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Dire warning about diet
Toa appeal confirmed
First Sydney flight fully booked
Wristbands for travellers
No suspension for Allsworth
Debate over traditional medicine preservation
Vaka confirms Mangaia voyage
Beattie dispels flight rumours
New party from CIP fallout
Man jailed for rape
ON THE STREET
New Toa lawsuit against Triad
CIP plans injunction
John Henry picked for CIP Avatiu
Tests a success
Demos propose national seats
George fires at CIP executive
Helping keep Te Reo strong
Police investigate audit director
Call for further reform
Meyer to represent Cooks
CIP fighting defection rumours
$2.1m for illegal fishing
Dire warning about diet
Thu
1 Jul
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Attendees of the 2010 Public Health Conference .
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Dr Wame Baravilala, the keynote speaker at the 10th annual Cook Islands public health conference, delivered a stark warning about diet.
“We need to stop overeating our way to an early grave,” he said at yesterday’s opening at the national auditorium.
Baravilala told the conference that in many Pacific islands, obesity and the illnesses it causes are the number one cause of death. Even losing as little as 3-4kg can have a significant effect on improving health.
Baravilala travels widely in the Pacific and attends many conferences to talk to people about reproductive health and women’s health.
He called for open discussions on how much food to provide at social functions like conferences, saying that community leaders need to lead the way. He said that across the Pacific over-catering at events like this one is seen as a badge of honour.
“It is very difficult to say to your host that all you want is a glass of water and a piece of fruit.”
He also said that when you are checking to see if someone is obese, an easy way to do it is using what he called the eyeball test. “If you look at a person and think ‘my gosh, they are big’, then they are probably obese.”
Minister for Health Apii Piho also touched on the theme of overeating in relation to one of the key themes of the conference, children’s health.
“Twenty or 30 years ago we were known for being lean and mean,” Piho said.
He said preventing obesity starts at the beginning, and that there was a need to educate our kids to eat healthier food and exercise more. Piho advocated going back to traditional ways. Instead of giving kids money to buy lunch, he advocated providing them with a healthy lunch to take with them. He spoke of how in Manihiki, children used to go to school with a drinking coconut, uto, and a piece of fruit.
Ironically after all the talk of diet and obesity, cakes and pastries were served with morning tea and they soon disappeared.
The conference runs until Friday evening while a shorter conference will be held in Aitutaki on Monday.
Toa appeal confirmed
Thu
1 Jul
The Toa appeal hearing has been confirmed for Monday, July 12 in Auckland.
Both government and Toa lawyers will make submissions before the appellate court at the Auckland District Law Society Building.
The hearing is predicated on government’s desire for appellate judges to review Justice Weston’s May decision, which declared Toa the victor in a landmark legal battle.
The appeal takes issue with Weston’s finding that clause 6(c) of the December 2009 settlement agreement – which binds government to top-up Toa’s income for the next eight years is not a guarantee under section 59 of the MFEM Act 1995-96.
The appeal also dismisses the legality of the finding that section 60 validates the settlement agreement, even if section 59 does not.
In the simplest sense, section 59 stipulates that “it shall not be lawful for any person to give a guarantee or indemnity that imposes an actual or a contingent liability on the Crown”.
Section 60, on the other hand, endows a minister with the power to give a written guarantee or indemnity upon such terms as he or she sees fit, but only with the approval of Cabinet and according to the instructions of the financial secretary.
Weston ruled in May that sections 59 and 60 are linked, and concluded that clause 6(c) does not constitute a “guarantee”, the likes of which section 59 prohibits.
The recently-submitted appeal also charges that Weston erred in law when he ruled that clause 6(c) of the settlement could not be severed from the rest of the agreement.
First Sydney flight fully booked
Thu
1 Jul
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Carmel Beattie.
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The new direct flight from Sydney has taken off with a bang, according to Cook Islands Tourism (CIT) chief executive Carmel Beattie.
The first direct flight from Sydney lands in Rarotonga on Sunday and is fully booked and flights all the way through July have “strong bookings, Beattie said.
She said that there has been a good reaction to the first round of media advertising in Australia, with bookings going up from 77 people in the week before advertising, to 208 in the week after.
“There was an initial rush of bookings and they have been growing steadily ever since,” she said. “What we have to do now is maintain our presence in the marketplace.”
The media campaigns were run jointly with seven tourism partners including Infinity, Qantas Vacations, and Stella. The ads promoted package deals which started at around AUD$1000 for six nights. Beattie said that they plan to continue promotional work with the four top performing tourism partners.
