAS SLAP…
Thursday 29 December 2016 | Published in Smoke Signals
How ABOUT OUR benevolent Cook Islands government?
Shooting inquiry long time coming
Wednesday 28 December 2016 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Nearly two months have passed and our roaming prime minister still has not called for a Commission of Inquiry into the prison escape and triple shootings,” a smoke signaller says.
THE COST OF SPEEDING
Friday 23 December 2016 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Can POLICE CONFIRM exactly how much a speed fine costs? Can they fine you without using the speed reader?” a smoke signaller asks. “There are too many underlying issues behind these fines and helmet laws.”
Pub crawl bus operators urged to cut the noise
Wednesday 21 December 2016 | Published in Smoke Signals
“DEAR PUB CRAWL bus owners and operators,” a smoke signaller writes.