Opinion

Letter: Traffic infringement notice

Dear Editor, The Cook Islands Government can boast a unique traffic regulation that is unparalleled in the Pacific region, if not in the entire Western world.

Ruta Mave : Allegiance to the Crown versus financial donations

Long live the King. By default, we have sworn allegiance to the Crown but what are we going to do when all our handshakes and financial donations are called into play?

Letter: Cannabis law review: How much longer?

Dear Editor, On August 1st 2022, an overwhelming 62 per cent of the voters said yes to reviewing laws to allow for the research and medical use of cannabis.

What is the price of citizenship?

As we mark the coronation of a new King and the solemn Anzac services held across the Pacific, in Rarotonga and in Aotearoa, it is important to revisit the poignant question posed by Sir Apirana Ngata in his 1943 treatise, ‘The Price of Citizenship’, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Letter: Old makes way for the new

The anonymous letter writer under “Old makes way for the new” failed to appreciate that we are fortunate in having probably the largest parking area in Rarotonga almost straight across the road directly behind the market, about 120 metres away.

Letter: Best by date’ sale

Dear Editor, How is that most retailers will put on sale any perishable goods nearing their ‘Best by date’ while others continue to sell the product at top price.

Letters: Road works

Editor, I note in your paper yesterday, the farmers of Titikaveka are not happy with the road works going on in their area for the reasons they give.

Letters: Old makes way for new

Your story of old makes way for new, and the planned closed to $1 million on a 360 square metre site on the main road is somewhat perplexing.

Letters: The role of free media . . .

Editor, What a load of hogwash and hypocrisy coming out of Henry Puna’s mouth.

Transforming Cook Islands’ government, business, education, and health sectors using AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) presents an opportunity to enhance the economic and social well-being of the Cook Islands’ communities. Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are cutting-edge AI technologies that offer tremendous potential for organisations across various sectors, writes Tata Crocombe.

RUTA MAVE: Pride and prejudice in our sporting community

Pride and prejudice exist in our sporting community where we have little pride and too much prejudice, writes Ruta Mave.

Thomas Tarurongo Wynne :It’s time to learn to walk in two worlds

The arrival of the Vaka Paikea to Akatokomana, Mauke, is such a good example of where we can utilise the culture of today and culture of tomorrow and use both to advance ourselves into the challenges of the world, we now live in, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.

Virtues: Harvesting hope

Do you dare to dream? Not the kind of dream that comes when you are asleep, but a dream for what you really want to create in your life. By Linda Kevlin-Popov.

Kata: Crown

Letter:No labourers?

In Saturday 22 April’s front page story (Labour shortage), it stated that we have a labour shortage problem “more so here than in Tonga or Samoa”.

Kata: Air NZ

Tata Crocombe: We must secure our routes to key strategic airports

The Cook Islands will never reach its full economic potential without greatly improved air services that only a national airline can achieve. The Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns crashed the tourism industry, highlighting the vulnerability of the Cook Islands economy, which is 85 percent dependent on tourism.

Dr Michael Baer: The dogs of war

With ANZAC day marked yesterday and poppies everywhere, has anyone noticed that some of the poppies are purple? Purple poppies celebrate the animals who have served in almost every human conflict in history, writes Dr Michael Baer, Te Are Manu Vet Clinic medical director.

Kata: War