She said that the challenge of promoting the Cook Islands to Australians is that there are many places that Australians can travel to quickly and cheaply, with Bali and Vanuatu being two of the favourites. “Getting people in Australia excited about the Cook Islands means that we have to tell them that we not only have sun, sea, and palm trees, but that we have a strong culture you can immerse in and a different pace of life.”
Beattie is planning to use the pace of life as one of the Cook Islands’ unique selling points. For example, the lack of traffic lights on the island would be a great attraction to people who sit in traffic in Sydney for long periods.
She is also going to focus marketing around traditional culture, friendliness and simple pleasures. “The Australian market will respond to that. The market is different from the New Zealanders, where they are more familiar with the Cook Islands and see it as a great place for a quick getaway. In Australia, we appeal to those who want to explore a little more.”
The statistic that 45 per cent of tickets on flights have been sold is based on all of the seats across the whole 17-week period which the trial flight will be flying for.
Beattie says that the statistics aren’t helpful, as people tend to book their holidays around one month ahead.
Meanwhile travel journalists from Australia will arrive with the first flight. Writers from the Daily Telegraph, the Sun Herald, the Canberra Times, and the Newcastle Herald – four leading newspapers within two and half hours drive of Sydney. The journalists will all spend a week in the Cook Islands, dividing their time between Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Flights have been provided by Air New Zealand and the industry and Cook Islands Tourism have provided activities and accommodation.
Wristbands for travellers
Thu
1 Jul
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Travellers arriving on the first flight from Sydney will be given a green and yellow wristband (like the one below) which entitles them to special offers. Visitors will get a map which shows where the restaurants and shops offering discounts are. Outlets will track how much the wristbands are used to see if the promotion has been worthwhile. Beattie said that they will be planning a similar offer for the New Zealand market if uptake is good.
No suspension for Allsworth
Fri
2 Jul
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Wilkie Rasmussen.
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Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen says it is premature to consider suspending director of audit Paul Allsworth following allegations of ‘criminal misconduct’ levelled by former financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti.
Rasmussen, also minister for the Public Expenditure and Review Committee and Audit (PERCA), responded to CI News questions on Tuesday saying he prefers to wait and see what police will do with the complaint before considering actions such as suspension.
In Ivaiti’s letter of complaint, dated June 25 and received by Rasmussen on Monday, he recommends Allsworth be suspended and a full independent investigation of his actions be undertaken.
Ivaiti claimed that it was also imminent that a search warrant be obtained and executed immediately “because of the real likelihood that the Audit Director can and will remove or destroy evidence lying around the Audit Office, in their computers or at his residence”.
CI News has obtained a copy of the letter of complaint which Allsworth is seeking legal advice on.
Allsworth issued a media statement on Tuesday calling Ivaiti’s allegations malicious and highly defamatory.
Allsworth has labelled the allegations of misconduct as a cheap parting shot by Ivaiti as he packs his bags and heads to Australia after government refused to renew his contract as financial secretary for a second term. His departure follows his highly-criticised involvement in a two year controversy over government’s plan to nationalize fuel supply and the resulting multi-million dollar settlement and costly court battle with local fuel distributors.
But Ivaiti wants to know if government will investigate why Allsworth received a one off salary performance bonus that was not approved by the right authorities under the law.
Ivaiti wrote to Police Commissioner Maara Tetava claiming that criminal offences had been committed by Allsworth and laying out ‘evidence’ he gathered in his own investigation of the matter.
» Ivaiti lists misconduct claims
Debate over traditional medicine preservation
Fri
2 Jul
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Barbara Allpress.
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Mike Tavioni.
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It emerged at the Public Health Conference yesterday that experts disagree on the best way to preserve traditional medicine for future generations.
The debate hinges on whether knowledge of traditional medicine should be passed down through generations as it always has been, or should be brought together and made available to the wider world.
Master carver Mike Tavioni is writing a book called ‘Cook Islands plants through the eyes of a Maori’. He spoke of his regret that his mother did not pass on all the secrets of her extensive knowledge of traditional medicine.
“A lot of good medicine has gone with the elders. What is left is for us to retrieve,” he said.
Tavioni believes that the knowledge could be lost if it is not preserved outside of the traditional routes, which is why he is writing the book.
“The question is, are you going to give the ingredients of your traditional medicine, or are you going to die with it?”
Another speaker agreed. Barbara Allpress is a traditional medicine practitioner and a tutor in natural medicine from Well Park College in Auckland.
