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General News

Week ending Wednesday, 29 February, 2012

Current events and entertainment in Rarotonga and the Cook Islands.

Grocery grabber fills 5 trolleys
Kave kave Pukapuka
Kia maeva te peu, reo Maori!
New China agreement released
Happy ‘leap year’
Mongoose health checks
Cultural heritage under discussion
Life jackets a lifeline for Penrhyn islanders
Crown prints of Raro
Rotary gifts dictionaries
4 left in H Factor grand final
H Factor singers at Te Kainga
Composers call Cook Islanders home
Telecom looks at ‘partnering’
Harvest festival has support
Quake escape leads to wedding
Plans progress for wellness centre
Vets perform operation at open day
Last chance to win
New unit will ‘lift the bar’
Jetty on track
‘We are running out of time’
New law ‘criminalises debt’
Aid for parliament
Avatea prefects aim to help improve attitudes
Tereora College laughs and listens
Dallas helps with Marshall Islands project
Solar desalination recommended
NZ ‘reneging’ on pension promise: Priest
So what’s the ‘trigger figure’?
Southern group youth to join forum
Minister's travels for the week
George George is mad mad
Big shoes to fill in 2012 pageant
Norman George criticises Allsworth’s salary
‘We had no control over circumstances’
School health check-ups on again
Space junk splashes down in Muri
‘That isn’t really a pig’
2 new faces at Intaff
Cook Islands Day at NZ’s Te Papa
Keeping books in order
Global leader loves this place
Water spout off Aitutaki
Aunty Mau wants $5000 for Nikao roads
Callout to Atiuans
Underwriting makes Air NZ a partner
Correction
Avarua School showers new prefects in ei
Prefects inducted at St Joseph’s
Araura honours new perfects
United we stand, divided we fall
Get fit by email
Te Kopapa Reo re-formed
Pacific Forum dates confirmed
MPs voice their concerns over suicide
Heavy road works underway
New pier used for the first time
Air Rarotonga fleet expands
Deputy enjoys Speaker’s job
George independent?
Budget support ‘beautiful’
Supplementary budget passed, parliament adjourns
Whip offers to help pa enua
Fence to ‘keep stormin Norman’ out
Opposition calls budget ‘irresponsible’
New leader gets official nod
Claims of irresponsible spending ‘unfounded’
Govt to develop marine resources in north

Amelia and Vaine Ngatokorua with CITC’s George George and the five trolleys of free groceries that Vaine grabbed as her lucky prize. 12022827

A planning meeting on Monday night helped Vaine Ngatokorua grab $2713.90 worth of groceries in three minutes at the CITC supermarket yesterday as the second winner of the company’s grocery grab promotion.

Ngatokorua turned up for the grocery grab in heels and her work uniform but the clever Cookie brought a spare set of clothes and her bare feet to ensure maximum movement and grabbing ability during her three-minute dash through the supermarket.

The 26-year-old had CITC staff and shoppers in awe as she methodically went about filling five trolleys full of groceries.

In fact, the young woman filled three trolleys with anchor milk, coffee, Milo and cereals in just a minute and a half.

Soft drinks, potato chips and canned goods also flew into Ngatokorua’s trolley before the young woman made her fourth and final stop at the corned beef and spaghetti isle.

Like a pro Ngatokorua biffed handfuls of spaghetti and corned beef cans into the trolley as CITC key brands manager George George counted down the remaining seconds of the grocery grab.

George was blown away by Ngatokorua’s massive effort.

“She did really well focusing her efforts in four key areas around the supermarket,” says George.

Ngakotorua says that she knew exactly what she wanted, helped by the fact that she had a family meeting the night before where she was given a list of items to grab.

This is the second of three grocery grabs organised by CITC with the first one sponsored by Anchor and the grab on Tuesday sponsored by Wattie’s.

On top of her five trolleys of goodies worth $2713.90, Ngatokorua also received a $250 voucher for frozen goods and meat.

Next week the promotion for the third and last grocery grab will begin so if you want CITC to pay for your five trolley loads of groceries – get in the draw and be in to win.

• Matariki Wilson

Kave Kave in Pukapuka

Proud villagers with their catch. 12022704

The Kave Kave fishing competition remains a unique, time-honoured tradition in Pukapuka.

For two days, the men of each village compete against each other to see which village can catch the most fish.

And since Yato won the overall sports competition, Yato set the rules for this year’s Kave Kave fishing competition.

For two days, 28 men and one trawling boat from each village went out fishing from six in the morning until six in the evening. Ngake village came back with a total of 154 fish. Loto village caught 134 fish and Yato village caught 99 fish.

The majority of the boats brought in kakai or tuna. Other fish caught included paala, akula, kamai, kanakanalangi, tapotu, atu, wono, tavatava and paiele.

It remains unclear how foreign fishing licences are affecting fishing in Pukapuka and the northern group islands.

“There’s definitely less kakai,” says Pati Lavalua, one of the few women who fishes regularly and is known for catching more than the men when she goes trawling. With fresh fish the daily diet, no one wants to see large-scale vessels selling all the fish in foreign markets.

The marine research will make the issue more clear. In the meantime, everyone in Pukapuka enjoyed competing against each other to see which village would enjoy the bragging rights through song and dance.  

All the children participated in the Kave Kave fishing competition. The boys helped the men prepare by collecting rocks to sink the fishing lines. The boys gathered and grated coconuts for their fathers and picked leaves to wrap the coconut and mackerel bait. The girls helped the women in the taro patch and prepared the food including the time-consuming taro pudding or mawu. All the children gathered to help count the fish and participated in “education outside the classroom,” making scientific observations, conducting math assignments and writing about all the elements of this cultural practice.  

On Friday, all the villages gathered in the churchyard to share the food.

In keeping with the communal egalitarian nature of the island, all the children received one mawu, half a fish and two coconuts. All the women received one mawu, two fish and two coconuts. All the men received two mawu, one fish and two coconuts. Visitors received the greatest share with two mawu, two fish and four coconuts.

Fish and taro remain the staple diet of Pukapuka, which keeps Pukapukans on the atoll healthier than those abroad. Everyone enjoyed eating fresh imu baked tuna and mawu for days.  

The festival season in Pukapuka had an egalitarian end. Yato village won the overall sports competition, Loto village won the wrestling and Ngake village won the Kave Kave fishing competition.
 

- Amelia Borofsky in Pukapuka

Fish baked in the imu with taro pudding or mawu, part of an island-wide feast. 12022706

Pukapukan recipe for Mawu or taro pudding

Written by Form 2 Students of Niua School

Ingredients: taro, coconut cream, coconut water, sugar

Materials: wooden kumete, grater, spoon, knife, pounder, wrapping leaves

First you go to the taro patch and get the taro. Then you wash, peel and grate the taro.

Second, you prepare the imu. You take the rocks into the imu and light the fire. 

Third, you gather some leaves and coconuts. You grate and squeeze the coconuts to make coconut cream. 

Fourth, you mix the grated taro with the coconut cream and stir with the spoon. 

Fifth, you add some sugar and coconut water. When it smells good and is smooth, you wrap it in the leaves.

Sixth, you take the coconut fronds and tie the leaves. You put the whole thing inside the imu and leave it to bake until ready.

Seventh, you take it out, unwrap it and pound it inside the kumete. You add a little more coconut cream and wrap it again inside the leaves and leave it to bake again overnight in the imu. 
Eat it warm with fish and friends! 

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One of the prized yellowfin tuna caught during the Kave Kave fishing competition. 12022709

 

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Preparing freshly-caught fish for a Pukapuka-wide imu feast. 12022708

 

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Villagers out fishing in a high-stakes contest to catch the most fish. The prize? Bragging rights until next year. 12022703

 

Makara Vaine gets into the swing of Mother Language Day with a pupil demonstrating his pau drumming skills. 12022458

In honour of Mother Language Day, internationally commemorated on February 21, Apii Te Uki Ou put on a cultural extravaganza at a special assembly for family and friends last Friday.

Makara Vaine, teacher in charge of Maori and culture at Apii Te Uki Ou, says that Mother Language Day commemorations ran for the whole week and culminates in the special assembly open air performance.

She says for the whole week leading up to the Friday assembly, every child at the school engaged in the Maori language and culture by learning new songs and items for their parents on Friday.

Makara Vaine says that the students chose how they wanted to express Te Reo and Cook Islands culture with some classes writing their own haka and songs while others took charge of the drumming.

Makara Vaine adds that her aim this year is to teach and promote the Cook Islands Maori language through performing arts as she believes students will pick up the language and culture faster through this method.

She says that the whole school will be taught the different dance, songs and chants of the islands leading up the annual primary school cultural festival in April.

Next week a Pukapukan dance master will be introducing the school to a Pukapuka haka.

Action songs, drum dances and even the national anthem featured at the special Te Uki Ou assembly run entirely in Cook Islands Maori.

• Matariki Wilson

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Year 7 and 8 boys rip into a new haka the whole school will learn and perform at the primary school festival in April. 12022455

 

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Year four and five students wow their parents with a stunning performance. 12022449

 

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Grade one teacher Janine Fiebig joins her students during an ura piani performance. 12022453

 

A scanned copy of the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement jointly signed by Tom Marsters and Chinese ambassador to the Cook Islands Xu Jianguo last week. 12022836

The new agreement between the Chinese and Cook Islands governments – granting $3.8 million to the Cooks –has been made available to the public.

In response to prodding from Cook Islands News, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAI) yesterday released a copy of the Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement jointly signed by Tom Marsters and Chinese ambassador to the Cook Islands Xu Jianguo last week.

The agreement was signed into force last Friday when a Chinese delegation – comprising Jianguo, Li Qiangmin of the China-Pacific Islands Forum Dialogue, and senior officials from the Chinese embassy in Wellington and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing – visited Rarotonga.

Their visit marked one stop on a ‘Pacific tour’, after MFAI was reportedly informed of their arrival at the eleventh hour. The ministry says that because the visit was last-minute and rushed, there was limited time in which to arrange interviews for the officials with local media.

“As the delegation was only in country for one full day of meetings their schedule was very tight. There was no intention of keeping the visit a secret, hence the media release,” reads a statement MFAI released yesterday.

In response to pointed questions from Cook Islands News, MFAI apologised for shooing journalists away from a gathering of both delegations, explaining that Prime Minister Henry Puna had little time to converse with the Chinese officials.

Priority items of discussion were the Pacific Islands Forum and issues that might arise during forum discussions, and China’s extension of aid to the Cook Islands.

“The Chinese government wanted to discuss government’s logistical and other arrangements for the Forum, issues that might be raised during the Forum, regional issues (eg climate change etc) and China’s aid programme to the Cook Islands,” MFAI’s release says.

The People’s Republic of China is a dialogue partner of the Pacific Islands Forum, as are Canada, the European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Italy, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States. All partners support the Forum and/or its member countries financially.

Subsequent to discussion of the Forum, representatives of both the Chinese and Cook Islands governments re-committed to an agreement they have signed previously cementing their ‘friendly relations’.

Drafted “with a view to further developing the friendly relations and economic and technical cooperation between the two countries”, the agreement is one page long and was written in both English and Chinese.

Both the Chinese and Cook Islands governments retained a copy, and each is ‘equally authentic’.

“The Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement is a standard agreement that has been signed on a number of occasions previously and essentially grants the Cook Islands a sum to use on future projects that the Cook Islands may decide on,” MFAI reports.

The agreement stipulates that the government of China will provide the Cook Islands government with an aid grant of Renminbi Yuan $20 million – the equivalent of $3.8 million New Zealand dollars.

The grant “shall be used for the project(s) to be agreed upon between the two Governments. Specific matters in this regard shall be stipulated in the agreements to be signed subsequently”.

The agreement states that “detailed accounting and disbursement procedures concerning the implementation of this Agreement shall be concluded subsequently between the Westpac Banking Corporation and China Development Bank”, and that it is effective from February 24 “until the fulfilment of all their obligations stipulated hereinabove by both sides”.

MFAI is clear no funds will be released until both the Chinese and Cook Islands government agree upon which projects they will finance.

“When and how this is released is entirely up to government and our own internal processes,” MFAI’s release reads.

• Rachel Reeves

There is a term for those with a February 29 birthday – they are ‘leap babies’, who technically have one birthday every four years.

Today is ‘leap day’ according to the Gregorian calendar. Occurring in most years that are divisible by four, such as 2008 and 2012, leap days exist to keep the modern calendar in alignment with earth’s revolutions around the sun. Most years, the month of February ends on its 28th day.

Between 1916 and 2008, a total of 38 Cook Islanders were born leap babies.

To celebrate their long-awaited birthdays, the Business Trade and Investment Board (BTIB) is putting on a special market tonight.

From 6pm to 9pm at the Punanga Nui market, the spotlight will be on leap babies.

“It’s a celebration – there will be entertainment and food as usual but also a big birthday cake for the people who come forward and say it’s their birthday,” Tina Iro of BTIB said.

Just after 6pm, following an opening pure, string band Riki Adamu and Sons will welcome leap babies and Rarotonga’s dinnertime crowd. At a quarter to seven, there will be a lolly scramble for the kids, and at 7.30pm BTIB has enlisted Te Rau Maire to perform.

An 8.30pm dance-off to the beats of Te Rau Maire drummers will precede the singing of a birthday song and the extinguishing – by some lucky nominee – of candles topping a special birthday cake.

The night promises to be full of food, beverages, arts and crafts, and all vendor stalls have been spoken for.

To all the leap babies in the Cook Islands, happy birthday. Make sure your celebration lasts four times longer than ours do.

• Rachel Reeves

Men’s health is this year’s focus for the Avatiu-Nikao Mongoose golden oldies club who are inviting all their brothers from Ruatonga to Pokoinu to join them for a warrant of fitness health check this Thursday.

Doctor Fariu from the ministry of health and fellow health officers will be at Mongoose headquarters, Rose’s Garden, at 4.30pm on Thursday to provide health checks for men and offer advice.

Mongoose chairman George George is encouraging all men, even those from outside of Avatiu and Nikao, to come along and see how painless it is to have a health check that could potentially save your life.

George is concerned at a number of his mates having heart attacks and reminds everyone that heart disease, prostate cancer and other ailments do not discriminate who they target.

Gout, says George, is another health issue he is seeing among his brothers and he would like these men to come along to Thursday’s health check and learn how to prevent this crippling ailment.

The Mongoose will also be having a guest speaker after the health checks at 7pm where former deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate will talk openly about his battle with prostate cancer.

Maoate, who is also the patron of the Cook Islands Golden Oldies movement, will share his experience battling with the silent killer and his vision to establish a prostate cancer foundation for the Cook Islands.

• Matariki Wilson

Protection of our cultural heritage is the topic of a meeting taking place today in Rarotonga.

Members of the Asia-Pacific region will be welcomed to the 2012 Sub-regional Information and Network Meeting for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Pacific, which is taking place over the next three days.

• Rachel Smith

Minister Teariki Heather and his delegation pictured with Penrhyn Red Cross president Alex Maretapu (far left) and Mayor Tini Ford (middle) wearing the new life jackets provided for the safety of the Penrhyn islanders by the Red Cross. Photo Richard Neves 12022701

The Cook Islands Red Cross has provided Penrhyn islanders with life jackets.

Penrhyn chapter president Alex Maretapu said the provision of life jackets was deemed by Red Cross to be an essential safety measure for the islanders who are often using boats to fish or travel between the two settlements of Penrhyn – Omoka and Tetautu. The distance between the two villages is so vast that it takes one and half hours by boat ‘on a good day’ and has been described by Ben Mose, who was part of the ministerial party that travelled to Penrhyn, as being ‘more like an ocean than a lagoon’.

Cook Islands Red Cross risk reduction coordinator Repoama Samuel said each island is well stocked with basic emergency supplies such as tarpaulins, water bottles and other relief supplies. In the event of cyclones or other natural disasters, each island has immediate access to its own supplies and does not have to depend on outside help. The life jackets will become part of the basic supply stock on hand for emergency use.

The ultimate aim is to have a life jacket for everyone on the island with 40 life jackets ‘as a start’ and more jackets on order.

Red Cross has plans to do the same for Pukapuka and Nassau as well. Funding for the life jackets was provided by the government of Norway to the Red Cross worldwide via the world headquarters in Geneva and regional office in Fiji.

The ministerial delegation which travelled to Penrhyn to present the gifts was on an inspection tour of the various infrastructure projects in the northern group. Joining infrastructure and planning minister Teariki Heather were his chief executive Ben Mose, Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning acting secretary Donye Numa, financial secretary Richard Neves and national building controller Louis Teiti.

