Opinion

Vitues in Paradise: Best Holidays Ever!

Preparations for the holidays are now underway, and rellies are already arriving. We all start out with high hopes for a memorable and enjoyable family celebration, yet there are often disruptions that pop that bubble of hope, resulting in disappointment and disillusionment about the magic of the season, writes Linda Kavelin-Popov.

Kata: Police

Smokies: Funding priorities

It would appear that the Prime Minister / Minister for Police is satisfied with the New Zealand funded Police staff retraining/ upskilling program…problem that the Minister does not appear to realise that the Police Force is still 30 to 40 personnel short, so clearly being so short staffed , they are unable to cover all the daily critical areas that Policing usually covers.

Kata: TTV

‘It Starts with Me’: Ending the cycle of violence

The 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence began last week. Te Punanga Oraanga Matutu’s Rowena Manning reflects on the campaign and White Ribbon Day, and the underlying causes of violence in our society, writes - Rowena Manning.

Letter: Take your rubbish home with you

Dear Editor, I am writing this letter with the hope that this letter reaches those who need to know. I am a very proud Tupapa Maraerenga resident who has lived in this village for most of my 62 years. My family has been a part of this village for over 70 years.

Kata: Whooping cough

Letter: Keeping catchment payments ‘above board’

Dear Editor, The To Tatou Vai (TTV) was scheduled to hold a workshop for the catchment committees (CC) last week. The catchment is the land above the Te Mato Vai water treatment plants; the land in the middle of island.

Pet Talk: How to protect your pets and family from parasites

Cats and dogs are beloved companions, but when they roam freely, they are more exposed to parasites like fleas, intestinal worms, and, in dogs, heartworm disease, writes Dr Rose Hasegawa, medical director Te Are Manu Vet Clinic.

Kata: Values

Letter: Fix it or shut it down

Dear Editor, “Rogue operator puts lives at risk”. If Cook Islands Tourism tells us one more time that they will get on top of this debacle at Avaavaroa we’ll put Tourism in the same space as the JP’s who say, “You’ve been in this Court 5 times now for drunk driving and this Court is almost to the point of thinking about putting you in jail”.

Letter: Balancing faith and freedom

Dear Editor, The Cook Islands is a beautiful nation founded on respect, Christian principles, values, and a commitment to protecting human rights.

Kata: Cook Islands Parliament

Ruta Mave: The fading virtue of loyalty

As I sit down to write this column, I ask myself what is loyalty? What does it really mean to people and do we have any anymore? Ruta Mave writes.

Letter: Masjid Fatimah

Dear Editor, Unlike many of your readers, I decided to establish how Cook Islands News was able to expose that there was a mosque located in Kauare, Rarotonga, and found that it was through looking at Google Maps Rarotonga (GMR) which showed that there was a mosque called “Masjid Fatimah” located in Kauare, Titikaveka.

Letter: Lack of respect at Tereora College prizegiving event

Dear Editor, I recently attended the Tereora College prize-giving ceremony, and I was deeply disappointed by the behaviour of some parents and their children during the event. It was akin to a rooster being woken before dawn – abrupt and disrespectful.

Thomas Wynne: Roots of justice

This is part two of three articles on the writing and founding of our Cook Islands Constitution. By Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Te Ipukarea Society: ‘Death by power point’: NZ visit ‘a road show, at worst a propaganda tour’

Today’s article is by June Hosking, president of Te Ipukarea Society. It is based on information she received from family and friends that attended the Cook Islands Government’s presentation to the Cook Islands community in Christchurch last week. The title for this article is taken from an apt comment her niece overheard at the presentation.

Kata: TTV