She said that in her travels in the Pacific it has become “woefully obvious that much traditional knowledge was being lost, and if not entirely lost, was being practiced in the bush or underground.”
She spoke of the last great tohunga from New Zealand, Hohepa Kereopa of Tuhoe. Allpress said that Kereopa was so in support of offering knowledge of Maori medicine to everyone that he worked on a book about it.
She quoted from Kereopa’s book, saying “In the old days the tohunga used to put restrictions on things, but now the whole world has changed and we have to face up to that. If we put restrictions on it now, a lot of stuff could be lost.”
The other side of the argument was also put forward. Teariki Rongo of the group Te Vaka Taunga said that his group works to preserve traditional healing techniques and make locals more willing to use the local taunga. But when it came to passing knowledge on, he said “the taunga have said ‘these medicines we will keep to ourselves, but these medicines people can practice’.”
Rongo said that it is not that the taunga are selfish, but that they are going to pass it on as they have always passed it on.
Another supporter of keeping knowledge of traditional medicine in families was Ngatuaine Maui of the Ministry of Culture.
Maui spoke of how medicine was passed down through generations with children being trained from an early age on how to diagnose and how to practice over periods of 30 years. She said that the knowledge belonged to the families.
Dr Kiki Maoate, who is presiding over the conference, was focused on the fact that all medics, including traditional healers, were aiming to make people better.
“We need to acknowledge traditional medicine as part of the health system.”
But to become part of the system he said that traditional practitioners need to be accountable for their actions, like all other medical professionals.
Vaka confirms Mangaia voyage
Fri
2 Jul
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Cook Islands vaka Marumaru Atua (pictured) will be taking 10 passengers to Mangaia to experience the eclipse from the sea.
The voyage-tested vessel will depart from Avatiu on the evening of July 9, weather permitting, and should return by midday on July 12.
She will follow a track that positions her southwest of Mangaia in time for those on deck to watch the moon block out the sun for just over three minutes on Sunday morning. Each berth comes at a price of $795, which includes a ‘simple menu’.
Passengers should also be aware that the Cook Islands Voyaging Society reserves the right to cancel the voyage if the weather is unfavourable. If you are interested in securing a spot, contact Sarah Moreland on 22888.
Beattie dispels flight rumours
Fri
2 Jul
The Sydney flight that is scheduled to arrive early Sunday morning is nearly full all economy seats are occupied and very few business class seats are still available.
Cook Islands Tourism (CIT) chief executive officer Carmel Beattie dispelled rumours yesterday that the flight is loaded with politicians and travel agents enjoying the perks of free travel.
In fact, she said that CIT made sure to curtail the number of non-paying travellers onboard.
“It is usual when a new flight is inaugurated that virtually the entire plane is filled with non-fare paying passengers,” Beattie said.
“Because the government, the board, Air NZ and the industry understand the importance of this flight to the development of the Australian market, it was decided that this was a commercial flight and the complementary seats were kept to the minimum.”
Just nine passengers are flying for free.
Air NZ is sponsoring four Australian journalists to sample the inaugural flight, while CIT and the industry have offered to pick up the tab for their accommodation.
Two senior executives from Air NZ in Australia are travelling to Rarotonga on the Sunday flight to “mark this momentous occasion” and meet with the CIT board, Beattie said.
Beattie, who yesterday landed in Sydney to attend a number of meetings, will fly back to Rarotonga on the direct flight as a representative for CIT and the tourism industry.
Minister Wilkie Rasmussen and Deputy Prime Minister Robert Wigmore will represent the Prime Minister and Cabinet on the inaugural flight.
Otherwise, all seats are occupied by paying passengers, which is reflective of the Australian public’s mounting interest in visiting Rarotonga.
New party from CIP fallout
Sat
3 Jul
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Albert Nicholas – first candidate in the new breakaway party from CIP.
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Tupui Ariki Henry – Albert Henry’s son backs new ‘Tumu’ party.
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Nicholas supporters create new party
A new political party called Cook Islands Party Tumu has been born out of the recent Cook Islands Party ‘Avatiu controversy’.
Avatiu-Ruatonga-Palmerston MP Albert ‘Peto’ Nicholas is now declaring himself the new party’s first candidate.
One of the most influential founders of the CIP, 81-year-old Tupui Ariki Henry, has helped bring the new party into being.
Yesterday Henry registered the party and its constitution, which he drafted, with the Ministry of Justice.
The Cook Islands Party Tumu was formed because of fallout with the CIP central executive following Nicholas’ recent announcement he would be the CIP candidate for this year’s election, even though the party had not called for nominations for candidacy as per its amended constitution.