• MOIP/RR

A new printer will help World Association of Chefs Societies and Cook Islands Chefs Association foster relationships in Rarotonga. Those associations are represented by Sam Timoko and Tony Tou, far left and far right, with Ricoh’s South Pacific sales and marketing director Pradeep Nasayen, and CIPS’s Colin Burn and Marxin Paquis. 12022499

The chefs fraternity of Rarotonga have had a new printer served up to them on a platter after giving their old machine the chop last year.

For the Cook Islands Chefs Association, part of the World Association of Chefs Societies, printing easily makes up one of its biggest expenses. And printer trouble last year was proving to be on of its biggest headaches to boot.

But both those troubles have been sorted with one donation this year, coming from printer manufacturer Ricoh and Cook Islands Printing Services (CIPS).

The pair donated a new printer to the association this year, allowing it to print newsletters, certificates and the like where it once couldn’t.

Sam Timoko of the World Association of Chef Societies said the group had plans to bring out regular newsletters to help foster relations in its ranks – a plan that was unfeasible and virtually impossible without the machine.

Timoko said the association contacted CIPS seeking help and was lucky enough for it and Ricoh to come aboard.

CIPS’s Colin Burns said the company was all too happy to support the idea.

“This is just one of those ways that we thought we could help out and support this group,” he said.

The printer was officially handed over to the chefs association on Wednesday with Ricoh’s South Pacific sales and marketing director in town to join the presentation.

And its all in good timing too, this is the first time Pradeep Nasayen had been in the Cook Islands for three years.

• Eric Parnis

Rotary Cook Islands is to gift 250 pictorial dictionaries to Cook Islands students.

The dictionaries were developed by Rotary in New Zealand and Australia specifically for schools across the Pacific. The project for the Cook Islands was funded by Rotary Bay of Islands in New Zealand, and also Rotary Cook Islands.

First to receive the dictionaries, which will be named and gifted to individual students, are the Year 9 students of Rarotonga and Araura College in Aitutaki. As further shipments arrive they will be disseminated to other Year 9 students across the Cook Islands.

Rotary Cook Islands is meeting on Wednesday evening with Frank Leadley from Rotary Bay of Islands, education secretary Sharyn Paio, and New Zealand High Commissioner John Carter, to organise presentation and distribution of the dictionaries.

Rotary is hoping to sell the dictionaries to visitors to the Cook Islands as a form of fundraising to enable them to gift more dictionaries.

• RS

The final four H Factor contestants on stage last week and this coming Saturday the champion of the competition will be crowned. 12022740

The H Factor talent quest show carried on last Saturday despite a no-show by one of the contestants with some stunning performances seen and enjoyed by the crowd at Hidie’s Bar.

Despite Emma-Jean not being able to take to the stage, the show went on but meant that only one contestant could be eliminated on the night.

The top two contestants based on their performances last week were Tia-Maree Taikiika and Joseph Pakitoa – also the first two contestants to qualify for this Saturday’s grand finals of the H Factor.

The bottom three contestants Unarii, Peter and Teariki were then left to fight it out with their voices for the last spot.

Unfortunately Teariki left the competition, disappointing his loyal fans.

The four contestants to battle out the H Factor grand finals are Tia-Maree, Joseph, Peter and Unarii.They will each sing one Maori and one English song but they all need your votes this week as the votes received for Saturday’s performances will help determine who will become the H Factor champion for 2012.

So make sure to vote on 944 for champion of choice and remember that 10 cents from each vote goes to Te Kainga Mental Health to raise mental health awareness across the Cooks.

The Grand Final will begin at 7.45pm this Saturday at Hidie’s Bar. There will be a small $5 cover charge plus door prizes so make sure to be in early as this is the last and definitely the best time to check out the H Factor and the crowning of the talent quest champion.

Spicing up the night will be a number of performances by top Cook Islands entertainers – so don’t wait to read about it, get on down to Hidie’s Bar on Saturday and join the H Factor buzz.

Organisers of the event would liked to thank major sponsors, Hidie’s Bar, Bergman & Sons, CITV , Teura Studios and id.CK.

• MW/TN

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Peter puts some soul into his H Factor performance. 12022738

 

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Tia-Maree will be back on the H Factor stage next week for the grand finals of the talent quest show. 12022742

 

H Factor contestants Peter Pokipoki and Joseph Pakitoa in full song yesterday. 12022812

Sweet melodies soothed the souls of regular visitors to the Te Kainga Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre in Panama yesterday when the top four H Factor contestants visited with guitars in hand.

Top four H Factor talent quest contestants Peter Pokipoki, Joseph Pakitoa, Tia-Maree Takiika and Unarii Tafale entertained regular Te Kainga visitors with classic island melodies and a number of solo performances.

H Factor organiser Thomas Ngauru explained at the special gathering that the singers were not only showcasing why they’ve made the top four of the talent quest but also reiterate that Cook Islanders have huge potential and musical talents.

The melodies sung by the four singers, especially the old Rarotonga favourite ‘enua manea’, were enjoyed by all at the gathering who also joined in with the singing.

The grand finals of the H Factor will be held this Saturday at Hidie’s Bar in Avarua.

• Matariki Wilson

2011 Mire Atu composers competition champion and Takitumu School teacher Poti Maeva will be defending his title on Thursday when he and 11 other composers reveal their original compilations for the 2012 Mire Atu competition. 11030406

Biblical messages and songs dedicated to calling Cook Islanders home are the two popular themes new musical compilations have been based on at the 2012 Mire Atu composer’s competition to be held this Thursday, March 1.

Of the 12 composers entering new compilations for the 2012 competition, eight are first time composers and three are women song writers.

2011 defending champion Poti Maeva, representing Nassau, will be among the 12 composers in this year’s competition which also includes Ngatupuna Tei representing Tupapa, Pauline Teaata representing Araura Enua, Rire Mangere representing Pukapuka, Kathy George representing Atiu Enua, Mita Soatini representing Tongareva Henua, Peter Monga representing Vaka Puaikura, Tuaine Unuia representing Oire Avatiu, Tiri Trego Toa representing Mangaia, Tutai Teura representing Oire Avatiu, Doug Tetupuariki representing Vaka Takitumu and Hemi Enoka representing Oire Avarua.

Each composer has the option of singing their own compilation or having one of the island’s hottest singing talents perform for them.

Each compilation will be about seven minutes long and composers have the option of including a live band and backup singers.

The winner of Thursday’s composer’s competition will walk away with $2000 with second place collecting $1500 while the third placed compilation will receive $1000.

Tickets for the night, touted to be a fantastic evening of original Cook Islands compilations, are on sale now at the Ministry of Cultural Development in Tupapa at $5 for kids aged between six and 12 and $10 for adults.

Tickets will also be available at the door on the night.

• Matariki Wilson

Telecommunications minister Mark Brown has convened a meeting of the telecommunications industry – providers, retailers and associations of users – to discuss its future.

Originally scheduled to be held at his office, the venue was yesterday changed to Telecom Cook Islands headquarters in Parekura. Billed as an ‘informal forum’, the meeting is scheduled to take place between 1.30pm and 4pm today.

Joining Brown at the meeting’s helm will be one of Telecom New Zealand’s new directors, Mark Beder. Brown met with Beder in Wellington early this month, and both decided to hold an industry meeting in Rarotonga for those who “would be interested in exploring wholesale opportunities”, Telecom Cook Islands chief executive Jules Maher explained.

Also sitting in on the meeting will be a specialist in technical design and a lawyer, both of whom are affiliated with Telecom New Zealand.

Maher says the meeting is targeted at those parties which are keen to “work with Telecom to expand the industry and fill the gaps”.

“The minister is inviting people to come up with practical suggestions as to how they might like to become involved and partner with Telecom.

“It’s up to them to come up with ideas, they might say “here’s a gap in the market that Telecom is not filling, and this is how we think we can help”.

Maher says Telecom Cook Islands is looking forward to partnering with members of the community who have a vested interest in telecommunications.

“We’ve said from the beginning we can’t do everything. The IT industry is very thin here and we are hoping to explore opportunities for cooperation. At the end of the day it’s about how do we cooperatively work to serve the ICT requirements of the country?”

Invitations were distributed to 12 parties on Friday afternoon, among them Bill Carruthers, William Framhein, Pua Hunter, Robert Matheson, Tofinga Aisake and Maureen Hilyard.

Private businesses Sky TV, Summerfield Systems and The Computer Man were also invited, as was the Cook Islands Internet Action Group.

“I am aware of your strong interest in telecommunications and/or ICT. As minister of telecommunications it is my duty to ensure the industry is working as effectively as possible to meet the needs of the Cook Islands, so I would like you to join me and other interested people to explore some ideas,” Brown’s invitation reads.

The meeting agenda includes discussion of potential “wholesale opportunities” for local individuals and businesses keen to partner with Telecom, and a presentation from Telecom Cook Islands outlining the current telecommunications environment and the company’s expectations for change within the next 24 months.The Cook Islands Internet Action Group called a last-minute meeting yesterday to discuss the issues it most wanted aired this afternoon.

President Maureen Hilyard said her objective in calling the pre-meeting meeting was to “determine a united stand on what it is we want to be pushing”. The Cook Islands Internet Action Group is hoping to initiate a discussion around amending the Cook Islands’ telecommunications bill, which it considers outmoded.

As far as Maher knows, the bill is not on the agenda.

For his part, Framhein does not have high hopes for this afternoon’s meeting. He says the agenda is vague, and doubts that his concerns will be properly addressed. Framhein is still smarting from Telecom Cook Islands’ rejection of his request to lease two of its fibre-optic strands on Rarotonga.

“Whatever Telecom says tomorrow in terms of wanting to offer wholesale rights, the fact is they don’t even want to let us lease two fibre strands. I didn’t know they were earning so much money that they can turn business away. Whatever Telecom proposes tomorrow I’m not going believe until they actually do it,” Framhein said.

Telecom Cook Islands reportedly rejected his proposal on the basis that he has not met all licensing requirements. Framhein is adamant that he has.

• Rachel Reeves

Grower and emcee Danny Mataroa is campaigning for a festival he plans to launch next February. Dubbed Mata-Ariki, the festival will be a celebration of the harvest, local agriculture, and Cook Islands culture and dance. Mataroa says February is the ‘worst month’ for both growers and hoteliers and his vision is to run a festival in February – boosting tourism numbers and benefiting the growers whose produce tourists consume. Mataroa’s media campaign to promote Mata-Ariki labels March as the month of the banana. 12022714

According to Danny Mataroa, growers and hoteliers have at least one thing in common – a dread of February.

Mataroa has a finger in both pies – agriculture and tourism – and desperately wants to give them a bit of a boost in their February lulls.

“February is the worst month for growers and for tourism – there aren’t many in the hotels, the hotel workers get laid off or less days,” he said. “The growers suffer in this month, too. They take a whole truckload to the Punanga Nui market to sell and bring it all home.”

For about five years his proposal to run a February harvest festival lay dormant with government ministries, so this year he took the initiative and is working hard to bring it to life.

Mataroa has been meeting with growers, government and Cook Islands Tourism to discuss his plan, and has had overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Should all go according to plan – and should enough funding materialise – the Cook Islands can expect to celebrate Mata-Ariki Festival in February 2013.

Mata-Ariki is an all-rolled-into-one festival simultaneously celebrating the harvest and local fruits, and Cook Islands culture and dance.

Mataroa has liaised with local growers, and even has an official letter of support from the Arorangi Producers Association.

President William Pera agrees with Mataroa that February is a tough month for selling produce.

“In February nobody will eat our produce,” he said. “We support the festival because (it’s about) getting more tourists to come and eat what we (produce).”

Already Minister of Tourism Teina Bishop and Minister of Agriculture Nandi Glassie have voiced their support for Mata-Ariki and have promised to back the idea in Cabinet discussions.

Multiple times Mataroa has met with Metua Vaiimene of Cook Islands Tourism, who reports that the board was “impressed” with Mata-Ariki, and he has also presented his proposal to Maureen Hilyard of the New Zealand High Commissioner”s Office, BTIB chief executive Terry Rangi, Cook Islands Workers Association president Anthony Turua and Zumba instructor Franky Browne.

Following a radio talkback with Paara Pitomaki during which Mataroa discussed Mata-Ariki, culture secretary Sonny Williams rang to express his support.

Mataroa intends to continue waging his campaign, seeking funding to back up the detailed programme he has already drawn up.

According to that programme, the festival will run from February 13 to 15. It will fall on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, to accommodate tourists from Los Angeles who would arrive on the direct flight on a Monday morning.

The draw for North American tourists to visit the Cook islands in February would be two-pronged – Mata-Ariki first of all, and second the chance to escape a cold winter.

The Tuesday start of the festival kicks off with a float parade, featuring floats crafted to resemble local fruits – mango, banana, nita, starfruit, mangaatua, oranges, passion fruit, nu and akari and vanilla.

One float will be bearing Miss Mata-Ariki – the 30-plus winner of a competition in her black pearls and mu’umu’u. Mataroa says the beauty contest will be a chance to glorify those “quiet achievers” in the community who are not eligible for Miss Tiare or Miss Cook Islands. Part of Tuseday’s programme will involve growers delivering part of their atinga to the disabled and infirmed, and to Rarotonga’s ariki.

Mataroa wants the festival to celebrate both Cook Islands dance and Cook Islands-infused dance like Zumba. On Tuesday, to give the festival a bit of a kick, he envisions a street Zumba party. He wants to close the main road from the Avarua roundabout to Ravi”s and stage a Zumba parade.

Edgewater Resort & Spa has already agreed to host a cocktail party that evening, and an island night with music by Tara Kauvai.

Wednesday – market day – will be a big day for the growers. Mataroa envisages a competition for the biggest fruit or vegetable, local cooking demonstrations, a tractor-ploughing competition, a flower arrangement competition, lectures and workshops on organic growing, ukulele workshops, drumming lessons with Jon Jonassen, farm visits and Zumba in the Muri lagoon.

He has also planned for the day to end with an atinga on Tinomana’s marae at Highland Paradise.

Thursday (incidentally, also Valentine’s Day) will be the final day of the festival. It will open with a fashion show and competition featuring Mrs or Ms Mata-Ariki in her pearls, and feature a coconut-tree-climbing competition and a coconut-husking competition for locals and the odd brave tourist.

Also on Thursday will be a tree-planting competition, dance competitions and a closing kaikai with entertainment by local artists, Harry Tumupu, Korero Maori and Orama. The festival will end with fireworks.

Mataroa has already budgeted for such incidentals as providing growers with liquid food and manure to prepare their crop ahead of the festival. He has a comprehensive media campaign planned, and intends to focus on a different fruit each month of the year in anticipation of Mata-Ariki. His media plan includes promotion through all local media, television documentaries focusing on fruit and even a Facebook page.

He says that not only will Mata-Ariki revive the tradition of atinga, or the offering of firstfruits, but it will increase visitor numbers and therefore boost growers’ sales.

Mataroa says that celebration of the harvest and atinga of firstfruits will “put the Cook Islands in (God’s) good books” – meaning the great provider will see to it that Mata-Ariki is a success.

• Rachel Reeves

Lawrence Timpson is looking forward to returning to the Cook Islands for his wedding later this year. 12022487

Christchurch earthquake hero Lawrence Timpson enjoyed his visit to the Cook Islands so much he can’t wait to return for his wedding.

Timpson is one of 82 earthquake heroes who have been to the Cook Islands to enjoy a well deserved break from the quake zone in Christchurch.

“I didn’t really know what to expect. So when I got here and found out what the programme was it was a real surprise. I’ve loved every minute.”

The hero programme is an initiative of the Cook Islands government and has been supported by businesses in Rarotonga and Aitutaki, providing the heroes and their partners with an eight day all expenses paid holiday.

Timpson co-ordinated traffic flows in Christchurch. After the earthquake he worked seven day weeks for months on end. In the days that followed the February 22 earthquake the streets were clogged with bumper to bumper traffic as routes through the city were blocked by debris or unsafe.

“February was chaos. The work was very reactive. Normally we plan for days how to manage traffic movement and all of a sudden we have to make decisions within hours and minutes. We had to think outside the square.

“Suddenly we had to put into place systems so that we had people on call 24 hours a day. I worked most weekends. After a while the stress just builds up.

“I didn’t realise how stressful it was until I came here.”

