Opinion

Ruta Mave: What’s in a flag?

The first official interview for Prime Minister Mark Brown was a nine-year-old interviewer who asked “What’s your favourite country apart from the Cook Islands, and are you thinking of changing our flag?”

Kata: Boot

Thomas Wynne: Aitutaki’s runway to prosperity

Dawn is yet to break, but I can hear the waves gently lapping the distant reef. Breaking over into the lagoon, the pearl that is the jewel of Araura Enua, Aitutaki, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Kata: Immigration fee

Kata: Lift breakdown

Letter: Airport’s ‘bragging’ rings hollow

Dear Editor, We write to you after reading the story published 9th January with the headline, 'Giving back to our people', the account of the upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations of the opening of Rarotonga International Airport, controlled by the Airport Authority Board.

Kata: Staycations

Letter: Staycations

Without being too technical and splitting hairs.

Kata: Immigration line up

Letter: Quit relying on tourism

Dear Editor, While the people of the Cook Islands witnessed firsthand the devastation that the Covid-19 pandemic had on the economy, the business sector of our nation and the community alike told Prime Minister Mark Brown to get moving on plans to diversify the economy and quit just relying on tourism to drive growth.

Kata: League 9's champs

Ruta Mave: The silent struggle for morality in the Cook Islands

The silent acceptance of constant abuses of power by those in leadership roles from corruption, theft, fraud, assault on women and drink driving is frankly despicable, writes Ruta Mave.

Letter: Flag addition raises eyebrows

Dear Editor, Interesting to read that the PM is “suggesting” a flag rethink (Cook Islands News, December 14, 2023, changing the current national flag back to the original flag design from Papa Arapati’s day.

Kata: Vote by proxy

Virtues in Paradise: What are your intentions for 2024

“Looking forward, looking back. I’ve come a long way down the track,” sings Australian country singer Slim Dusty. It’s a great song for the New Year, writes Linda Kavelin-Popov.

Thomas Tarurongo Wynne: 2024: Ditch the ‘same old, same old’ and spark a real growth

It’s now six days into the new year and little has changed since the festivities of almost a week ago. Apart from a few sore heads and way too much food to eat, for most of us, 2024 will continue much like 2023 and 2022, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Kata: Tuna

Letter: Taps run wild

Perhaps To Tatou Vai (TTV) management is so busy that they’ve not read the comments in letters to this newspaper about the unrelenting wastage of treated drinking water by some of our farmers.

Letter: Prioritise health and education

Dear Editor, Most infrastructure projects can create significant economic stimulus that can benefit everyone in the economy. But that is not the case in the Cook Islands.

Kata: Happy New Year