CI News spoke to Henry yesterday about what he views may create the first major split of the Cook Islands Party.
“I know the present CIP won’t like it. It’s going to take away some of its support because we are saying this (new party) is the CIP of old.”
Henry believes the new party will attract some of the current CIP MPs, speculating that to start with perhaps the two Atiu MPs, Norman George and Nandi Glassie, might be interested in ditching the party.
Henry says for now, Nicholas’ Avatiu committee will act as the party executive committee until more constituencies join the party.
“Chairman Joseph Haupini will lead the executive. I told them that if and when others join they may have to hold the first party conference to elect an executive.”
Henry says the change to the CIP constitution that allows for nominations to be called for candidates has led to the central executive being able to interfere with the candidacy process.
He says he saw the problem that the central executive created when a new electorate committee was elected and nominations were called after Nicholas had announced his candidacy.
“I met with the MP (Nicholas) and his committee and they asked me for advice. The committee said he (Nicholas) wanted to stand again and that they would support him as an independent candidate if they must.
“I told them this was the opportunity to form a new party – with both parties in trouble right now, it’s a good time for it.”
Henry, a politician in the early years of self-governance, was campaign manager for 17 years for his father, the country’s first premier and founder of the CIP Albert Henry.
Now he will put his efforts into helping create a new party which he believes will win the support of the people.
Henry describes Cook Islands Party Tumu as meaning ‘the base, the main or the real CIP.’
CI News spoke to CIP vice president Mark Brown yesterday, who said the party executive would provide its reaction to the new party over the weekend. Brown said it was the first he had heard of the new party and he hoped to contact CIP leader Henry Puna in Manihiki before commenting on the issue. Meanwhile, nominations for the CIP candidacy in Avatiu closed yesterday.
Man jailed for rape
Sat
3 Jul
A man was remanded to jail this week after appearing in court on a rape charge.
The 41-year-old unemployed Ngatangiia male, originally from Mangaia, was arrested this week for forcing his partner to have sex with him.
He appeared before the court on Wednesday but entered no plea. He will remain in prison with name suppression until July 8, when he will re-appear before the high court.
Police made three other arrests this week.
A 22-year-old Arorangi male was apprehended for driving while disqualified and a Matavera man was arrested for breaching his court-mandated curfew.
A 37-year-old Nikao male was picked up for contempt of court after he was caught consuming alcohol at a licensed premises, which his court conditions prohibit him from doing.
Police also responded to a call from a Takuvaine resident whose goats were being worried by dogs. One goat was eaten “half way through”, according to the police report, and the other was badly mauled. Police identified two black dogs as the culprits and killed them.
A tourist staying in Arorangi reported that an intruder broke into her room and stole a total of $135 while she and her friend were sleeping.
ON THE STREET
Sat
3 Jul
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Makana Kane
T-leaf. It’s a natural dye, takes care of sores and gets rid of headaches.
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Adi Uluibua
We use the noni fruit as well as the leaf to cleanse our body, for boils and other swelling on our body. The whole tree is useful.
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Isaia Akava
We use the lemon leaf for body cleansing
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Noo
Yellow rauti. That’s for burns. If you burn yourself on the muffler or with hot water, that’s what you use.
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Rebeca Tangaroa
Oil. For hair treatment. It’s cheaper than a trip to the salon.
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Aramoana Mataroa
Panadol. That’s as traditional my family gets.
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Ura Teinaki
Oil for massaging the body.
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Kau Mapu
Pumpkin juice. It’s a medicine for men to lower the chances of getting prostate cancer.
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What traditional medicine is commonly used in your household?
New Toa lawsuit against Triad
Mon
5 Jul
Toa Petroleum wants Te Aponga fuel contract
Toa Petroleum wants its competitor’s operations shut down, claiming in a new lawsuit that Triad Pacific Petroleum is in breach of safety standards and laws.
If successful the case could result in the termination of Triad’s multi-million dollar fuel supply contract with power utility Te Aponga Uira.
Toa owner Apex Agencies filed a claim on June 29 against Triad, Te Aponga, Minister of Internal Affairs Apii Piho, and Secretary of Internal Affairs Bredina Drollet.
The gist of the claim is that Toa wants Triad’s facility declared unsafe and Te Aponga to stop its two-year fuel contract with Triad, awarded by tender just last December.
Toa will apply to the High Court for a declaration that Drollet has acted unlawfully in granting a licence to Triad under the 1984 Dangerous Goods Act, that Triad is in breach of that act, and that Te Aponga cancel its fuel contract with Triad. Toa wants court orders requiring Drollet to revoke the licence under the Dangerous Goods Act and for Te Aponga to re-open the tender process for the fuel hosting contract.