Although Timpson placed a high value on friends and family, the earthquake put pressure on his relationships.

“You check that your family is okay and then you do your work. But you get so involved in the work and helping others that you don’t give your family the time you need.”

The work also affected the way he responded to people.

“You watch so many lives being destroyed. You become less sensitive and learn to deal with people differently.

“Part of our work was co-ordinating with engineers and closing off streets. Closing off an area meant destroying somebody’s business. You really understand how they are feeling but at the same time you need to look after the public’s safety.”

Ultimately, the long hours, the constant aftershocks and stress started to show.

“We were thinking of leaving Christchurch. Being here we have been able to look at things differently. It’s helped us recharge and understand how important it is to return.”

Not only did Timpson doubt about his future in Christchurch, but also with his girlfriend.

“The last few months have been really hard on me and my girlfriend.

“Coming over here has given us the chance to take time out and focus on ourselves. It’s shown us that family is what counts.

“We’re coming back for our wedding.”

• Peter Campbell

Pa Marie Ariki holds up a brochure detailing the vision of her proposed wellness clinic at the Mata Enua palace. 12022485

Pa Marie Ariki has spoken of her vision to run a wellness clinic out of her Mata Enua palace, and now she’s doing the legwork to make it happen.

Recently she met with minister of health Nandi Glassie, director of community health services Dr Rangi Fariu and nutritionist Karen Tairea – all of whom are supportive of her plans and view the wellness clinic as complementary to the ministry’s strategy.

Pa Ariki has created brochures which detail her vision, and feature her personal logo and the tikitiki tangata motif to symbolise the bringing together of her people.

She plans to distribute them to relevant stakeholders, including the ministries of culture and education – meetings with which are next on her list.

Pa Marie Ariki wants to use her influence to convince the ministry of education to implement a school nutrition policy, which bans the sale of all fizzy drinks and promotes the sale of nu instead.

She also wants to approach the ministry of culture about supporting an ‘indigenous food expo’ she plans to host at the palace in August to coincide with the Pacific Islands Forum.

She says Glassie has promised to allocate her some time to speak to Forum leaders. She intends to invite them to the expo so as to showcase Cook Islands foods and therefore promote healthy living and diets based on traditional Pacific staples rather than imported packaged foods.

The Takitumu chief is also looking to run a low-cost ‘indigenous cooking class’ out of the palace. Already she has secured the support of the Cook Islands Chefs Association, and wants to collaborate with them to revive cooking classes centred on ‘real local food’ – not imported dishes like mayonnaise and chop suey, but nutritional meals based on fish and fresh vegetables.

She wants a return to the Cook Islands’ nutritional heyday, in which lollies were a luxury and kids picked menemene for dessert.

Her focus at the clinic is on prevention. She acknowledges that there are cures for diseases like diabetes, but deems it better and more cost-effective to nip them in the bud before they develop.

“Our people go and get pills and go home – they’re never told how to eat or exercise,” she said. “I want to help my people because I know there is prevention. Our people need to change their eating habits.”

She feels it is her constitutional duty to promote healthy living in the Cook Islands.

“I’m not a doctor but I care about my people,” she said. “I have to do this.”

• Rachel Reeves

Keen youngsters and adults watch a real life surgery at the Esther Honey animal clinic in Nikao on Saturday. 12022032

Great fun was had by all at the ‘Esther Honey Party’ to honour World Spey Day, and help raise funds for – and awareness of – the continued free veterinary treatment and neutering for Cook Islands dogs and cats.

Over the course of the afternoon, about 50 children turned up to cuddle some kittens and meet our stray dogs, have their face painted, learn about Esther Honey and play endless games.

With the heat on the day, all the best intentions of organised games quickly dissolved into one huge water fight.

But after a few ice creams and other treats, they were quickly encouraged back to skip-rope and tug of war!

Some were a little too squeamish to watch the cat spey that was performed by one of our vets, but a few very keen children and adults alike watched in wonder as it took 20 minutes to significantly change the life of one cat, and also the stray population on the island.

It was a great opportunity to remind people that one male cat and one female cat, plus their offspring’s offspring and so on can produce 420,000 kittens over seven years!

Yes, that number is right! Please, bring your dogs and cats in for de-sexing!

It costs you nothing and every one we do makes a huge difference.

Thanks to all who stopped in to help us continue our mission here as the only provider of veterinary care or animal services in the Cook Islands.

Another great way to support us is to get in quick for your raffle tickets – visit the clinic, our stall in town or our website to check out the amazing prizes that could help us and help you at the same time! Its drawn this week so don’t miss out.

And remember, we are free and always here, so please don’t hesitate to visit us in Nikao or ask questions!

• EHF

Time is running out for purchases of the yearly Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic raffle, which is to be drawn on Thursday 1 March.

There is an array of fabulous prizes to be won including a two-night stay at the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, an original artwork by Loretta Reynolds, a stunning black pearl pendant from Bergman & Sons and much more.

Proceeds of the raffle will be used for the continued provision of free veterinary care to all animals of the Cook Islands, with 97 percent of all proceeds at EHF guaranteed to go directly to animal services.

EHF is actively involved in maintaining a humane population control programme through its spey/neutering service for which donations are gratefully accepted. Funds will also be put towards further development of a community education and outreach programme.

Ticket sales are not going as well as the clinic would like with 300 sold so far, and Jessica Moore-Jones says ticket buyers ‘are in with a pretty good chance’.

Tickets are $8 each or $20 for three and can be purchased from the clinic in Nikao, or call the clinic on 22336 to reserve at ticket.

Results will be published in the Cook Island News on Friday March 2.

• Rachel Smith

Paul Allsworth. 08122203

While he’s got a heavy workload ahead, Paul Allsworth is moving into his new job with enthusiasm and confidence.

Buoyed by government’s appropriation of $40,000 to parliamentary services for the establishment of its new select committee support services unit, he looks forward to ‘cleaning up’ parliamentary procedure.

Allsworth is heading parliament’s new governance and oversight services unit, which will facilitate the work of select committees and report back to the finance and expenditure committee.

The government chose Allsworth for the job on account of his qualifications, background and experience as the Cook Islands’ auditor-general.

On behalf of parliament, the unit will review prepared budgets, crown accounts, audit reports and annual reports.

“This will lift the bar in terms of parliamentary governance,” he said. “My task is to improve governance and accountability within parliament through several means, with the assistance and cooperation of government,” Allsworth said.

Often audit reports are tabled and shoved to the side because members of parliament have no time to pore over them, so Allsworth’s unit will be responsible for screening those audits and highlighting the key issues that parliament should investigate and discuss.

The governance and oversight unit, then, will give parliament some direction in terms of whether to call certain heads of ministries to account, for example.

Allsworth will also be responsible for scrutinising all annual reports submitted by government-owned entities – only six of which currently provide annual reports to parliament.

Whilst they might be reporting ‘internally’ to the public service commissioner, they are not reporting to parliament – the body which granted them their budget allocations.

“The establishment of this unit within parliament will improve the stewardship of public resources by parliament on behalf of taxpayers,” Allsworth said.

He added that the unit will lift the standard of transparency and accountability, thereby improving the Cook Islands’ relationships with international donor agencies.

“This is something really positive. It’s part of the accountability cycle, and improves our domestic standards and allows us to comply with international standards.”

In parliament last week finance minister Mark Brown applauded government for approving the budget appropriation to Allsworth’s new office, noting that the Cook Islands is the first in the region to establish such a division.

“As I mentioned earlier in my speech this is an attempt by government to increase openness and transparency of government and parliamentary oversight into our audit and financial management,” Brown said in parliament.

“The audit office reports directly to parliament, however we’ve seen in the past audit reports that sit in parliament sit for months and become irrelevant due to parliament not having sat.

“Many of them do not reach their logical conclusion and recommendations in these reports are either not followed or totally ignored.

“The establishment of our public accounts committee within parliament will provide a point of receipt, if you like, for these audit reports and this select committee will have the authority to p release the report to public, recommend that recommendations be carried out or hold the report for tabling in parliament.

“However it’s pointless having a select committee of this nature without providing them with the support required for members of parliament to fully understand audit reports and also to fully understand financial reports tabled before them.

“I myself would have great difficulty in understanding many of my financial and audit reports without the staff I have that provide that service to me – if we seek to improve openness and transparency of our parliament in their work we must back that up with support services to help them.

“I’m very happy that Cook Islands is the first in the region to implement such a service in their parliament,” Brown said.

• Rachel Reeves

Although there is not much observable progress at the site of the Arorangi cruise ship jetty, the project’s managers say the development is progressing steadily behind the scenes.

Designs for the jetty are currently undergoing a peer-review to test the constraints of the design and safety of the structure being proposed.

Included in the testing are computer programmes that are designed to test how wave patterns and sea swells will impact on the jetty. Ports Authority general manager Nooroa ‘Bim’ Tou said the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC) has been called in to provide assistance with wave modelling for the review.

Tou said the peer-review was a necessary and important part of the designing of the jetty because it provided a chance to critically examine and test the safety and practicality of the design. He said once that was complete, the project manager and construction company could enter final negotiations on the supply and construction of the jetty. At the jetty site, which neighbours the Arorangi Primary School, preparatory work has already begun.

A sceptic tank has been relocated to make way for the new construction and an access road along the southern boundary of the school has been constructed.

It was hoped that the jetty construction would begin over the summer school holiday period to help limit the impact on classes at Arorangi school.

Despite that hope not eventuating, Tou said the project was still on track to be completed on its original timeline.

• Eric Parnis

Government must place greater emphasis on renewable energy, Mitiaro MP Tangata Vavia said in parliament last week.

“Time and time again we have been reminded of the increase in the cost of fuel. As of yesterday the cost of a barrel of oil on the world market was $US 105, and the worse thing was, it is climbing.”

Vavia said that the electricity tariffs the people on Mitiaro pay were some of the highest in the country with commercial users being charged 95 cents per unit and domestic users facing prices of 75 cents.

“If we don’t get this moving fast enough, we will probably be expecting a higher tariff, not just for Mitiaro but for other islands too.”

Vavia said that the adoption of renewable energy could have a major effect on the Cook Islands as a whole.

“Most of the assistance for renewable energy is from aid donors. We need to support this solar energy programme, because of the value the solar energy, renewable energy programme”.

Vavia said that although some islands did have sufficient populations to support electricity plants, the drain of people from the islands to Rarotonga and overseas would put that ability to pay in doubt.

“We are running out of time.”

Vavia’s concern over the Cook Islands’ ability to pay for oil was raised earlier by Teenui-Mapumai MP Norman George who complained of a lack of foresight in the Air New Zealand contract. “We know that the Middle East is unstable. Iran is halting sales to the Europe. This is going to cause fuel prices to increase.”

• Peter Campbell

New legislation to alter the rules for contempt of court will be examined by a select committee.

The committee will be headed by Prime Minister Henry Puna, with leader of the opposition Wilkie Rasmussen chosen as deputy chairman. Vaipeka-Vaipae-Tautu MP Mona Ioane,Avatiu-Ruatonga-Atupa-Palmerston MP John Henry and Teenui-Mapumai MP Norman George will be on the committee.

The bill was a recommendation of the Law Society and prepared by the Ministry of Justice.

“Under this bill, if you fail to pay a loan and refuse a court order to pay it, you will be found in contempt of court,” said Puna when introducing the bill to parliament last Wednesday.

“The court has the power to penalise you with a maximum fine of $50,000 or 200 hours community service. It is simply the criminalisation of debts.”

Puna admitted that there were local lawyers that were concerned by the Law Society’s recommendations and that the Chief Justice also had his own opinions concerning the proposed changes.

“One particular problem that we have in the Cook Islands is that our lands are being taken over by the banks.

“I suspect this bill could be used to give the banks the authority to take over our lands. In some cases the banks are unloading loans knowing that our people cannot pay.”

Puna urged members of the public to take an interest in the legislation as it could have a dramatic effect in the country.

Speaking to CINews after parliament, Puna said that the legislation may be not benefit anyone. “If you cannot pay a loan, what good does having the court order you pay, do? Subjecting people to contempt laws will not help.”

• PC

The Cook Islands Parliament has been chosen as one of the priority focus areas for Australia and United Nations aid programmes in coming years.

Tangata Vainerere of the Pacific Legislatures for Population and Governance (PLPG) last week explained that a man by the name of Russell Shaffer came from Western Australia to Rarotonga recently for a ‘scoping exercise’. Vainerere was involved because his office works closely with the parliament of Western Australia, which offers its support to certain Pacific countries.

Following his visit Shaffer announced that the Cook Islands Parliament is one of the ‘priority recipients of support’ from his government.

• Rachel Reeves

Avatea Primary School head girl Sinano Vaeau and head boy Michael Wood vow to be positive role models for their fellow students. 12022412

Being a prefect doesn’t mean being the boss of the rest of the students of the school.

These were the words of newly appointed Avatea Primary School head boy Michael Wood at the school’s prefect induction ceremony on Friday.

“A prefect is a role model – we set a good example by coming to school early, showing respect for our teachers and peers, taking responsibility for our actions and behaviour and many other positive aspects that help us become good leaders for tomorrow,” said Wood.

Wood was one of 22 students at Avatea inducted as school leaders in front of a packed school hall.

He added that this year prefects will be aiming to work together with teachers to improve the attitudes and behaviour of students at Avatea.

In her speech, head girl Sinano Vaeau, speaking in her native Tongareva (Penrhyn) tongue, acknowledged the huge responsibility that comes with being head girl.

“Ko au te upoko tamahine of Avatea – nooatu ra te reira, te ngakauparau nei au e te sakasaka o toku vaerua no teia ngateitei tei tukuhia mai kiau, e te akapapu atu nei au e ka rave au i teia e ko te Atua toku tauturu.”

Her riveting speech ended with a rousing chant to hold on to our mother language and culture earning her a loud round of applause from the gathered guests including secretary of education Sharyn Paio.

“Kia mau te Selenga, kia mau te napenga, kia mau!”

Each of the 22 prefects was showered in ei by their family and friends before putting on a beautiful Cook Islands dance.

The school’s 2012 prefects are – Sinano Vaeau (head girl), Michael Wood (head boy), Tuvaine Taio (deputy head girl), Enua Fameitau (deputy head boy), Tetuanui Koteka, James Strickland, Jana Pureau, Jordin Manuela, Inano Pureau, Al Jermaine Epati, Kanoelani Wigmore, Phillip Tararo-Hosking, Moana Mata, William Napa, Tori Sosene, Rechimaer Rairoa, Teupoko Ariihee, Junior Nganu, Napa Tutavake, Temata Karika, Kehnady Pokoina and Jack Rimamotu.

• Matariki Wilson

Click to enlarge

Avatea School’s 22 prefects cheer for a positive year of learning and leadership at the school. 12022414

 

Tereora College head girl Maruia Willie in a garland of ei. 12022480

The current generation of Cook Islands leaders stopped by Tereora College on Friday to watch the next generation put their stamp on the school.

The college welcomed in its new leaders for 2012, taking in 38 students from the year 13 heads all the way through to peace ambassadors from the younger grades.

College heads Maruia Willie and Robert Heather both showed why they were chosen for their roles at the end of the investiture, giving impassioned speeches and stirring the students, teachers and parents watching on into rounds of applause and laughter for the efforts.

Heather’s speech was particularly memorable in the moments he shared some lessons learnt on the rugby pitch.

A staunch Arorangi man, Heather urged the school to be like bears in attitude, to the uproars of the packed out Princess Anne Hall.

“Don’t be like panthers, don’t be like eagles – be like bears,” he laughed.

The event’s special guests, which included the likes of Prime Minister Henry Puna, Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin and Minister of Education Teina Bishop, laughed along with the crowd at Heather’s gall.

In his speech, Puna said Tereora’s leaders were similar to those leaders currently in government, although the school’s leaders could still lay claim to being young in age as well as in spirit and outlook.

Using his time at the podium, Puna reflected on his stretch at Tereora in the early 1960s.

With no mobile phone or motorbikes to keep them occupied, Puna said it was usually the man who had a bicycle that got the girl.

Unfortunately, he said again to the uproars of the crowd, it wasn’t the case for him.

Puna’s speech also touched on a more serious issue that is gripping the nation and its youth at present – suicide.

Puna urged the students at Tereora to seize the moment and not let life’s troubles lead them down dark paths.

He said it was a tragedy that some youth were turning to suicide in their troubled times and he invited all those present to raise their voice on the issue.

Puna also called on parents to get back in touch with their children.

