Opinion

Pet Talk: Te Are Manu welcomes new medical director and adjusts service hours

The team at Te Are Manu (TAM) have hit the new year at full steam. We are very fortunate and thankful to the relief staff and volunteers who worked with TAM through the festive season. It was a busy time for human and animal alike.

Letter: Cannabis laws

I’m publicly asking the Prime Minister Mark Brown to make use of his power as our top elected official to live up to the promise and grant a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all our people who are still being subjected to this day to the brutal, barbaric and laws on marijuana.

Kata: Winston Peters

Letter: Roadside collection message ‘confusing’

Dear Editor, My apologies to the kids whose school holiday project became the finished piece of Infrastructure’s attempt to inform us about our roadside collection.

Letter: ‘Temporary’ fuel surcharge

Dear Editor, I was looking at my electricity bill from Te Aponga and saw there is still a temporary fuel surcharge of 5 cents per unit on there.

Kata: DPM

Letter: Vaimaanga road closure

Residents of Vaimaanga should not be complacent, and ignore what is happening in their village. The development at the old Sheraton Hotel site is moving along at pace, most people would and indeed should applaud the developer for his bravery, investment and achievements on this once derelict property.

Letter: Prime Minister’s ‘review’ questioned

Dear Editor, The country was fortunate that One News Reporter, Barbara Dreaver asked PM Mark Brown, what was happening with the complaints by two women against Police Commissioner James Keenan?

Ruta Mave: The seventh commandment - ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’

In the religious community we live in, is there any denomination of church that allows or believes that breaking the seventh commandment from God is, okay?

Kata: Fishing

Thomas Wynne: Voters hold the key to combating corruption

The misuse of public money and abuse of power stems from our collective failure to hold officials accountable and demand transparency, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Letter: More Ministers, more costs, less value?

Dear Editor, Last week I wrote a Letter to the Editor giving reasons why the Constitutional Amendment No. 30 (allowing for an increase in the number of Ministers) should be opposed. This letter is to set the record straight. I made a grave mistake in my letter of last week. I now wish to correct my mistake.

Kata: Congrats Tingika

Letter: The Constitution and marijuana

The Constitution forms the basis of law within the Cook Islands and defines the principles of which the government, including the justice system must operate.

Kata: No cyclone disappointment

Letter: Medicinal cannabis

Over a year and a half ago, Prime Minister Mark Brown said he would “act very quickly” to legalise medicinal cannabis after he was given an overwhelming mandate to do so by the voters in the last general election.

Letter: Dual roles

Owen Lewis is in the news again (Sporting body questions Lewis’ dual roles, February 3, 2024). It is good to hear sports federations speak up. If one thinks it, guarantee the others think it too.

Letter: CISNOC Retreat

CISNOC had all last year to review their constitution; they did not need to go to Aitutaki to do it. If they had reviewed the constitution in full it would have taken longer than two days and they were discussing Owen Lewis resignation which they only got a couple of days before announcing their retreat.

Letter: ‘PM’s principled and ethical stance’

Dear Editor, We read in the article ‘Cook Islands deputy PM out of parliament’ (RNZ/ The Fiji Times 6/2/24) that after being convicted on the charge of “taking public funds”, Robert Tapaitau “has been removed from parliament”.

Kata: North Boat