The statement of claim says Internal Affairs officer Helen Maunga issued a licence pursuant to the Dangerous Goods Act to Triad, without which the company would be unable to lawfully operate its facility.
It alleges that Toa is directly and adversely affected by breaches of their statutory obligations by the Secretary of Internal Affairs and Te Aponga.
Apex claims that before a licence is issued under the Dangerous Goods Act, Internal Affairs must ensure that the facilities comply with appropriate safety standards.
Apex quotes a May 2008 ‘audit report’ by the NZ Department of Labour – a report carried out at the request of Internal Affairs for the department to undertake a dangerous goods inspection in Rarotonga of the bulk storage facilities of the Cook Islands.
The report described the Triad facility as having no emergency plan on site, that there were concerns about the tank’s ages, records of inspection and fitness testing, as well as many more concerns about what could happen in the event of a fuel spill.
The report concluded, “Of the three main bulk installations on Rarotonga, Triad Pacific Petroleum was of the greatest concern. There was an obvious lack of knowledge in respect of safety requirements for the facility.”
Apex wants the court to declare that Triad is still in breach of many safety laws and standards and should have its licence revoked.
Its second cause of action deals with its claim that Te Aponga, given Triad’s non-compliance, should re-tender its fuel contract.
Apex says Te Aponga needs 22,000 litres of diesel a day – the power company tendered for the supply of its diesel in August last year and in December Triad was awarded the contract.
“Te Aponga’s objects and functions included ensuring that the public were not at risk and in particular that it did not enter into binding contractual relations for the hosting of its fuel requirements with an entity that was not compliant with the Dangerous Goods Act and the statutory requirements for health and safety,” says the claim.
Apex has made no secret of the fact it wants the Te Aponga contract and claims its facility complies with all health and safety requirements. However, landowners of the Toa site are of the view that their property is contaminated from oil leaks and spills.
CIP plans injunction
Mon
5 Jul
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CIP says Tupui Ariki Henry’s claim to represent the real CIP is a sad and forlorn squawk from the past.
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The Cook Islands Party will be filing a court injunction against Tupui Ariki Henry and Albert Nicholas to prevent them from using the name Cook Islands Party in any way or form to describe their new political party.
This was confirmed in a party statement issued to Cook Islands News yesterday.
Early last week Albert Nicholas stated that ‘a new baby will be born’ and was alluding to the formation of his new party, which was confirmed on Friday as the ‘Cook Islands Party Tumu’.
The CIP believes plans for the new party guided Nicholas’ actions, including his refusal to submit his nomination for the CIP candidacy in Avatiu last week.
The CIP statement said: “However, rather than giving birth to a baby, it seems to be more a case of child kidnapping – with Peto hijacking the CIP name for his own purposes.
“The claim by Tupui Ariki Henry that they represent the real CIP is a rather sad and forlorn squawk from the past. People still remember how Tupui Ariki Henry single-handedly kept the CIP out of becoming government back in 1984 after winning the elections, and triggering the first and only constitutional crisis this country has ever faced, all because the CIP and Papa Arapati would not elect or endorse him as their new leader over Sir Geoffrey Henry.
“This latest attempt to rewrite an old argument comes across as being rather sad and tragic. The Cook Islands Party does not belong to any one person, rather it belongs to all Cook Islanders who believe in its history and future, its structure, philosophy and policies.”
John Henry picked for CIP Avatiu
Mon
5 Jul
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John Henry
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Avatiu community leader John Henry (above) has been confirmed as the Cook Islands Party candidate for the the RAPPA (Ruatonga, Avatiu, Panama, Palmerston, Atupa) electorate in the general elections.
CIP vice-president Mark Brown says the party and all the supporters join together in welcoming John Henry, his wife Nono and their extended families into the CIP campaign wave of 2010.
It is understood that two nominations were received, however the second nominee withdraw her nomination in favour of supporting John Henry as the candidate.
Henry is the current Pu Tapere for Avatiu and has been for some years. He is also a deacon of the Avarua CICC Church.
He is a prominent member of the Avatiu community and is highly regarded for his diligent work ethic and calm leadership style. He is a son of the late Tikaka Arama Henry, a brother of Sir Geoffrey Henry.
With the confirmation of the RAPPA candidate all 10 Rarotonga punas have now confirmed CIP candidates.