“As one parent said to me recently, we are the parents of yesterday trying to deal with the children of tomorrow,” Puna said.

“... Life is what you make of it,” he told the students, “and whatever you want to make of it your parents and your government are here to help.” - EP

College prefects

Head Boy - Robert Heather, Head Girl - Maruia Willie; Deputy Head Boy - Tuaine Unuia, Deputy Head Girl - Karliean Mataroa;

Outer Islands Prefects - Werner Tschan, Tapita Toroma;

Prefects - James Cargill, Andrew Purua, Iaveta Karika, Fredrick Pickering, Ieremia Tuteru, Tearoa Kairua, Susan Ben, Rima Browne, Mereani Tuteru, Iva Vakalalabure.

Student councillors

Year 13 - George Isamaela, Tuakana Tauira, Ruanne Thomas, Natalia Joseph, Vikki Rakei, Rex Atirai, Rivaka (Gamaliela) Aitau, Peuana Unuka, Tearoa Ngamata;

Year 12 - Ree Rangi Takatainga Marsters;

Year 11 - Stephanie Nooroa, Niroa Kamana.

Year 10 - Moeroa Ben, VaNic Teina.

Year 9 - Paiere Mokoroa, Nadtazkia Puna.

Peace ambassadors

Tokoa Van Dongen, Mary Manea, Jan-Dawn Taia, Samantha Haramoana, Teau Paratea.

Click to enlarge

Leaders young and old gather at Tereora College for the school’s prefect investiture on Friday. Photo Jason Green 12022482

 

Cook Islands’ Director of International Affairs Dallas Young (centre) consults with Marshallese officials in Majuro. 12022323

Cook Islander Dallas Young has been chosen by the government of the Marshall Islands to be part of a peer review programme in Majuro.

As director of international affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Young has been part of a team reviewing processes of budgeting, planning and development in the Marshall Islands.

“We have much to share and learn in return,” Young has said of her experience.

“There are a lot of things that I think we can share government to government. I’m quite excited about being involved in this exercise and being supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.”

Young added: “Nothing’s perfect in any of the governments of the Pacific, I think. My expectation of this exercise is to share some of the good work that we’ve been doing in the Cook Islands over the last few years and see whether it is possible to easily translate this to other island settings.

“We’ve come up with some new initiatives, especially in the budget area that I can share with the Marshall Islands, but I also look forward to learning from them as well.”

Young looks forward to learning from other peer reviewers, including Colin Tavi from Vanuatu who has significant experience with monitoring and evaluating aid.

“Vanuatu has an actual dedicated unit for monitoring and evaluating outcomes and development effectiveness. This is something we don’t have in the Cook Islands, so it’s also been quite interesting for me to learn from him, so I can take these experiences back to the Cook Islands.”

The peer review team also includes Mosese Qasenivalu, monitoring and evaluation expert from the United Nations System in Suva.

“I would recommend this exercise to every other Pacific island and to other public sector professionals passionate about systematic improvements to development systems,” Young said.

“For the Marshall Islands, they are just about to develop their national development plan, so I think it’s very timely that they’ve asked the countries in the region to come and help them to review their processes to strengthen them.”

Development coordination in the Marshall Islands is becoming an increasing area of attention, with the primary donor, the United States of America, providing at least $57 million annually until 2023.

The gross domestic product of the Marshall Islands is derived mainly from payments made by the United States under the terms of the Compact of Free Association (COFA). COFA defines the relationship that each of three sovereign states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau, have entered into as associated states with the United States.

US aid accounts for approximately 61.3 percent of the Marshall Islands’ annual budget.

“As the Marshall Islands approaches 2023, they need to be looking at how they can effectively channel donor partner support, increasing sustainable private sector-led growth, and reducing recurrent expenditure where possible,” Young said.

“There are things that we have done in the Cook Islands, such as economic and fiscal forecasting, and how we take on medium-term budgeting frameworks, that I think I’ll be able to share with those here and add value at that end.

“We currently have an aid management unit in the Ministry of Finance, and with the move to budget support across the region, countries want to be more in control of the money that they receive. I think generally finance is the place where there are a lot of strong systems for public financial management and accountability to channel and process development assistance.”

The peer review in the Marshall Islands concluded last week, following consultations with ministers and officials in central planning and financial management agencies and key service delivery agencies (eg education and health), representatives of key development partners, representatives of non-government organisations and the private sector, among others.

Their advice will be sent to the government of the Marshall Islands and development partners for consideration and reported to Pacific Islands Forum Leaders at this year’s Forum.

Nauru and Kiribati were the first to undergo peer reviews in 2010, followed by Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Niue in 2011.

• Release/RR

The desalination unit can be folded away to help protect it against adverse weather. 12022109

Cook Islands permanent resident and engineer Manfred Foertsch looking over plans of the innovative desalination unit that he says could benefit the outer islands. 12022107

Communities in the pa enua susceptible to experiencing water shortages would benefit from a German innovation that couples solar power with salt removal from ocean water, according to former Te Aponga Uira outer islands director Manfred Foertsch.

Foertsch, a German national and Cook Islands permanent resident who is currently back on Rarotonga, said new solar-powered miniature desalination units designed in Germany are now being used in areas of Africa.

From his close contact with the company and the people behind the idea, some of whom he considers friends, Foertsch said he reckoned the units could be introduced to the Cook Islands’ outer islands to great affect.

Having visited every one of the pa enua, Foertsch said he has seen firsthand the islands’ troubles in finding freshwater and keeping supplies on hand during the dry seasons.

The northern group of islands are particularly susceptible to water shortages during the winter dry season.

This year, for example, strict water rationing was introduced across much of the northern group and people in Penrhyn were using coconuts for drinking water at stages.

The southern group of islands aren’t immune to suffering through similar problems, too.

Sports people taking part in the Manea Games at Mangaia last year were shrouded in clouds of dust during outdoors competition as the island’s water levels plunged thanks to a particularly dry winter.

Foertsch said the desalination units, which are called Desalin and are produced by German company Moerk, would help alleviate those troubles at the islands.

The systems can produce about 100 litres of drinking water an hour and can use water sourced from the islands’ lagoons to supply drinking water for about 600 people.

They cost about 45,000 euro (NZ$71,000) to purchase and can be installed using local labourers.

The units use only renewable energy to function and do not draw any power from mains electricity.

They are about four-and-a-half metres tall and can be secured in the event of tropical cyclones to help protect the systems from bad weather.

The systems use reverse osmosis to desalinate water, with the membrane expected to last about seven years and the entire system about 25 in total.

Foertsch said he simply wanted to make people aware of the options available to them.

He said with the cost to install and run the units comparatively cheap compared to similar units, it may be an easy task for islands to bring together grants to pay for a unit. “Or the people of the island could even invest in the units themselves,” Foertsch suggested.

Foertsch spent 17 years in the Cook Islands including eight at TAU after coming to the country from Germany through South Africa.

Since 2007, Foertsch has been travelling the world as a lecturer, delivering seminars in countries as diverse as Bulgaria, Tanzania and Iran.

He returns to the Cook Islands each year, and plans on spending about three months here during his current visit.

More information on the desalination units can be found at www.moerkwater.com which provides details in both German and English.

• Eric Parnis

Making New Zealand’s superannuation portable so people living in the Cook Islands can access their pension is a complex issue and will be examined in time, according to New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully.

McCully said New Zealand was not breaking a promise made to the Cook Islands when he announced last week that the portability plan would be shelved for the time being.

“There are complex issues around it, but it is something that I think deserves a solid look, and it is going to receive that,” Radio New Zealand International reported McCully as saying this week.

“That’s why we’ve done so much work on it to date. It’s not just an issue that affects the Cook Islands, of course, it affects other countries in the Pacific. Some of them are realm states and some of them are not, so it makes it more complicated than otherwise would be the case.”

While in Rarotonga last week, McCully said New Zealand would be focusing its expenditure on helping Christchurch recover from earthquakes that shattered the city in September 2010 and February 2011.

But the man spearheading New Zealand pensioners’ fight to gain access to their allowance while living in the Cook Islands says that excuse is a cop-out.

Les Priest, an 80-year-old coming on 81 who lives in Rarotonga, said that McCully was reneging on his word to have the issue dealt with last year.

Priest also rejected the idea that the issue would have to be deferred because of the economic impact of the Christchurch earthquakes.

“The major Christchurch earthquake occurred in February last year and three months later in May, when Mr McCully announced that the New Zealand super would be available to residents here in a couple of months, the New Zealand government must have been acutely aware that there would be substantial financial commitment involved in the restoration of the city, but this fact was never alluded to by Mr McCully at the time,” Priest said, adding that his comments came with full respect for McCully.

“It is only after nine months of inaction by New Zealand that, when challenged, Mr McCully cited the earthquake aftermath cost as the reason for taking the super issue off the table.

“We therefore still contend that the New Zealand government is reneging on its obligations to its senior citizens in the Cooks. “Using the Christchurch restoration cost as an excuse for forestalling the portability process is, in our view, an expedient cop-out.”

Priest said there were about 80 New Zealander pensioners in the Cook Islands who were missing out on their pension by living here.

He said there would also be numerous more Cook Islanders who were eligible to receive a New Zealand pension that were not speaking up on the issue for shyness.

Priest said successive New Zealand governments had been procrastinating on the issue for 19 years and, by the looks of things, he said pensioners in the Cook Islands should expect to wait a little longer.

• Eric Parnis

The government and the people of the Cook Islands received a surprising and slightly worrying notice from Air New Zealand this month when it warned that the underwrite being provided by the country to secure flights to Australia and the United States would rise to an estimated $12.5 million for the financial year.

Until this month, the government has been working with estimations that it would cost about $8 million to guarantee that flights are flown each week to Los Angeles and Sydney.

But early in February, Air New Zealand told the government the cost could be higher – about $4.5 million higher – than expected due to a dramatic increase in fuel costs over the last year.

The rise was enough to put the budget from a surplus into a deficit for the year and have the public wondering if the cost was worth it.

One of the biggest questions being asked by the general public is how high can that price go before it is considered too much? What’s the ‘trigger figure’ that would force the Cook Islands to pull out of the agreement?

Since government announced the increase, Cook Islands News put those questions to Minister for Finance and Economic Management Mark Brown, the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation’s chief executive officer Carmel Beattie and board chairman Ewan Smith.

No exact figure was given to the question, although Brown said that as long as the flights provided a positive boost to the Cook Islands (read: the tourists coming here spend more than was spent on getting them here) the flights made good economic sense.

Beattie said the corporation would be doing all it could to try and reduce that estimated $12.5 million figure before the bill is passed on to government.

That, she said, would happen by making sure the flights are as full as they can be and by continuing to attract people to the Cook Islands.

Beattie said that it was important to note that the bill has not yet come and there was still a chance to have it reduced below $12.5 million.

This point is based on the fact that the figure effectively represents the difference between the amount it costs Air New Zealand to run the flights and the amount the airline makes from airfares, freight and other income.

Basically, the Cook Islands contracts the flight to run and pays for the operation of the flights. If it didn’t, Air New Zealand would not fly the flights.

Smith explained the government underwrite as this: while the flights are not a commercially feasible for the airline, they are an economically viable for the Cook Islands as a whole.

But when would they become unviable?

The vague answer is when they cost about $20 million in total.

When the government was only underwriting the Los Angeles flight, it estimated that the ceiling for that flight would be about $10 million.

That ceiling is not something that the government or the tourism industry in general would like to consider.

Instead, the government will look at how it can streamline its operations here and how it can encourage more people from Australia and the Northern Hemisphere to visit the Cook Islands.

The industry will work on this point with them, offering deals and incentives to help attract more tourists and visitors to our shores.

Beattie said the corporation and government are not resting on the fact that we are underwriting these flights but always looking at alternatives, such as other airlines who may wish to fly – which she says is a long shot – and working with Air New Zealand to ensure the most streamlined of operations to deliver the best result on fares, freight, visitor numbers and operational costs.

If the worst does happen and the Cook Islands is presented with a bill it finds unviable, there is a way out.

Minister Brown said that the Cook Islands is not bound to pay ever-increasing bills to guarantee the flights and there was a way out if it needed to be taken.

With about three months’ notice to Air New Zealand, the Cook Islands can cancel its underwrite for the flights.

But there is no indication from anywhere in government that it intends to do so at this stage – particularly with the traditional high season of travel just about on us.

• Eric Parnis

At least 20 youth from the southern group of islands will join 100 young adults from Rarotonga to share their views, opinions, concerns and practical solutions with each other at a youth forum next month to help overcome the challenges facing their age group.

A steering group charged with organising the forum, which is aiming to take the issue of suicide head on, yesterday confirmed it would be held on Tuesday, March 13.

With $30,000 in government funding this week set aside for the forum, this will bring young people aged between 15 and 25 from Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mitiaro, Mauke and Rarotonga to discuss suicide and other issues.

A full programme and venue is expected to be confirmed shortly and the steering group is also responsible, through the Ministry of Education, for its $30,000 budget which will cover the costs of airfares, accommodation, transport, catering and venue hire as well as promotional activities and the production of resources for youth attending the forum.

Youth Forum 2012 steering group chair Vania Kenning said the forum would provide a ‘youth-centric’ space where young people can share their views, opinions, concerns and practical solutions with each other to help overcome the challenges they face today.

“As a result of coming together it is hoped that the discussions and sharing of our young people will provide the impetus and information to help establish tangible systems that support their needs,” she said.

This week the steering group will contact outer island representatives regarding the selection of young people to attend the forum.

“It is imperative that we get the right people here,” Kenning said.

“We want youth representatives from across the spectrum, including students selected by their schools and others who may or may not be in the workforce.”

Young students are involved in helping to develop a theme for the Forum, which will have a positive focus on living life abundantly.

“Although this initiative has come about because of recent events involving young people taking their lives, the emphasis of the forum is on supporting and maintaining the wellbeing of our young people by listening to them so the support provided will help them deal with and overcome the challenges of the world they are growing up in,” Kenning said.

She said the steering group members had been working very hard to get the forum up and running at short notice and were committed to ensuring that its momentum would be maintained beyond next month’s gathering.

“We want some sense of confidence and assurance that the ideas and results generated by the Forum are carried out and maintained after the forum – and that this is not perceived as just another talkfest or a one-off event.”

Members of the steering group include representatives of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Cook Islands National Youth Council, Ministry of Health, Cook Islands Police, Cook Islands Sports Academy and the Office of the Prime Minister.

• EP/Release

 

 




 

George George is mad mad

Sat
25 Feb

If it was food, George George wouldn’t be too upset.

But because thieves targeted electronic items, iPods, Playstations and other such toys and gadgets when they went through his house, George says he’s left feeling angry, disappointed and, perhaps worst of all, insulted.

After years of working with children and teenagers to help promote them in sport, schools and general life, George is left feeling enormously disappointed by whoever burgled his house this week.

After eight years of being problem free at his Takuvaine home, George said he has twice been burgled this week.

He said he’s sure the culprit knows who he is and knows that he is trusting with his community, which George said has been respectful in return up until this week. The missing items are all luxury goods – mostly electronics, mostly expensive and some containing precious family photos and videos.

They’re items that people simply do not need to live, which is what hurts George most.

“For someone to walk into my house and kids’ rooms and just take whatever they want shows there is no respect,” George said.

“I wouldn’t have minded if they walked in and took food from the fridge, but to take these things... I’ve been so depressed the last few days because of this.”

George said he and his family noticed on Tuesday afternoon that items were missing from their home and figured out that thieves must have visited twice in the days before.

Cook Islands Police have been notified but George said he hoped the community would get on board and try to crack down on problem youth.

George said parents must notice if their children all of a sudden have new electronics, mobile phones and similar items. He calls on those parents to be brave and confront their children or let the police know.

“I think if parents know their children are stealing things and let them get away with it, they are just as bad as the thieves themselves,” George said.

He still hopes to get his goods back and is asking the thieves to do the right thing and return his items.

To the thieves friends, George is offering a $100 reward to anyone that will be able to point him in the direction of the perpetrator. Call him on 55898.

• Eric Parnis

 




 

Big shoes to fill in 2012 pageant

Sat
25 Feb

Maine Tapairu Joyana Meyer, Miss Cook Islands Engara Gosselin and Maine Purotu Uirangi Bishop have set a high standard for this year’s pageant contestants.  09040601

The Miss Cook Islands Pageant dates for 2012 have been confirmed.

The final night of the pageant will take place in the National Auditorium on June 7, ending a week of high-stakes competition.

