Opinion

Thomas Wynne: What is lawful is not always what is right

Travel for government is an absolute necessity, that much is true, but it should never be treated as a blank cheque, without public scrutiny and a scrutiny balanced against the many pressing priorities a community faces, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Kata: International conference

Letter: Wigmore Falls fee questioned

Dear Editor, Interesting to see that new access fee sign at the entrance to the Wigmore/Papua falls road. The last time the “Landowner” did this, the reason/justification was that the funds raised would be used to upgrade the road to the falls.

Kata: Chiefly title dispute

Letter: The Court’s role in title disputes

Dear Editor, I would like to respond to Te Tuhi Kelly’s recent letter/article in the Cook Islands News headed “Traditional title dispute’.

Kata: ToTatou Vai costs

Letter: Traditional title dispute

Following on from the recent case in Aitutaki in which the court made a ruling on a traditional title. This has huge implications for future titles and cultural grievances between anau.

Letter: Open letter to Rarotonga burglars

Dear Editor, This is really an open letter to the person who has been burglarising ours and many other properties in the Avarua area in the past months (although it’s possible he doesn’t read therefore won’t be seeing this).

Kata: Break-in

Kata: Paris Olympics

Ruta Mave: Who are we, what are we and are we for real?

The Cook Islands is the diamond of the Pacific, shining brightly. A diamond is forged from the ashes of fire and immense pressure and as we stand before the funding nations of the world begging for more of their funding - because we say without it, we cannot survive, writes Ruta Mave.

Kata: New Pa Enua mayors

Thomas Wynne: Preserving our Māori identity

An older brother is always an older brother, no matter where they live or in what country they reside, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Kata: TTV board

Letter: Vape law enforcement

This week you have reported on the Cook Islander jailed for months for smuggling cannabis into the Cook Islands. And you have reported that there is an ongoing investigation into the possibility that vapes are being offered on-line.

Letter: More storage

One of the justifications of the water upgrade was that 60-70 per cent of the water collected via the intakes was lost to leaks in the ring main. Can anyone on the island recall great fountains gushing out?

Letter: TTV ‘pleading corporate poverty’

Dear Editor, As chair of the To Tatou Vai Board of Directors, Brian Mason is in the habit of justifying water charges by pleading corporate poverty: “The implementation of the tariff will not be delayed because to do so would compromise the supply of water essential to all who live, reside and visit Rarotonga.” (Cook Islands News, 12 August 2024)

Letter: Ancient custom vs. western law

Dear Editor, The recent court case that declared Tangaroa was the rightful Tamatoa Ariki in Aitutaki has implications for the people (Tangaroa declared rightful Tamatoa Ariki after three-year legal battle, August 7,2024).

Kata: Stop Vaping