Tests a success
Mon
5 Jul
A seven-minute power cut to part of the island was the only effect of major tests at the Avatiu power station on Saturday.
Te Aponga Uira acting Chief Executive Elma Marurai said yesterday TAU thanked all its valued customers and the general public for their participation and cooperation with Saturday’s tests.
“We were able to carry out our drop load test at 1pm on Saturday as notified by media, with sufficient load in the system. Thank you very much to all customers for having faith in us, and cooperating with TAU ensuring there was sufficient load.
“As noted by customers on our East Coast Feeder (customers from Takuvaine to Vaimaanga), it was a somewhat disappointing result, but not unexpected due to the age of the equipment. “Overall power station response was very good, as power was restored to these customers within 7 minutes. On a positive note, the protection set-up preventing island wide power loss also performed reasonably well.
“Data collected from these tests will greatly assist TAU towards its future planning. It is our intention to ensure consistent reliability and security of power supply to the island of Rarotonga.”
Demos propose national seats
Tue
6 Jul
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Sean Willis.
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Approach seen as first step
towards political reform
The Democratic Party executive has proposed having four national seats in Parliament.
Party president Sean Willis said the proposal is being considered by party MPs and cabinet ministers.
Under the proposal, voters would not only vote for the constituency representative, but would cast their vote for national MPs as well.
Willis said that it was too late to put plans into action before the election as the proposals were not submitted at the party conference. But he would aim to submit the plans at the next conference.
If the Demos get back in, Willis proposes that a national referendum is held after the election to find out what voters think about national seats and other aspects of political reform.
“National seats would stop houses with large numbers of voters from persuading you of your stance on certain topics – it’s a big problem when big families can sway things,” Willis said.
If an MP is beholden to a single family to retain his seat, it can inhibit decision making. National seats would have more of a focus on national issues.
National seats were proposed in the 1998 review ‘Reforming the Political System of the Cook Islands’, which was commissioned by the then-government, which never put the proposals into action.
Teina Mackenzie of the Mou Piri Group for Political Reform, said she was encouraged to hear that at least one of the two main parties is talking about reform because before this, it was ignored.
However, Mou Piri still believes that change should be happening faster.
“Outside of a party environment I still think that reform can be pushed before the election,” Mackenzie said.
“People are frustrated that change hasn’t yet been forthcoming – having to wait another four years would drain the enthusiasm people have for reform now.”
The Demo Party executive has also been working on policy issues. They recently held a meeting with caucus at which they mapped out their plans for the future of the party, which Willis hopes will restore public faith in the party.
The executive is also planning meetings with policy makers at various governmental bodies, including the office of the Prime Minister, the Public Service Commissioner, and the Ministry of Finance. The aim is to talk to them about what problems they face when trying to implement policies.
George fires at CIP executive
Tue
6 Jul
Unrest has developed within the Cook Islands Party (CIP) camp from the furore around Albert ‘Peto’ Nicholas and the new Cook Islands Tumu party, with criticism being levelled at the party executive by their own.
CIP MP Norman George said the CIP executive is the most difficult he has ever worked with in his political life of 27 years.
“When difficult issues are faced they appear to hold a preliminary meeting on their own, take a stance, make a decision and hold the negotiation afterwards. When they come to the negotiating table their position is set and they will not change it regardless of the consequences,” George said.
George said that in his work as a barrister he would have more chance of persuading a jury to acquit a defendant than to get the CIP executive to change their minds. George had offered his advice over the Nicholas situation, telling the board that they had to choose between ‘certain winner’ Nicholas, and holding the meeting to decide against him.
“They stubbornly chose to go ahead and sacrificed a certain winner in Albert Nicholas.” George said. Even after this criticism, George was insistent that the CIP could win the election.
“We will however patiently work to turn things around,” he said.
“The CIP exec needs to change their attitude and adopt a more flexible and realistic response to problems within the party in order to rally our team together to defeat our opponents.
“We are absolutely confident that the CIP will be swept into power in the coming elections. We should leave the door open for Nicholas to come back into the fold whenever he chooses.”
Mark Brown, CIP vice president, responded to the criticism of the party executive, saying “the Cook Islands Party and its executives stands by its principles and the concept of upholding the core values of loyalty, teamwork and freedom of choice and will not compromise them for cheap political gain. Norman George is entitled to his personal comments. They are viewed by the party as an internal matter and will be dealt with as such.”
Brown confirmed that the party would be pursuing an injunction against the CIP Tumu through the courts if the Office of the Registrar at the Ministry of Justice confirmed the name had been registered. “We will be pursuing it as they are basically using our name,” Brown said.