The Miss Cook Islands Pageant Association (MCIPA) finalised its pageant dates at its annual general meeting earlier this month, during which Clee Marsters was re-elected as president.

Jeane Matenga was elected vice-president, Sophie Meyer treasurer, Melissa Gosselin secretary and Metua Vaiimene assistant secretary and treasurer. Elected executive members include Kendrick Rima, Gina Keenan-Williams and Engara Gosselin, and Pai Chamber has been appointed a new patron. Former patron Cassey Eggelton was appointed an honourary lifelong member.

MCIPA managed to plan its first fundraiser at the meeting. From 6pm on March 15, the National Auditorium will host a four-hour music concert featuring such international names as Sweet & Irie, T-Angelo, Brother Love, Rico from Ardijah and Willy from Tika n Sons.

Joined onstage by hip-hop back-up dancers Raro Idol Emile Rima will open the concert with items from his new album. Proceeds from the concert will go toward Miss Cook Islands 2012 and suicide prevention awareness efforts.

MCIPA is looking forward to an exciting pageant and year, following on from a busy 2011. Marsters notes that past pageant entrants have done well in representing the Cook Islands on the regional stage, and have all been successful in their own personal lives and careers.

Last year Miss Cook Islands Engara Gosselin graduated from USP with a Bachelor’s in hotel management and tourism, released her first album together with her two sisters, and this year starts her job as assistant manager for Pure Fiji’s Australia office.

Maine Tapairu Joyana Meyer won Miss South Pacific, represented Pacific women at the Pasifika Festival, appeared in Spasifik magazine and a King Kapisi video clip, and did print and live modelling in Auckland. Currently she is doing an internship with Anglo Engineering in Auckland before graduating in September with a Bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Auckland. She will be the first Pacific Islands woman to attain this degree with honours.

Maine Purotu Uirangi Bishop clinched a national dance champion title last year, graduated with a national certificate in accounting from Te Whitireia Learning Institute, and won best talent at the Miss South Pacific pageant in Apia.

Marsters acknowledges that young Cook Islands women have big shoes to fill, but encourages them to step up to the challenge.

He invites all Cook Islands women between the ages of 18 and 26 to participate in the pageant. For further information contact Clee on 70556.

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Norman George criticises Allsworth’s salary

Sat
25 Feb

Teenui-Mapumai member of parliament Norman George has pointed the finger at former auditor-general Paul Allsworth for continuing to collect a salary equivalent to that which he collected as auditor-general.

Allsworth has been appointed head of a new government division – the Governance and Oversight Services Unit.

During question-and-answer time in parliament on Tuesday, George queried the prime minister – whose portfolio includes the public service – about the details of Allsworth’s remuneration package as head of a new parliamentary support services unit.

“My question is based on matters related to public interest and not personal,” George began.

“Prime Minister, can you confirm to this house that the former auditor-general – I will not mention any names – continues to draw the same salary (that) he was earning as auditor-general, that he continues to collect a salary of that amount in his new position?”

Finance minister Mark Brown addressed George’s question.

“It’s probably more appropriate if I answer the honourable member’s question,” he said. “Firstly, this government is committed in the next year to strengthen the role of parliament and the role of parliament in overseeing particularly the finances and audit reviews that are received by parliament.

“In that regard, it was important that we provide support services to the members of parliament that will be on this particular select committee so that they are able to make informed decisions regarding public finances of the country but also the recommendations of the (audit) reports received by this house.”

“In that regard transitional arrangements were made for the remuneration of the previous director of audit services, Mr Paul Allsworth, to continue on his salary for four months, during which time he was tasked with the responsibility of establishing this support services division within parliament services.

“Up to that time part of the programme was to establish a correct remuneration package for this particular division and its employees. I am happy to report to this house, honourable members and Mr Deputy Speaker, that a job-sizing exercise was conducted with the assistance of the public service commissioner’s office to ensure that the appropriate remuneration levels to the employees of this particular support service within parliament will now be provided.

“In short answer to the honourable member’s question, the formal appointment of Mr Allsworth to head this particular unit will be under the responsibility of the clerk of parliament or the parliament services division and his remuneration package will be established with the assistance of the public service commissioner’s job-sizing unit.”

George pushed further, directing a supplementary question to the finance minister.

Brown stood.

“I can only reiterate that this person will be an employee under parliament services – ministers do not set the salaries for staff. It will be undertaken as part of the job sizing undertaken by the public service commissioner and when that is confirmed to me I will be in a position to report to the house exactly what it is.”

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

‘We had no control over circumstances’

Sat
25 Feb

Finance minister Mark Brown is adamant that government had no control over the circumstances which forced it into a deficit.

In Parliament on Tuesday he said: “I would just like to point out to our members and those of the public that are listening in that this deficit in the budget occurred from an event that we have no control over and that is the increase in the cost of jet fuel.

“Those things that we do have control over (are) the operations of the government and the operations of our departments.

“If we remove the $4.5 million extra cost of the airline subsidy, we will see that the operations of this government in the financial year would have yielded us a $2 million surplus.

“It is better for us in considering this budget to look at the options available and we could have balanced this budget by cutting expenditures across government departments or raising revenue by introducing new taxes, but we have learned some lessons from the last 12 months.”

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

School health check-ups on again

Sat
25 Feb

The Ministry of Health has rescheduled its biennial (two-yearly) school physical health examination for all Rarotonga schools.

American Global Volunteer Susan Koralek has returned to Rarotonga and will be resuming her free eye-screening programme in coming weeks. Accordingly, the ministry has brought the physical health check dates forward.

Health officers did the physical check at Avarua schools this week, and Arorangi schools are next up on Monday, February 27.

All remaining schools will have their examinations in April. The ministry will confirm dates as April draws nearer.

Examinations will be carried out by a team of public health nurses, health protection officers, and health promotion staff including nutritionists, paediatricians and general practitioners as well as dental therapists.

The examinations will entail the measuring of height and weight and a head-to-toe physical examination which involves checking the head for nits and lice, skin, ears, nose, throat, eyes, mouth, teeth, heart and lungs, breasts and genitals (boys only). Any abnormal findings will be referred to hospital for further investigation.

Prescriptions will be given to children who require them.

Schools play a vital role in the overall health and development of a child, and what children learn at school influences their health habits and those of their families.

Providing school children with easy access to health, nutrition and hygiene education and services can go a long way in the prevention and control of communicable and non communicable diseases.

Physical health checks, immunisations and other health programmes end up cutting costs in the long-term. The Ministry of Health is greatful for ongoing support from principals and teachers and from parents and guardians of students.

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with schools, aims to deliver its programmes with minimal distractions to the learning. The ultimate aim of the program is, naturally, to ensure optimum health for all children.

Besides seeking the support and co-operation of the public, the ministry is also asking parents and guardians to grant their children approval to be checked at school. Consent forms will be distributed and collected before health checks take place.

For any queries, contact Community Health Services on 29110.

• Rachel Reeves/MOH

 




 

Space junk splashes down in Muri

Sat
25 Feb

A close-up of the suspected space junk that crashed into Muri lagoon. 12022497

Terry and Leona Collins on the deck of their villa on the edge of Muri lagoon, where they saw some space junk crash down into the water. Photo: Ross Gilmore 12022498

On a cloudless Rarotonga night the stars always put on a fantastic show, aided by a streaking meteor or two, but all that was about to be upstaged.

To the left it appeared as a bright orange, diamond shaped light in the night sky, approaching from the north of Muri lagoon, heading on a southerly route.

Terry Collins, who served 21 years in the Canadian Air Force as a radar technician, said to his wife Leona that it wasn’t an airplane as they witnessed the rare event unfolding before them at 11.30pm last Saturday.

The visiting Canadian couple staying at Muri beach noticed a second identical light appear approximately two or three seconds behind the first.

“We watched for a few seconds.” Collins said, “and I thought of my camera so I went inside the villa and returned as Leona was saying, ‘It’s breaking up!’. I looked to see the second light had broken up into five distinct smaller lights.”

Four fragments continued on the same trajectory over Muri lagoon and burnt out in about two or three seconds.

But a fiery fragment on the left curved downward and they watched as it splashed into the lagoon with a loud sizzling hiss, as if a blacksmith had dropped a piece of hot, glowing metal into a briny cooling bath.

What they had just witnessed was the breakup of a chunk of space debris, more than likely metallic, with one white-hot piece slamming into the lagoon just 50 metres from where they had been relaxing on deck loungers, stargazing.

The entire sequence of events occurred over a time frame Terry estimates to be about 30 or 40 seconds. “I did get a quick photo which shows tiny bright spots but nothing definitive. I searched the area of the lagoon the following morning where I thought that the fragment had splashed down but did not find anything unusual.”

A local astronomy expert said it’s difficult to say precisely what the Collins’ witnessed but from the brief description that he was given, he would guess that it was space junk.

The telling factor is usually the speed of the objects and the length of time they were visible. “Meteorites travel at over 60,000 km/h, usually hitting at a steep angle, and are generally only visible for one or two seconds at most, whereas space junk hits the atmosphere at a shallow angle travelling at a mere 25,000 km/h and decelerating rapidly so it’ll be visible for five to 10 seconds.”

If a meteorite explodes in the atmosphere there are generally many thousands of tiny fragments whereas space junk tends to break up into large chunks, he said. “Space junk is invariably metallic whereas meteorites are more frequently stony. If it hissed when entering the water it was probably hot metal. Surprisingly meteorites are cold when they hit.”

In a report last year NASA, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said there are more than 22,000 pieces of man-made space debris orbiting the Earth, with probably millions of other pieces – like small bolts and chips of paint – in orbit that are too small to be tracked.

Occasionally a piece of this space debris, travelling at high speed, will re-renter the Earth’s atmosphere and rapidly heats up, with most disintegrating in the air.

As water covers 70 percent of our planet’s surface, any debris that does hit Earth will fall into the ocean, without being noticed.

In the US, the Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies (CORDS), is interested in the science of space junk, and safety.

Its job is to see how space debris affects satellites and what hazards it poses when it re-enters the atmosphere. CORDS is part of Aerospace Corp, the non-profit research and development organisation that provides technical advice to the US military, NASA and other government and commercial customers.

Collins said he would make contact with the CORDS scientists when he is back in Canada.

This is the Collins’ third visit to Rarotonga, for them a month-long tropical respite from the cold of an Albertan winter where the mercury dips to negative 10 degrees on an average night and climbs to just above freezing point during the day in their home city of Lethbridge. The couple returns home tonight.

• Lawrance Bailey

 




 

‘That isn’t really a pig’

Sat
25 Feb

Kata cartoon.

 

NATURAL HERITAGE TRUST director Gerald McCormack analyses ancient Cook Islands beliefs about gods and spirits and the animals they inhabited. He also took the photos illustrating this story.

The Cook Islands has a rich tradition of working with spirits. In ancient times all misfortune and ill-health were attributed to spirits who consisted of a plethora of gods (Atua/Aitu) and the countless souls of deceased people (vaerua tangata).

Life revolved around the priests (ta‘unga) who could communicate with the spirits and negotiate some form of appeasement, such as a change in behaviour, sacrificing a pig or, in extreme cases, a person. For example, Mangaia prehistory was a succession of intrigues and battles to establish the supreme ruler for the island and the successful candidate arranged a human sacrifice to the god Rongo to assure peace during his reign.

In this article we look at some of the animals used by the visiting spirits of deceased people (tupapaku) and in ancient times by visiting gods (Atua/Aitu).

‘That isn’t really a pig’

In the 1970s anthropologist Christian Clerk recorded many spirit stories including one from an informant who had been riding his motorbike at night through Te ‘Utu-o-Apera in Upper Tupapa: “Suddenly, there was a big pig right in front of me. The bike hit it and I fell off. The headlamp was broken. When I got up I couldn’t see the pig. Next day I told some people who live around there. They said, ‘You saw it. That isn’t really a pig, it’s usually a cow.’ They meant it was a tupapaku. There are plenty of stories about things that have happened at that place.”

In this case the spirit took the form of a pig with mischievous intent. In a similar way Ta‘akura, a tupapaku who takes the form of a red-headed woman, has been reported mainly around Muri.

Many years ago, Ta‘akura killed herself over an unfaithful boyfriend or, in another account, was killed by a gang of rejected suitors. As a tupapaku she seeks revenge on men by luring them into danger. A third area popular with spirits is around Tuoro or Black Rock, which was traditionally a reinga or leaping-place for the spirits of the recently deceased to enter the underworld.

In addition to favouring certain areas, spirits have traditionally been more active on certain nights of the lunar cycle or ‘arapo. For example, on Rakau Ta‘i (18th night) and Roto Rakau (19th) spirits were more commonly encountered by fisherman at sea.

Freshwater eels

One of the most well-known ancient stories involves a freshwater eel. ‘Ina or ‘Ina-moe-Aitu lived near Tamarua on Mangaia and bathed in a nearby stream. Sometimes an eel rubbed against her legs and one day the eel transformed into a handsome youth who explained that he was Tuna, the eel-god. They became lovers.

One day Tuna announced that they must part, but in memory of their love he would give her people a gift. He explained that there would be a flood in which he would swim to her hut on the hill where ‘Ina was to chop off his head, bury it and then visit the site everyday. The flood came and ‘Ina played her part and after many days the first coconut palm grew on that spot. To this day, the shell of the coconut has the two eyes and mouth of Tuna on the base.

Birds of the night

Petrels and shearwaters are birds that spend weeks or months at sea and typically only come ashore during the breeding season at night. The Wedge-tailed Shearwater or Upoa is rare but well-known on most islands because of its very distinctive call, which is an uncanny imitation of a crying baby. There is no significance in a call or two as an Upoa flies over during the night but if it calls repeatedly over the same area it is a harbinger of death in a noble family. It is one of the few times when being a commoner or tangata iti is worthwhile. Another night-bird sometimes associated with spirits is the Black-winged Petrel, the Tuti or Tutirakoa, which has a “te-te-te-te-te-te-te” call. This fernland nesting bird, which was once common on Mangaia and ‘Atiu, is now very rare because of predation by feral cats.

The kingfisher

On Atiu the Chattering Kingfisher or the Ngotare can be the harbinger of an imminent death within the nobility, although at other times it can bring good news. This bird was involved in the discovery of the beautiful cave of Anatakitaki, which is one of two caves where Atiu Swiftlets or Kopeka roost and nest.

In ancient times, the chief Paroro discovered that his wife had been unfaithful and beat her. Inutoto ran away and lived for months as a hermit in a cave in the rugged makatea and eventually the community decided that she had died. However, Inutoto composed a song about the loss of her husband and her god Tu heard her plea. He sent a Ngotare to Paroro which eventually convinced him to follow and the bird lead him to discover Anatakitaki and to be reunited with his wife. Different versions of Inutoto’s lament are still well-known.

One version reverses the roles in the conflict with Inutoto accusing her husband of having affairs and after an argument she hides in the makatea forest to scare him. Unfortunately she got lost and despite months of searching Paroro couldn’t find her. Eventually Tangaroa took pity on Paroro and sent a Ngotare to led him to Anatakitaki to be joyfully reunited with his near-starving wife.

Insects as messengers

There is a Mangaia proverb “The spirit-cricket is chirping” (Kua tangi te Vava) which refers to the chirping of the Pacific Scaly Cricket or Vava as signalling the presence of a spirit. In ancient times it was thought to be a warrior spirit calling his friends while to others it was thought to be the voice of the god Tane. In more recent times it is just a deceased ancestor watching or warning about events within the family. The call has been described as “kere-kere-tao-tao”.

The largest local moth, the White-brow Hawkmoth or ‘Iriano can visit houses possessed by a spirit of a deceased relative who is keeping an eye on events or warning members to behave better.

The day-active glossy skinks are apparently not used by spirits, while the nocturnal, goggle-eyed geckos are. When one of the traditional house geckos, the small Mournful Gecko or the large Polynesian Gecko is noisy it can indicate that it is possessed by a spirit who is watching or warning family members to stop misbehaving.

In ancient times spirits were the main cause of ill-health and misfortune. Nowadays, with a few exceptions, they are well-meaning and encourage people to be better behaved towards other people.


