Opinion

Te Maeva Nui NZ: A showcase and celebration of our uniqueness

More than 1400 performers participated in the world’s largest Cook Islands event in Auckland this weekend as tens of thousands made their way through the gates of the Trust Arena to celebrate who we are, our culture, our Reo and each other, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Kata: Cook Islands Law

Kata: Data

Letter: ‘Zero’ public consultation

Dear Editor, In this paper on 20-5-23, the Ministry of Health Secretary Bob Williams said, “It is essential that public consultation is undertaken to allow for medicinal cannabis to be imported, prescribed and produced in the Cook Islands”.

Kata: Request for Data

What about the poor turtles?

I hear Tourism Cook Island is embarking on another round of safety guidelines and regulation for turtle tour operators at Avaavaroa.

Kata: Meeting Mr President

Letter: Pacific Islands Forum

If it’s costing only $NZ 150,000 for Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting in Rarotonga in November,  then, that’s cheap. Any leaders meeting anywhere tends to hit the million mark these days because they are such bourgeois affairs. Rajend Naidu

Letter: Sheraton redevelopment

It should be of huge public concern that the “new” private development of the Vaimaanga hotel site will soon include the closure of the main coastal road, forcing a long traffic diversion around the back of the hotel site for all motorists, purely in order to enable future guests and residents of the new hotel, direct access to a non-existent beach, with no sand, and no swimming or snorkelling , and bounded by huge rock revetments, which have been in place for years.

Letter: The cost of air travel

The excuses that Air New Zealand dream up for their high ticket prices from Auckland to Rarotonga, are just that, weak excuses, the only reason that they give that is genuine for their high prices is that they do this for "commercial reasons" to try and offset the loss of $591 million from 2021. I can understand this but don't try and recoup this loss just from their flights to Rarotonga alone.

Kata: Running the country

Letter: Easy steps for cannabis legalisation

Dear Editor, The Cook Islands Government said the more they look into legalising medicinal cannabis the more problems they come across. This should not be the case, they are overthinking and complicating what is a simple task.

Ruta Mave: Reduce stress: Lower your expectations

One way I find to reduce stress levels is to reduce my levels of expectation. For the most part people don’t know or see the difference between very good and perfection in the production of goods and services, writes Ruta Mave.

Kata: Defensive driving

Thomas Wynne: Head of State Residence - A building that speaks of who we are

Tarai, is to build or to carve, to use a chisel to carve out something especially, but not exclusively, when we build vaka, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Kata: Forum Budget

Letter: Road works

Dear Editor, Oh, how good, wonderful and pleasant to see another stretch of road taking good shape from Avana bridge through Muri community and Titikaveka’s but only a stone throw away – nicely widened, side water trenches upgraded and soon the finishing touch of hot mix tarsealing.

Kata: Wild Chooks

Letter: Government e-waste

Great to see that Government has finally agreed to work and partner up with CIGT (Cook Islands General Transport) in the collection of E waste – how long has it been since the last collection? Six years at least.

Letters: Addressing crime, ensuring safety in Rarotonga

Dear Editor, Rarotonga, our beautiful island and popular tourist destination, is currently facing a growing challenge due to increasing crime rates.