» George and Glassie staying with CIP
Helping keep Te Reo strong
Tue
6 Jul
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Te Reo Maori Kuki Airani teachers from New Zealand here on Rarotonga to share their teaching experiences and to learn some of the systems used at home to maintain te reo in schools – especially at the early childhood education stage.
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Strengthening the quality of Te Reo Maori education in New Zealand is the aim of the Punanga Reo Conference starting today at the Crown Beach Resort.
Cook Islands based Maori language teachers are on the island to be part of this conference and more importantly to share their teaching experiences and to learn from Maori language teachers on Rarotonga.
The visiting teachers are of Cook Islands descent and teach in the various Punanga Reo centres throughout New Zealand that specialise in early childhood education with an emphasis on te reo Maori language.
The three-day conference agenda includes discussions on the issues of keeping alive the Cook Islands Maori reo, re-establishing links with Punaga Reo services on both national and international levels and most importantly to offer support to emerging qualified teachers in the planning and delivering of effective Cook Islands Maori language programmes in early childhood settings.
Registration for the three-day conference will begin at 9am followed by a turou, opening prayer and speech by Prime Minister Jim Marurai at 11.30am.
The conference will officially open at 12pm before lunch and two guest speakers in the afternoon – Makiuti Tongia and Bernard Tairea.
Police investigate audit director
Tue
6 Jul
The Criminal Investigation Branch of the police will lead the investigation into the complaint of misconduct against Director of Audit Paul Allsworth.
The complaint was lodged with police and cabinet late last month by former financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti.
Police Commissioner Maara Tetava told CI News that police have received the complaint and are in the process of analysing its content.
“It will be investigated just like every other complaint reported to the Police. We treat every complaint seriously until the evidence proves otherwise,” he said.
Tetava said he is unable to confirm details of the investigation or the composition of the investigation team, but media releases will be made ‘in due course and at the appropriate times’.
Ivaiti’s complaint amounts to allegations of theft and deception by Allsworth in receiving $8000 in annual bonuses and having his new salary backdated three months without the authority required by law. Ivaiti’s letter of complaint dated June 25 asks ‘who audits the auditor?’ and details the findings of his own investigation into the salary payments made to Allsworth.
Allsworth has already said he welcomes an independent investigation and labeled the complaint a cheap parting shot by the former Finsec who has recently been investigated by the audit office in relation to the now completed but not yet public Toagate report.
The Director of Audit claims the complaint is malicious and mischievous and awaits the outcome of the police review.
Call for further reform
Wed
7 Jul
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Tata Crocombe.
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Crocombe says it’s a start but
not enough to make a difference
Economic advisor Tata Crocombe has said that the Democratic Party executive’s proposals to put in place four national seats for MPs in Parliament is a step in the right direction, but doesn’t go far enough.
“I would follow the New Zealand plan and have 50 per cent of the seats as national seats,” Crocombe said. “This is a step in the right direction but not enough to make a difference.”
Last year Crocombe headed up a private sector economic development taskforce formed by government to come up with ways to boost the economic growth of the nation. One of the main recommendations of the taskforce was for government to pursue political reform as a means of paving the way for economic development. The taskforce recommendations echoed those of the 1998 commission of political reform.
Crocombe said he would add to the reforms direct election of the Prime Minister by voters, and the appointment of cabinet by the PM from among the voters.
“Choosing from 12,000 is always better than choosing from 24,” he said.
The new proposals from the Demo Party executive would mean that every voter has the chance to elect MPs to the national seats, who would focus on issues of national importance, as well as constituency MPs who would focus on issues closer to home. Crocombe explained why the proposed national seats would be of benefit.
“Some seats have very small numbers of voters, where MPs are often under pressure over very small issues,” he said.
People who are elected in such cases are driven by support for low level village concerns, are often not the best people to sort out issues around health, education, and economic issues like tackling deficits and signing multi-million dollar deals. This is where national MPs would step in.
Crocombe said that the only objections to the reforms suggested by the group were from MPs.
“It is hard not to think that the stumbling block is self interest on the part of MPs and not national interest.”
He said that the constitution was written over 50 years ago in an era without air travel when the majority of people had a subsistence level lifestyle.
“It was a totally different time, and representation was geared towards local issues,” he said. “There is nothing wrong with looking at local issues but it is a question of balance. We need a mix of constituency seats and national seats to represent the whole country. National seat MPs would be more likely to focus on issues of national importance.”