Click to enlarge
Chattering kingfisher. 12022001
 

Click to enlarge
Male Pacific scaly cricket or Vava. The flightless Pacific Scaly-Cricket or Vava is only one centimetre long. The male uses its reduced wing-covers to make its courtship call. Female crickets can orientate to the singing male, while people are confused by this great ventriloquist. 12022003
 

Click to enlarge
Giant Longfin Eel or Tuna Pupu is the largest freshwater eel in the Cook Islands, often reaching over a meter in length. This species typically lives in streams from near the mouth to mid-elevation. 12022002
 



Click to enlarge
Wedge-tailed Shearwater or poa. 12022005
 

Click to enlarge
Polynesian Gecko or Moko Ngarara. 12022004
 

 




 

2 new faces at Intaff

Sat
25 Feb

Ministry of Internal Affairs secretary Bredina Drollet (right) with the ministry’s new employees Henrianna Savage and Iva Tau Eitiare. 12022484

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (Intaff) welcomed in two new faces this week, bringing a boost to its consumer affairs office and welfare division.

With about 17 years of experience in the social development ministry New Zealand, Iva Tau Eitiare said she enjoyed the work that came her way in Intaff’s welfare division.

Eitiare moved back to the Cook Islands in 2004 and is happy to be back working in the social welfare line of work.

She said she enjoys the personal contact she gets in her job at Intaff and says it is important to be a people person in her role.

Henrianna Savage has recently taken on a job with Intaff after spending a year with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management as part of the young achiever programme.

Savage said she was looking forward to exploring her role in consumer affairs at Intaff. Her day to day activities will see her providing advice on consumer guarantees, fair trading and price controls.

She will also work to increase awareness of the rights of consumers and tackling misleading trade practices.

• Eric Parnis

 




 

Cook Islands Day at NZ’s Te Papa

Sat
25 Feb

March 3 is Cook Islands Day at Te Papa Museum in Wellington.

The museum reports it will be a vibrant day of performances, personalities, arts and speakers – all a testament to what makes the Cook Islands special.

Cook Islands Tourism has partnered with Te Papa to put on the show, which will run for all of Saturday.

On display will be island cuisine, music, dance, arts, crafts, black pearls and fashion, and wedding and travel experts will be selling holiday packages in the foyer.

A number of special guests will speak about the perks of holidaying in the Cook Islands.

Robert Oliver, internationally renowned author of ‘Me’a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific’, will be there. His cookbook features local dishes and the mamas who created them, and won the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2010.

Fashion designer Ellena Tavioni will be at Te Papa’s Cook Islands Day, as will Cook Islands Pearl Authority chief executive George Ellis.

“We want all New Zealanders to know the Cook Islands are the ultimate destination for weddings, honeymoons and romantic getaways. Cook Islanders take pride in delivering more than just a beautiful setting. Our islands are made even more perfect for romance when you add great service, warm hospitality and the friendliness of the Cook Island people,” Cook Islands Tourism chief executive Carmel Beattie has said of Cook Islands Day.

The exhibit will run from 10am to 6pm on March 3.

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Keeping books in order

Sat
25 Feb

Accountant Justin Rous with his son. 12022443

Most accountants with any experience in the Cook Islands will agree that a decent number of local businesses don’t have their books in order.

Chartered accountant Justin Rous says in most cases businesspeople file their VAT returns and PAYE but otherwise neglect financial housekeeping.

“Having current information is essential in making business decisions. Looking at financial numbers a year after the event is some guidance, but no clue as to what is happening in your business today,” Justin said.

He likens monthly budgets to warrant-of-fitness checks – imperative for long-term maintenance.

“By not analysing your monthly accounts, you have no idea how you are tracking,” he said.

Businesses often prepare annual company returns to ‘keep MFEM and the bank happy’, but should in fact be going further – for their own sake.

“The preparation of monthly accounts is the story which tells you how your business is doing,” Justin said.

Justin opened CI Accounting and Business Services last year to help businesses prepare their accounts.

His business provides accounting services and budget and forecasting advice, and he can help businesses with their cash flow analysis, preparation of monthly accounts and annual financial statements, VAT returns and tax returns. He also provides business planning and staff training advice.

He acknowledges that often businesses wait months for accounting information and promises a ‘quick turnaround’. All services are independent and confidential, and an initial consultation meeting with Justin is free of charge.

Justin is a chartered accountant with 20 years of experience in auditing, finance and banking. Qualified in South Africa, he worked in London for over two years before moving to New Zealand, where he again qualified as a chartered accountant.

A job with Thomas Cook Travel led him to Rarotonga, where he assumed the positions of financial controller and general manager at Edgewater Resort from 2001 to 2005.

He returned to a job as financial controller of Wilson Parking in New Zealand, but couldn’t stay away from the rock and in 2009 became the financial controller of Cook Islands Trust Corporation. Rarotonga is an adopted home for Justin, wife Ray and their children – and when he’s not analysing accounts Justin is admiring her beauty (or training to hold on to his King of the Harbour crown).

For more information contact him on 51700 or account@oyster.net.ck

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Global leader loves this place

Sat
25 Feb

Bud Philbrook at Global Volunteers headquarters in Minnesota. 12022015

Bud Philbrook in China. 12022016

As chief executive of American organisation Global Volunteers, Bud Philbrook’s job is to travel.

Global Volunteers sends voluntary workers to 100 communities in 35 countries on six continents – and Philbrook tries to visit each ‘every couple of years’. He also served a year in the Obama administration as deputy undersecretary for the United States Department of Agriculture, which required overseas travel.

Suffice it to say he’s seen a good portion of the globe.

But sitting on the deck of his KiiKii Motel room last week, Philbrook couldn’t say enough about the beauty of Rarotonga.

“If we could find the words to adequately describe the natural beauty of the Cook Islands and the enormous warmth of the people this place would be over-flooded with volunteers,” he said. “It’s just an absolutely wonderful place.”

Since May 1998, Global Volunteers has been sending volunteers to Rarotonga. Annually between 50 and 100 arrive to roll up their sleeves and work for free.

“People all over the world have a hunger for meaning in their lives and one of the best ways to satisfy that hunger is by being of service to another and we offer people that opportunity,” he said. “People go home and tell their friends that here they can be of service but they also get to listen to the waves.”

Most volunteers are slotted into schools around Rarotonga, though others work at Red Cross, the hospital, Daughters of Charity, Cook Islands Family Welfare Association and organisations affiliated with Cook Islands Civil Society Organisation.

Philbrook is careful to only send workers where they can be useful.

“We don’t do anything unless people ask us – we have no agenda. We do have a focus, and that’s on children,” he said.

He alluded to a BBC article which revealed that over 500 million children are at risk of being stunted physically and mentally.

“What that means is they will not be fully able to contribute to society,” he said. “What’s the world going to be like with a half a billion adults in that situation? And it all relates to food, nutrition and infectious disease – all of which are preventable.”

To that end he is passionate about health and agriculture, both of which he discussed with Nandi Glassie – whose ministerial portfolios include both – last week.

Glassie expressed a keen interest in two of the initiatives Global Volunteers is running in other countries around the world, which Philbrook called ‘earth boxes’ and ‘tippy taps’.

“There is, I think, some genuine excitement about some things we’re doing in other parts of the world that people here might want to replicate,” Philbrook said. “One of the things I do is wherever I travel I tell folks about what we’re doing in other places. It’s not really fair to not tell the people in the Cook Islands what the people in St Lucia or Tanzania or Ghana or someplace else have asked us to do, so I try to keep everybody informed.”

Earth boxes are self-watering gardening kits which make growing fruits and vegetables simpler, particularly for pregnant women and young students. A United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) initiative, earth boxes encourage the hungry around the world to grow their own food.

“A billion hungry people and yet we have all the technology where most could grow their own food. If we have the technology why doesn’t that happen? The reason is this: transferring the technology is very challenging. That’s really what short term volunteers can do quite easily – transfer it to where people want it.”

A tippy tap, on the other hand, is a simple technology involving a carton, string and pole that facilitates hand washing but uses very little water.

“People all over the world wash their hands with water but not with soap – it’s true in the US, it’s true everywhere. Hand washing with soap and water is 300 times more effective than any single vaccination,” Philbrook said.

He said he visited a Rarotonga school last week – he wouldn’t identify which – that had bowls and soap sitting outside its classrooms.

“That’s good, but you know what happens after five kids use that water. It’s good but it could be better. It’s healthy but it could be healthier,” he said.

The onus is on the Cook Islands to request some of these technologies from Global Volunteers, as the organisation only does what its host communities ask of it.

The rest of last week Philbrook spent meeting with ‘community partners’ – the organisations in Rarotonga to which Global Volunteers sends workers.

“The reason I make these visits is to meet with our community partners and create an opportunity for them to enquire of me to help me understand what their needs are so we can better recruit volunteers that can be genuinely helpful,” he said.

Philbrook looks forward to getting feedback from community partners, as he wants to ensure volunteers are being of service.

“It takes a lot of work to host volunteers and volunteers don’t want to come all this way and then not be engaged – they want to work hard and we want them to work hard so that takes a great deal of preparation on the part of the community partners. If the volunteers are being of genuine service – another way to say that is if the benefit of the volunteer outweighs the cost, not financially but in terms of the work that’s involved – then the community partner will continue to invite and the volunteers will continue to come.”

Philbrook’s background is colourful. He has a Bachelor’s in political science, a Master’s in public affairs and a Juris doctor in law. Not only is he running a successful volunteer organisation, but he’s also headed his own private law practice and dabbled in politics.

He served in the Minnesota legislature as assistant commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and most recently did a year as the deputy undersecretary for USDA.

But while he enjoys the challenge of working for the US government, his heart is for Global Volunteers.

As the organisation’s co-founder and chief executive, his responsibilities are ‘wide and deep’.

He is responsible for maintaining “the financial integrity of the organisation, responsible for ensuring that we fulfil our mission, that we serve our community partners and that we engage volunteers in meaningful important work”, he said.

Born of what he calls an ‘unconventional honeymoon’, Global Volunteers was the brainchild of Philbrook and wife Michele Gran. In 1980 they visited the impoverished Guatemalan village of Conacaste, and resolved then and there to establish a volunteer organisation.

It soon grew into one of the largest volunteer organisations in the US, and now sends hundreds of volunteers around the world. Its slogan is ‘leave your mark on the world’.

“It’s not just for the volunteers to leave their mark, it’s for local people and volunteers together to leave a common mark on the world. If we can do that those 500 million children will be just fine.”

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Water spout off Aitutaki

Fri
24 Feb

12022339

A couple in Aitutaki was left scrambling to find their cameras after spotting a water spout that had formed off the coast about 1.50pm yesterday. Bill and Teetu Tschan managed to snap these pictures of the waterspout, saying it was the first they had ever seen on the island.

 




 

Aunty Mau wants $5000 for Nikao roads

Fri
24 Feb

Nikao member of parliament Ngamau ‘Aunty Mau’ Munokoa continues to champion her cause – securing further support for her village’s infrastructure.

In Parliament on Monday, the woman of the house gave an impassioned Cook Islands Maori speech about the state of the roads and drainage systems in Nikao.

“I’ve got a question in regards to road systems and the water systems on the island (of Rarotonga),” she began, addressing finance minister Mark Brown.

“I’m asking the minister is it possible to find some money (for infrastructure) because I’m finding problems with the roads and drainage in my village in Nikao. Perhaps the minister could look at this in future.”

Aunty Mau continued: “Because of the continuous rain we’ve ben experiencing I would like to ask for some funding for Nikao and for around the island (of Rarotonga) to see if we can fix the problems with water and the roads as well.

“Minister, as you will realise, the banks of the (rivers) are now getting higher and a lot of water is... draining onto the road.

“(Can you) locate at least $5000 for the roads? All I want from you is yes, you can.”

Brown responded in Cook Islands Maori that the people of his village are encountering the same problems as those in Nikao.

“Yes, we in Takuvaine are also experiencing the same problems and rubbish has been held in the streams. I have met with some of the members of my village and we are looking at a community system in clearing these blockages and yes, I agree that with the honourable member that machinery is required.

“But in the supplementary budget there hasn’t been any funds allocated for this purpose and yes, as the minister (Teariki Heather) said, all members of parliament were requested to meet and come up with some ideas as to what needs to be cleaned up particularly in the roads and streams.

“All recommendations will be put into (a) business plan and we will look at that and consider it properly and see what we can do.

“But I’m happy to report that the minister of infrastructure and planning has reported to us that major road works is commencing. The tenders have now been appropriated and we see, especially in Nikao, a lot of preparatory work has been done with cable and piping (put) across the road in preparation for the major sealing work that will be starting shortly.

“I’m sure... continued support for this allocation in the main budget coming up will be much appreciated.”

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Callout to Atiuans

Fri
24 Feb

Ngamau ‘Aunty Mau’ Munokoa. 12022236

The Atiu community on Rarotonga is selling barbecue plates today to raise money for its hostel project.

In parliament on Tuesday, Teenui-Mapumai member of parliament Norman George pleaded with all Atiuans – both in Atiu and on Rarotonga – to support the cause.

“We are facing difficulties at our Atiu hostel,” he began.

He noted that while two committed labourers are being paid to construct the hostel, about 12 people are working diligently for no pay. He added that the same three or four people have been bringing food to the labourers on Saturday mornings, and urged other members of the Atiu community to help them out.

George asked Atiuans to bring a salad or a pot of taro to the food stall fundraiser, which kicks off at about 9am across from the police station in Avarua. The stall will also be selling tickets for a monster raffle, proceeds from which will go toward the hostel construction.

George also asked each village in Atiu to donate a bag of taro for the grand opening of the Cook Islands Red Cross building on March 1.

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Underwriting makes Air NZ a partner

Fri
24 Feb

The following ‘key messages’ were provided by Cook Islands Tourism Corporation in response to discussion and debate about the Air New Zealand subsidy, which is expected to cost the country $12.5 million this year.

Overview

- Tourism accounts for some 75 percent of the gross domestic product of the Cook Islands.

- The greatest challenge facing small island nations worldwide is access. Other Pacific countries deal with long haul access through having their own international airlines as they are in a similar situation where access to Northern Hemisphere markets is crucial to the survival of their tourism industries. These national airlines come at a massive cost as can be seen by studying the financial results of our neighbouring countries airlines.

- The strategy for the Cook Islands was to invest in a piece of an airline with two underwrites to stimulate economic growth and leverage the opportunities presented by our largest industry.

- As a result of both the underwrites and the significant commitment to the Auckland route, Air New Zealand is one of the Cook Islands most significant economic partners.

- Our tourism industry was built on year round visitor flow, UK/Europe/North America in our summer, NZ and Australia in our winter. Many Cook Islands businesses would be unsustainable if based solely on short haul seasonal traffic from New Zealand despite it being our largest market.

- The world’s airline industry has undergone a massive transformation in the past 20 years with de-regulation and the advent of point to point low cost carriers. The ability to transfer pricing and costs across airline networks has gone. Every route must stand on its own commercial feet.

- In 2006 when Air New Zealand made the decision to withdraw from the ‘mid Pacific’ stopovers en route to Los Angeles (Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Tahiti) it was predicted there would be significant business failures in Rarotonga and Aitutaki and at least 800 jobs would be lost. It was at this stage that the option of underwriting a flight direct to the Cooks was explored.

- No other airline was interested in taking on the Rarotonga-Los Angeles route on a commercial basis. That is still the position today. To put this into perspective, Qantas has just withdrawn from the Auckland-Los Angeles route citing lack of profitability.

- The government initiated negotiations that led to an agreement to underwrite the once weekly direct service between Rarotonga and Los Angeles.

- Because of the importance of the northern hemisphere markets in terms of seasonality and spend and the success of the flight, that agreement was renewed for a term of three years in December 2010 along with the signing of a further contract covering the development of the Rarotonga-Sydney route.

- The terms of these agreements have not changed but unfortunately significantly increased fuel costs and a soft global economy have increased the financial exposure to both parties.

- So while the LAX route continues to lose money in an operating sense, it facilitates travel for some 20,000 visitors from the Northern Hemisphere annually. This market generates a net economic gain to the Cook Islands substantially in excess of the cost of the underwrite. Losing this market would have disastrous consequences for business and reduce government’s revenue substantially and with that, its ability to fund social programmes including education and health.

- The Auckland-Rarotonga route is an ‘open skies’ agreement which means any airline can operate the route however it is presently operated by Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia. The bulk of traffic is low yield leisure travellers. Given current fuel prices, this route is no doubt under profitability pressure also, as well as having to compete with other short haul destinations such as Fiji, Vanuatu, Noumea that are closer to New Zealand and cheaper to operate.

- To put things in perspective, tourism is our country’s single dominant industry. To rely on a single source market from New Zealand would leave us economically very vulnerable, and very fragile. Government’s underwriting of these airline routes is a significant investment in the Cook Islands visitor industry that is in turn the lynch pin of the economy.

Australia

- Australian outbound tourism is the largest source market in our region and offers the great potential in term of numbers, yield and dispersal to our sister islands. Sydney is also hub to dozens of international flights per day from Asia and Europe. Since the advent of the direct flights in 2010, this market has grown by almost 30 percent.

The decision to launch the direct service to Sydney is an initiative to diversify access and build additional source markets in Asia and Europe as well as seasonal traffic from New South Wales.

- By next summer, we should see this strategy realised as our European industry partners utilise the Sydney route option.

- Currently, Cook Islands Tourism is rolling out a strategy to ensure that the worst case scenario of a $12.5 million underwrite bill does not materialise. This strategy includes a mix of direct to consumer and travel trade driven initiatives aimed at stimulating travel from Sydney to Rarotonga on the direct route and continue to build the awareness of the Cook Islands as a destination of choice for Australians.

The Sister Islands

- While the entire economy relies on the access provided by the underwritten routes, it is nowhere more obvious than in the sister islands. The northern hemisphere and Australian markets targeted by these flights and the support marketing, deliver a higher spending visitor who is unfazed by having to leave Rarotonga to continue their Cook Islands experience thereby extending the economic benefits of tourism beyond Rarotonga and into areas of greatest economic need.

- Cook Islands Tourism along with other government officials meet regularly with not only Air New Zealand but also the other international airlines in our region, constantly reviewing ways in which the Cook Islands can maintain access to long haul markets in the most cost effective manner. We are certain that the current contractual arrangements with Air New Zealand are the best solution available for the present situation.

- Naturally, when the time is right, we shall explore all options for future agreements to ensure the greatest economic opportunities for the least cost.

 




 

Correction

Fri
24 Feb

Cook Islands News this week reported that in a written notice to Parliament, Sir Frederick Goodwin had urged all members to be screened for prostate cancer. Sir Frederick Goodwin did not issue the notice via written correspondence to the house as reported. CINews apologises to Sir Frederick Goodwin.

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Avarua School showers new prefects in ei

Fri
24 Feb

Olivia Panther peaking out from a forest of ei smothering Avarua School prefects last Friday. 12021752

Doctor Terry Rongo pins a new name tag on prefect Sean Robert at Avarua School’s ceremony last Friday. 12021750

Avarua School’s new leaders have been officially welcomed into their positions with a big event held for the large group of students taking on the roles.

Thirty-two students have taken on leadership roles at the school for 2012, including 24 prefects or tutara apii and eight librarians or tutara runanga puka.

Principal Teremoana Herman said every student who wanted to take on a leadership position found one, either as a prefect or in the new role as librarian.

The leaders were introduced to their role in front of the school community – including students, teachers, parents and other community members – at the National Auditorium on Friday.

Former Avarua School student Doctor Teina Rongo was the assembly’s special guest speaker, joining in the event that was conducted in Maori for the large part.

Proud parents, cheerful teachers, friends and family congratulated each of the 32 students on their appointment as they came off the stage one by one after collecting their new name tags.

There were mountains of ei handed out at the event, made from flowers, maire, lollies and more, to congratulate the school leaders.

There were so many ei, in fact, that flowers and maire were sent in from the outer islands to contribute to them all.

• Eric Parnis

 




 

Prefects inducted at St Joseph’s

Fri
24 Feb

Click to enlarge
Newly appointed St Joseph’s prefects Athena Dennis, Paige Brooke Strickland, Tiare Enoka (peace ambassador) and Vaine Mitchell decked in ei. 12021714
 

Click to enlarge
St Joseph’s boy prefects gather for scrum photo in front of proud parents and families. 12021713
 

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St Joseph’s School juniors ready to receive a blessing during the school’s special mass for their prefect induction last Friday. 12021706
 

 




 

Araura honours new perfects

Fri
24 Feb

Prefects and student councillors at Araura College with new principal Tarona Daniela. 12022332

Proud prefects with Miss Lockington pose for photos. 12022331

A large crowd of parents, leaders of Aitutaki and invited guests were present to witness the investiture of new prefects and student councillors at Araura College last Friday.

Twenty-one student councillors were presented with their new badges.

Each form class selected their own boy and girl student council leaders.

There were 10 prefects from year 12 and 13 classes chosen by the teachers.

This was the school’s first official event for the year as well as introducing the new principal Mr Tarona Daniela and new teachers Mr Tubby and Mr Kapuvai.

It was a huge success and turnout by parents and the community indicating their support for their children and the school for 2012.

• Araura Media

 




 

United we stand, divided we fall

Fri
24 Feb

Mangaia School’s prefects for 2012. 12022322

Mangaia School celebrated its new prefects for 2012 on Wednesday.

School chaplain Reverend Toko Ongoua from the Oneroa Cook Islands Christian Church blessed the ceremony, at which Kiriana Ngatamariki was chosen as head prefect and Junior George as deputy head prefect.

The school’s ‘virtue of the week’ was creativity, which principal Sue Ngatokorua says fit the prefect ceremony perfectly given the signs of success and being a good leader are ‘discovering the gifts you have, using knowledge and training to develop your gifts, thinking of new ways to make things work better and having the discipline to practice’.

Below is head prefect Kiriana Ngatamariki’s speech:

Tangike,

Tatou katoa i teia popongi manea, te au tamariki kia orana

Te au puapii, kia orana katoa kotou

Te puapii ngao Sue Ngatokorua, kia orana

Te au kumiti tei topiriia mai, kia orana

Ki te orometua koe tei ariki mai ta matou patianga kia tae mai koe, i te turuturuanga ia matou te anau tamariki apii te ka riro ei au arataki meitaki no te apii

Tangike kia koe e papa.

Te au metua tei aere mai i te turuturu ia matou te anau tamariki apii,

Tangike katoa kotou.

On behalf of the prefects of 2012, we would like to acknowledge our teachers, our principal, our parents, the school committee and all the students of Mangaia School.

We will represent the school and carry out the responsibilities that will be given to us.

As leaders of this school we will show self-control, self-respect and honesty in ourselves and for our school.

We also have to behave and be good role models at school, at home and in the community.

We need teachers, parents and students support and together we would make it even better for ourselves, our school, our community and our nation.

For united we stand, divided we fall.

Again I would like to give a special thanks to our families for their love and support. I wouldn’t be standing here today if I did not have my family’s full support.

To end my speech let me quote our verse for today: “They grow stronger as they go”.


Click to enlarge
Future prefects! David Atetu Ashley Matapo. 12022321
 

Click to enlarge
Deputy head prefect Junior George (left) and head prefect Kiriana Ngatamariki. 12022319
 

 




 

Get fit by email

Fri
24 Feb

Fitness enthusiast Puai Wichman wants you to help people achieve a healthier lifestyle. 12022250

Fitness enthusiast Puai Wichman continues his crusade to shape up Cook Islanders and turn them to a healthier lifestyle.

Here Wichman shares his new challenge for those wanting to take the step in the healthy direction.

“Starting this week, I will be running a challenge of a different kind – one that doesn’t involve anything other than your willingness to take part.

“For the next few months, I will set out weekly challenges via our e-mails to anyone and everyone who wants to make changes to their lives.

“We will cover small steps that can be taken by you over a period of time, which if bundled together counts for giant steps towards a healthier you.

“So once a week, I will lay a challenge to you, your friends, family, associates, and colleagues.

“It’s up to you how you go about it and with whom you share it with.”

The new and innovative challenge is free and you can start by writing to fitnesscookislands@oyster.net.ck and get Wichman to add you to his email list so you can make the positive changes you need for a better and healthier lifestyle.

• Matariki Wilson

 




 

Te Kopapa Reo re-formed

Thu
23 Feb

Culture minister Teariki Heather re-appoints Travel Tou Ariki to the Reo Maori Commission. 12022203

Tumu korero George Paniani with the newly-reappointed members of the Reo Maori Commission – from left, Travel Tou Ariki, Jane Kora, minister of culture Teariki Heather, Ina Herrmann and Sonny Williams. 12022201

In celebration of International Mother Language Day, culture minister Teariki Heather yesterday revived the dormant Te Kopapa Reo, or Te Reo Maori Commission.

Heather formally re-appointed the former members of the commission, which for four years has been inactive.

The commission was initially set up under the Te Reo Maori Act, which government passed in 2003 and which lists reo Maori as an official language of the Cook Islands. It was drafted to formally recognise the local language, as the 1965 constitution lists only English as an official language.

The 2003 act also created the commission – a body which it stipulates should include the secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Development, the secretary of the Ministry of Education and the president of the Are Ariki – or the representatives said people appoint – and one representative each for vainetini and youth.

Yesterday Heather re-appointed culture secretary Sonny Williams as chairman of the commission. Additionally he re-appointed Ina Herrmann, who represents the Ministry of Education, and Travel Tou Ariki who represents the Are Ariki.

The vainetini representative is Jane Kora, who also brings northern group dialect knowledge to the table, and John Herrmann has been appointed the youth representative on account of his teaching experience.

Each member was yesterday re-appointed for a term of three years.

Williams says the commission faces a “heavy task” in preserving and promoting the Cook Islands Maori language.

“Every country wants its story, legends and history told – so do we, and better we tell it in our own language,” he said. “Our people have a lot of wisdom – and we can only capture the essence in reo Maori.”

He explained that the commission’s priorities are to create a national standard – a database of all words in all reo Maori dialects – and to devise new words which describe elements of modern culture. Williams says most recently the commission received a request for a Maori word to describe ‘data files’.

The goal is to make both databases available for people in the Cook Islands, but also for Cook Islanders overseas.

The commission relies on sources like the Bible, the Savage and Buse dictionaries and the writing of elderly people. Williams says the commission will need help in achieving its goal, and will be seeking support from orators, tumu korero and Maori teachers. It is also hoping to expand its database to include Pukapukan words, for example.

Williams ended yesterday’s re-appointment ceremony with a quote he recalled: “At the death of a language so dies much of mankind’s wisdom and ingenuity”, he said, noting that the nation should consider preserving te reo Maori a top priority.

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Pacific Forum dates confirmed

Thu
23 Feb

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has confirmed dates for this year’s Pacific Leaders Forum.

Secretariat secretary-general Tuiloma Neroni Slade told Cook Islands News earlier this month that dates had been finalised but that out of courtesy to Pacific leaders, his office would not release details to media until all participating countries had been notified.

This week the secretariat issued a press release containing the dates of this year’s 43rd Pacific Islands Forum, which will take place on both Rarotonga and Aitutaki.

The Forum will run for five days – from August 27 to August 31.

In preparation for the major Pacific event, Pacific ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) officials will meet on July 27 at the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat headquarters in Suva.

The Pacific contingent of the ACP comprises the Cook Islands, Timor-Leste, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. All ACP states subscribe to economic partnership agreements with the European Union, and all (barring Cuba) are signatories to the Cotonou Agreement with the European Union.

That initial meeting will be followed by a gathering of Smaller Island States officials – those representing the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu – on July 30.

The Pacific Plan Action Committee will meet on July 31 and August 1 to discuss the forthcoming meeting. The committee is chaired by the Forum chair and comprises representatives of all Pacific Islands Forum countries and territories. Its chair reports back to leaders on the implementation of the Pacific Plan, which was endorsed by Forum leaders in 2005 to form the basis of regional cooperation and integration.

Pre-Forum officials’ committee meetings will take place on August 2 and 3.

All preparatory meetings aside, the Forum itself will begin the week of Monday, August 27.

The Cook Islands last hosted the Forum in 1997, but Slade expects this year’s event to be much bigger.

Earlier this month he acknowledged that the Forum is “not a small event” in terms of costs.

“Obviously there will be significant costs – it’s a long way to come for leaders and security and care is a fact of life these days,” he said.

“There will be a burden-sharing (between) the host country and others including the secretariat and other forum governments. That is part of the usual arrangement.”

The government has appropriated $95,000 in the supplementary budget to cover its Forum-related costs.

DATES

Monday August 27

Smaller Islands States leaders’meeting

Tuesday August 28

Pacific ACP leaders’meeting
Official opening 43rd Pacific Islands Forum

Wednesday August 29

Pacific Islands Forum formal session

Thursday August 30

Forum leaders’retreat

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

MPs voice their concerns over suicide

Thu
23 Feb

RAPPA member of parliament John Henry addressed the sensitive issue of suicide in Parliament House yesterday, inviting parents of young people to be part of the dialogue around the subject.

“I trust we are all parents in our own constituencies and villages and homes and it is up to us to be aware of what’s happening in our homes or our villages with regards to our young people.

“Of course this is something we do not want to see happen over and over again where our young people are just taking their own life away by committing suicide,” he said.

“We now know there has been a committee set up to look into this issue and hopefully to avoid any of this happening anymore. It is something we are not going to point fingers at but is one thing in life that we should all come together and find means and ways to stop it.”

He acknowledged the $30,000 appropriation for the Youth Suicide Prevention Forum in the supplementary budget.

“I appreciate this allocation for this particular area but my hope is that it will continue and not be just for now,” he said.

Rakahanga MP Taunga Toka later re-visited the issue of suicide.

“Last year I accompanied the deputy speaker to New Zealand and our visit was in regards to a forum hosted for HIV. During my time at this forum I met a senator from Australia... I had the opportunity to query and raise questions to her in regards to our young people. She assured me that the suicide issue is not confined to the Cook Islands – it’s a worldwide matter.

“When she went back to Australia at the beginning of the year, she sent me an email. The email highlighted ways of assisting our young people and our elders. She started talking about an organisation which they revived in Australia – the objective of the organisation is to look at the livelihood of young people. They are known today as ‘Reach Out’.

“I’m not sure where we are in terms of progressing this issue, but I believe that this organisation and this initiative in Australia can assist our young people, girls and boys in the Cook Islands.

“I have the address for this organisation and I will make it available to anybody who is interested in it, including the honourable members, so you can start making contact with this organisation to see how best they can help our young people.”

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Heavy road works underway

Thu
23 Feb

Heavy machinery began ripping up the road in Nikao yesterday as part of the $2.9 million road upgrade. 12022218

Heavy machinery tearing up the main road in Nikao. 12022220

The old road surface in Nikao is making way for new tarmac, with heavy machinery now out in full force and in action.

Motorists heading west on the main road are being diverted through the airport during this first stage of road laying as workers from T&M Heather and Triad Petroleum set about ripping up the old surface.

The work is part of a $2.9 million project officially known as the Rarotonga Road Network Improvement.

The work will move along 2.7 kilometres of road from the Aquarius Pacific Motel in Panama to Pokoinu Road in Nikao.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane until the work is completed by its anticipated deadline in April.

The road will be ripped up and replaced in 200-metre long sections over the stretch of road.

Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning’s Joe Akaruru said the work would be scheduled around peak traffic periods but warned that people travelling through the area should expect delays.

Akaruru said the ministry would consider extending working periods to the early hours if necessary and that it would monitor the progress of work to determine if that was necessary.

Since the work officially began earlier this month, labourers have been completing preparatory work on water pipes and cesspits in the area.

The project is being funded with money secured under the Asian Development Bank. It is hoped the work will eventually take in the main road in its entirety.

Once this section of work is complete, the ministry will begin looking at ‘Project City’ which will see new road surfaces and water pipes laid in the town area.

• Eric Parnis

 




 

New pier used for the first time

Thu
23 Feb

One by one, rocks come together in the Avatiu harbour’s new rock wall that will stretch from the wharf area to the western marina. 12022217

The new section of Avatiu harbour pier is being used for the first time for international cargo shipping operations.

The Southern Express came into port yesterday morning and docked further along the wharf than it typically would.

It’s good news for port-watchers, but also good news for the development of Avatiu harbour.

Constructors this month signed off on the second stage of the harbour project and began work on stage three.

A new stretch of harbour front is now available to international shipping companies a little further south of where they usually dock.

MacDow labourers have now moved north, to begin the third and final stage of the wharf’s redevelopment.

Gone will be the bend that defined the old wharf with a straight, new front to be built in its place.

Gone too is a Ports Authority building, known as ‘shed two’ that was at the far end of the wharf.

Ports Authority general manager Nooroa ‘Bim’ Tou said labourers were now removing the old wharf and putting in pylons to support the new structure that will take shape over the coming months.

International shipping will return to the area once the new facilities are in place but, for now, they will be further along the harbour and closer to the main land.