In Crocombe’s view, many of the problems faced by the islands are based on the political system. “One thousand people left last year, 1000 the year before. It is all down to the fact that the institution of government isn’t right. People often blame people – but it’s not about the people, it’s the system.”
Meyer to represent Cooks
Wed
7 Jul
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Joyana Meyer.
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The Miss Cook Islands Pageant Association (MCIPA) said that Maine Tapairu Joyana Meyer will represent the Cook Islands at the Miss South Pacific Pageant from November 22-27 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
“We are very excited that Joyana will be going to the Miss South Pacific this year,” MCIPA president Clee Marsters said.
“I would just like to congratulate Joyana for accepting the challenge, and the big job of representing our country.”
Meyer was runner-up or Maine Tapairu at last year’s bi-annual competition.
“I am very, very excited to have again another humbling opportunity to represent my country, that I love, and to do us all proud,” Meyer said.
The 21-year-old Auckland-based university student met with her Miss South Pacific team on Friday to discuss how they will be working together.
Georgina Keenan-Williams is her official chaperone. Clee Marsters will be assistant chaperone, and Metua Vaiimene will also be an assistant.
Meyer’s family, as well as her own personal support team, will also be brought in to help with getting her ready for the pageant.
“There will be a lot of juggling between study, exams, projects and the pageant preparation but don’t worry I will be giving a lot of effort for my country,” she said.
Meyer is the eldest of three children. She was born in New Zealand but raised here. She attended Nikao Maori, St Joseph’s and Avatea primary schools, and Tereora College. She is currently in her third year working towards a Bachelor’s Degree of Mechatronic Engineering with honours. Next year will be her final year.
CIP fighting defection rumours
Wed
7 Jul
Opposition Cook Islands Party leader Tom Marsters says the last thing the party needs so close to an election is to mirror the turmoil of the Democratic Party.
Tension has risen in the CIP since disgruntled Ruatonga-Avatiu-Panama-Palmerston-Atupa (RAPPA) MP Albert ‘Peto’ Nicholas formed the CIP Tumu last Thursday.
Nicholas’ departure has left the CIP fighting off rumour that a number of its six remaining MPs will defect to the new party.
Just yesterday Marsters rubbished fresh rumours that he was thinking of ‘crossing over’ and that deputy leader Teina Bishop would become the new leader of the opposition party.
“I have no plans to leave my party – the party I helped build up over the years. I can almost say for certain that none of us are crossing over,” said Marsters.
Marsters says he doesn’t know where the latest rumour came from, but he makes no secret that he sympathises with Nicholas.
Marsters and CIP MP Nandi Glassie reportedly visited Nicholas at his residence on Monday, but it’s not known what discussions they had with him.
“I feel sad about the whole affair. If the executive and everyone had sat down and we had put our thinking caps on we could have resolved it without him (Nicholas) having to leave the party.”
Marsters says Nicholas’ departure from the CIP is a ‘big loss’ to the party and he is disappointed with the party executive.
“Peto brought the (RAPPA) seat over to the CIP. On several occasions the Demos have tried to woo Peto back with promises of a ministerial posting and all the trappings that go with it. But he stuck with his party loyally. “I think the executive have forgotten the loyalty.”
Now Marsters says what he once considered to be one of the CIP’s ‘safest’ seats could fall to the Demos come election time.
Bishop has also told CI News he does not believe any of the CIP MPs will defect to the CIP Tumu, least of all Marsters.
$2.1m for illegal fishing
Wed
7 Jul
The Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) yesterday announced that an out-of-court settlement of $2.1 million to the Cook Islands has been agreed for illegal fishing infringements by three fishing vessels flagged in China and Taiwan.
It is hoped that the money will be used to upgrade the ministry’s offices in Avatiu and Avarua.
The provisions of the Marine Resources Act 2005 enables a penalty of $1 million dollars plus forfeiture of the fishing vessel, gear and catch for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Cook Islands is known for its hard line on illegal fishing. The case history of IUU settlements by the MMR include an Ecuadorean vessel, US$80,000 (2006); two Latin American Purse Seine vessels, $500,000 (2008) and two Japanese vessels, $1 million (2009).
The Ministry says this recent case sets a strong precedent.
“I am satisfied with the terms of agreement which sends out a consistent message of deterrence for illegal fishing and also provides compensation to the Crown,” Marine Secretary, Ben Ponia said.
The funds will be paid to Crown within nine weeks. But Ponia said he’s hopeful that cabinet will also consider their case for utilising this windfall revenue “to address our woefully inadequate offices in Avatiu and Avarua through our proposed Marine House concept”.
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