Although a fuel carrier had earlier used the new wharf, the Southern Express is the first international cargo vessel to make use of it.

Tou watched from his office as the Express was slowly positioned along the wharf.

He said he is pleased with the project’s progress, which is continuing on budget and on schedule.

“August is the contract completion date and the project completion date is for the end of July. We’re still working towards that,” Tou said.

On the western side of the harbour, heavy machinery is shifting large rocks along the foreshore between the marina and the harbour proper.

The rocks will make part of a protective wall which has been designed to help dissipate wave energy as it enters the harbour.

Tou said the workers there faced an earlier-than-expected test this year when heavy weather and high tides pounded Rarotonga late in January.

Harbour workers were called in to put in a temporary wall during that period to prevent any erosion to the land.

Tou said those rocks were now out of the water and the new wall was taking shape as planned.

After stage three, there is one more phase to the harbour project to complete.

With the wharf complete by that time, the work will then move to the harbour’s floor.

Dredges are expected to arrive at Rarotonga during April in preparation for that work. Until then, the existing wharf front will slowly disappear, making way for the new facilities.

• Eric Parnis

 




 

Air Rarotonga fleet expands

Thu
23 Feb

Air Rarotonga’s newly-acquired Embraer Bandeirante will be introduced into the airline’s fleet in July. Inset: The Southern Express delivers a second-hand aircraft which will be used for spares. / 47 12022249

Air Rarotonga’s fleet has expanded to take in two additional aircraft.

The domestic airline has taken delivery of two additional Embraer Bandeirante to Rarotonga over the past week.

The first flew in from Sydney last week after stopping en-route in Noumea, Fiji and Niue for fuel.

The aircraft was prepared for delivery in Australia by a local Air Rarotonga engineering team led by Manase Pureau.

Managing director Ewan Smith said the aircraft will be introduced to the fleet in July and will allow the airline to offer more flexible charter capability throughout the Cook Islands.

The second aircraft arrived by ship in a dismantled condition and this airframe will be used as spares.

“The Air Rarotonga Bandeirante fleet has transported nearly one million inter-island passengers and the aircraft is ideal in size for our smaller outer island communities combined with the ruggedness required to handle coral airstrips” Smith said.

“While our Saab 340 provides the backbone of air services between Rarotonga and Aitutaki, we have ‘future proofed’ our Bandeirante fleet with the purchase of these two aircraft to provide many more years of scheduled service to the smaller communities along with medevac and charter.”

Embraer built 494 Bandeirantes in various configurations since the first was launched into commercial service in 1972.

In 2008, publication Flight International reported that 122 Bandeirantes remained in airline service across the world.

• EP/Release

 




 

Deputy enjoys Speaker’s job

Thu
23 Feb

12022238

Mauke MP Tai Tura has been filling in for Sir Geoffrey Henry this week, presiding over Parliament in his capacity as deputy speaker of the house.

Sir Geoffrey Henry is in New Zealand receiving medical attention and has been absent from Parliament House all week.

His family has confirmed that he is ill, and departed the Cook Islands early Tuesday morning. As yet he has no return ticket.

This week marks Tura’s first as acting speaker of the house.

The Mauke MP assumed the position of deputy speaker in July of last year, after former deputy speaker John Henry tendered his resignation.

Henry, the member of Parliament for Ruatonga and Avatiu, stepped down after he was chosen to be associate minister of internal affairs and finance and could no longer hold both titles.

Tura said at the opening of yesterday’s session that he was ‘enjoying’ presiding over Parliament.

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

George independent?

Thu
23 Feb

Teenui-Mapumai MP Norman George is not as independent as he makes out, according to Democratic Party President Sean Willis.

“Despite what George is saying, he was elected by the constituency as a member of the Cook Islands Party,” Willis said yesterday.

George made a statement last week declaring that he had rejoined the Democrat Party and has been voluble in his criticisms of the supplementary budget during the first two half-day sessions discussing the budget after a blow out for subsidising Air New Zealand routes through Rarotonga. He was absent from parliament yesterday without explanation.

However, according to Willis, George remains a member of the Cook Islands Party.

“The anti party hopping legislation means that he needs to support government on confidence and supply, which he clearly did on Tuesday. Until this issue has been clarified he cannot join our party.”

So far the CIP has not called on the anti party hopping legislation which was incorporated into the Electoral Act in a 2007 amendment but would only have grounds for a complaint under the legislation if George failed to support the government on confidence issues and the budget.

Sean Willis believes that in George’s case time will tell.

“So far we are waiting to see. It’s up to the CIP.”

Prime Minister Henry Puna in an interview with the CINews refused to be drawn on questions relating to the wayward MP, commenting only that George had supported the bill despite his criticisms.

• Peter Campbell

 




 

Budget support ‘beautiful’

Thu
23 Feb

Opposition MP Taunga Toka of Rakahanga has pledged his support for the government’s supplementary budget.

“We all know, especially those who own businesses, what it is like to start a business,” Taunga started. “For example, when you initiate your business you need to set a timeframe.  By about the third or fourth year you should be able to determine the status and the progress of your business. In this regard we all know that the government was in opposition for 10 years before they came into government. They should have been able to determine how they were going to administer and operate the country.

“Despite all this discussion we must keep in mind that when you start a business, guaranteed you will never achieve everything that you have projected. I’ve been there.

“When I returned to the Cook Islands I set myself up to work and run a pearl farm for five years. During that five years I purchased ropes and all the material that I required to start my business. However, I was not all that successful because of natural phenomenon – there were things that were beyond our control and that’s exactly what the government of the day is going through.

“There were things you planned would happen and there are things you didn’t expect, and therefore I would like to commend the government in this appropriation which our people are not totally happy with, but we can’t help it.”

Toka’s speech prompted facetious cheering from the CIP government given he supported the budget as a member of the opposition. Finance minister Mark Brown said his words were ‘beautiful’.

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Supplementary budget passed, parliament adjourns

Thu
23 Feb

The third day in parliament for 2012 was rushed – it was also the final day of the first sitting.

Prime Minister Henry Puna’s government pushed through the supplementary budget with little resistance from the opposition.

Finance Minister Mark Brown, speaking in parliament shortly before the bill’s second reading, reiterated that the current government is responsible. “The areas which government controls are operating well and we would have a surplus of $2.1 million.

“It only took one invoice to do this. We haven’t cut costs or dug into the reserves. Our 2012-2013 budget will be back in surplus.”

Brown also defended the government from criticism that it had been spending too much on travel.

“In 2008-09 the government spent $400,000 on travel, our government this year will have spent $250,000 and maintained a high overseas presence at the same time.”

The government also intended to continue looking at ways to stimulate the economy.

“It is difficult to get loans for business here. We have been discussing with Sam Knowles, the former CEO of Kiwibank, to look at the role of banks and the cost of interest in the Cook Islands,” said Brown.

He also said that the support for select committees was vital to ensure financial transparency.

“At the moment we have a lot of reports coming into parliament, but often parliament isn’t sitting and so the reports wait until they are out of date. These reports are not used. The financial select committees will be able to respond to these reports immediately, they can decide to publish them, act on the recommendations or wait for parliament. It will increase transparency.”

Prime Minister Henry Puna told CINews after the adjournment that he was working on other legislation.

“Parliament will sit in June for the budget. I hope we will be able to sit earlier. We are currently working on new legislation which I hope will be ready in a month or two.”

• Peter Campbell

 




 

Whip offers to help pa enua

Thu
23 Feb

George Maggie Angene. 12022225

Cook Islands Party whip George Maggie Angene sought funding for the roads and beautification of Tupapa-Maraerenga in Parliament yesterday.

“I’d like to ask you to increase my constituency’s fund because I have more voters in my constituency compared to any of you. I also would like you to increase Aunty Mau’s constituency’s fund but make sure mine is more than hers,” he said to his fellow members.

He talked about the work he has done for his constituency and the support he has pledged for the construction of a grandstand at the village’s rugby field.

“If you can’t see what I’m doing, you must be blind,” he said in Cook Islands Maori.

Angene then asked government to pay him to travel to the pa enua, where he can be of further service.

“I’m inviting you to set aside to enable me to travel throughout the Cook Islands so I can help our people,” he said.

He promised his constituents that he will make sure government cuts trees in Tupapa-Maraerenga in the near future, but urged them to have patience, as he is awaiting further information from the minister of infrastructure and planning.

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Fence to ‘keep stormin Norman’ out

Thu
23 Feb

Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen was in good humour yesterday. 12022234

In jest cabinet minister Teina Bishop raised concerns in Parliament about something that has been ‘bugging’ him for ‘many months’.

He noted that in past years, the opposition office has been open ‘at any time’ and that market-goers have been ‘most welcome’ to park at the opposition office on Saturday mornings.

“Now I see there’s a very strong, sturdy gate erected – I’m just wondering what is the logic behind this? Is it to stop our people out or is it to lock them (the opposition) in opposition forever?” Bishop asked.

Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen addressed the question on behalf of the Democratic Party.

“The opposition is known as the Queen’s royal opposition. When you and I were in England, in London, we went to see Buckingham Palace and there’s a gate in front of Buckingham Palace that prevents people from entering into the palace in case, you know, they harm the Queen.

“So the new fence that was put in front of the opposition office is a symbolic sign, a gesture that we respect the principle of being the royal opposition of the Cook Islands.”

Amidst chuckles from the house he further suggested that the government consider taking the opposition – the ‘royal opposition’ – to the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations later this year.

Finance minister Mark Brown later added his two cents, raising a question of whether the fence was erected to keep the public out or to “keep stormin’ Norman from barging into the leadership nomination”.

Rasmussen said that when the opposition office’s lease expires, the Cook Islands Party can deal with the fallout because by that time the Democratic Party will be in government.

“I think what’s more important for the government to know is that by coincidence this afternoon I met with the landowner, Joseph Vakitini, who said to me the place where the opposition office is and the BTIB office has only two years to run the lease and he wants the land back.

“His vision is there should be a double-story building built on both sections and after it’s completed the opposition goes into its side of the building and BTIB goes into its side of the building and the bottom is retail shops.

“So I told the chief to go and see the prime minister and hassle the prime minster about getting his land back. The opposition will now begin to look for a much more appropriate premises for the opposition and that’s in the government house in the back in Parekura. That means by 2014-2015 we will be taking over the government and taking it back in the appropriate premises.”

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Opposition calls budget ‘irresponsible’

Thu
23 Feb

Nukuroa MP Tangata Vavia called last year’s budget ‘irresponsible’ in Parliament yesterday. Directing a question to finance minister Mark Brown, Vavia raised the issue of government’s withholding tax, which was imposed in an effort to generate $1 million in revenue.

“After looking through the supplementary budget and the revenue on behalf of the crown, it shows here that so far $586,000 (has been raised). That’s a shortfall of $414,000,” Vavia said.

“When we debated this item in the last budget, the opposition argued strongly that the calculations in achieving the million dollars would not be achieved, therefore the budget of last year is financially and fiscally irresponsible.

“We also cautioned that this might just cause a flow of money leaving our shores and of course it could possibly be affecting investment in our country.”

Vavia asked the finance minister to explain whether the tax has affected investment levels in the Cook Islands. He then challenged the government to withdraw the withholding tax from next year’s budget.

Finance minister Mark Brown defended the budget as ‘very responsible’, noting that the withholding tax has not prompted a massive outflow of capital from local banks.

“The (honourable member) claims that the budget we passed last year is an irresponsible budget due to the introduction of the withholding tax and the numbers that we have projected in our budget.

“On the contrary, our budget that we passed was very responsible. The (honourable member) has asked a question whether this tax has had an effect on investment into our country.

“Does this mean that (he) is more concerned about foreign investors coming in and buying business or setting up business in our country than our concern as the government in terms of producing a responsible budget?

“In short, our banking statistics I can assure the members of this honourable house show that there has been no significant departure of money leaving our shores.

“Furthermore the banking statistics that I have on hand show that our deposits in our banks have not declined.”

Brown acknowledged Vavia’s challenge to government to take the withholding tax out of the budget.

“I responded previously, and I will respond again, that once the sun sets over the Toagate payments that this country is forced to make every year as a result of the decisions of the previous government – then this withholding tax will cease.

“I’d like to point out again that this withholding tax is not aimed at our small savers, at our little people. The people most affected by this particular tax are those who have significant sums of money sitting in our bank earning interest, earning income, and not being taxed on it. “I can probably count on the fingers of my hand the number of customers who pay the bulk of this withholding tax into the holding account.”

Brown added that he is “more than happy” to answer questions about the withholding tax.

“But let us make sure we stick to the facts of the matter and not to the hysteria surrounding some of these issues.”

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

New leader gets official nod

Thu
23 Feb

Wilkie Rasmussen has been officially confirmed as the new Leader of the Opposition following Monday’s announcement that he will take over the role from Robert Wigmore, says Democratic Party President Sean Willis.

This was formalised through a party caucus agreement this week and announced on Monday at the opening of parliament for 2012.

Willis said the change came with Wigmore’s express blessings. Wigmore has been serving as opposition leader since June 2010.

“Wigmore, who has been undergoing medical treatment, fully supported a change to give effect to the party’s full participation in the parliamentary process, and ongoing policy programme of the Democratic Party,” Willis said in a statement handed to Cook Islands News yesterday.

‘The support of the caucus members in opposition was achieved at a special meeting on Monday, February 21, and the support for the Tongareva Member and Deputy Leader of the party to assume the top position was unanimous.”

Willis said the change of leadership represented a natural choice for the members as well as the continuance of the dignity and humility brought to the role by Wigmore, who he described as being a highly respected parliamentarian and leader.

The elevation of Rasmussen to the leadership role will be subject to deliberations and endorsement of the Party Conference later this year when delegates meet to decide on the position of Democratic Party Leader.

Until then, Wigmore will officially remain as party leader.

• Eric Parnis

 




 

Claims of irresponsible spending ‘unfounded’

Thu
23 Feb

Finance minister Mark Brown defended the supplementary budget yesterday in Parliament, accusing the opposition of making ‘gross overstatements’ in its criticism of the Appropriation Amendment bill.

“Under the laws of the MFEM Act this budget that we are presenting is a responsible budget. It’s responsible because we are not making any rash decisions.

“Those areas of the government we control – we can see that government departments are working very well within their financial mandate. We can see from the financial reports that are coming through that government operations – those are under our control – would have yielded for us a $2 million surplus this year. It took only one bill, one invoice from one supplier, to turn that surplus into a deficit, as we’re all aware.

“We didn’t cut our expenditures, we didn’t cut the ministries’ money and we didn’t dip into our reserves of $5 million which we currently have sitting in the bank. We have time to assess our situation in the next budget and we are committed to ensuring that the 2012-2013 budget will be one in surplus.

“In the news these last few months has been a lot of criticism over the number of meetings that ministers attend internationally. I don’t recall in previous years the same level of criticism coming through the media and yet when we look at past allocations for international travel, 2008-2009 was allocated over $400,000, 2009-2010, $378,000 and in the previous year when we had a government of six who very rarely travelled was an allocation of $250,000 and yet with the high profile ministers have managed to lift our country to internationally in their attendance and active part in international meetings, our budget was the same – $250,000.

“So the claims of irresponsible spending by this government are unfounded.”

• Rachel Reeves

 




 

Govt to develop marine resources in north

Thu
23 Feb

Opposition Leader Wilkie Rasmussen raised the first question in yesterday’s session of Parliament, opening by joking that usually “independent pro-CIP member” Norman George is the first to rise. Given George’s absence from the House, Rasmussen said he would “reluctantly” do the honours instead.

In a question to minister of marine resources Teina Bishop, he sought an explanation and elaboration of the Ministry of Marine Resources’ plan to develop the marine resources of some northern group islands.

“We are aware that government has allocated in the appropriation of $200,000 for the various fishing organisations on various islands, (and) fisheries sections in Manihiki and Rakahanga are being strengthened through this allocation,” Bishop started.

“At the same time the marine commission is looking at the possibility of developing pearl farming on the island of Tongareva as it has noted that the pearl there has good quality, and the water of Tongareva would be able to provide better and larger pearls.

“On the sixth and the ninth of next month (March) a pearl consultant will be arriving and would like to meet with government and northern group members of parliament to hear your views on this particular issue on pearl farming and fishing.

“(A visiting team of consultants) will look at the possibility of raising bait in Tongareva and also to refill and offload fish.

“It was recommended that these consultants travel to the northern group but because of the cost of flights it has been decided they should meet here with all the members of parliament for discussion.”

• Rachel Reeves

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