National
Dole is the problem in NZ
Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National
Lawyer Iaveta Short said at yesterday’s summit that the Cook Islands has ‘a problem in New Zealand’ – its people living on the dole. He said that Cook Islanders living in New Zealand and Australia are becoming too accustomed to living on government welfare, which means that “soon we will have a population returning who […]
Vaka vision shared
Thursday 14 April 2011 | Published in National
An Auckland-based group of Cook Islanders has a vision to repatriate Cook Islanders, set them up with accommodation and provide them with business opportunities. “We’re your human capital,” speaker Ina Michael said on behalf of Cook Islanders living abroad. He said nearly 60,000 Cook Islanders live in New Zealand, and 60% are in Auckland. The […]
Missing hats a mystery
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in Local
Twelve beautiful woven rito hats have gone walkabout. Since January, Penrhyn woman Manongi Latham has been carefully weaving a batch of hats to send to her sister on Rarotonga. The 12 shell-studded hats were meant to travel with a Titikaveka group on an upcoming trip to Tahiti. Over a week ago, Manongi loaded the hats […]
'We talk too much'
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in Local
Lawyer Iaveta Short issued a challenge to government at the Economic Development Summit yesterday, and when he concluded his brief speech the National Auditorium burst into applause. “In my view the biggest problem for the Cook Islands is we talk too much,” he said. “If we can convert the discussions in the papers from paper […]
'Be nimble and flexible'
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in Local
Prime Minister Henry Puna believes the smallness of the Cook Islands is a huge advantage as it faces the future. In a rally call at the opening of yesterday’s two-day Economic Summit, Puna said the country must change the way it does business. He said in recent years the Cook Islands economy has contracted by […]
Meeting Mr Zumba
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
Tai Ngari and Puai Wichman of Fitness Revolution are pictured with the creator and guru of the Zumba craze Beto Perez. The local Fitness Revolution owners met Perez while in Auckland attending a special Master Class of Zumba. The Cook Islands’ version of Zumba was showcased at the special session and it certainly caught the […]
National football champs kicking off
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
The 5th National Youth Football Championship will kick off at the CIFA complex this Saturday April 16 and will run for one week with the finals on Saturday April 23. Teams from the outer islands of Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mauke and Mitiaro will start arriving today for the one-week tournament. They will be joined by […]
'Wait for nothing'
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
Contrary to popular thinking, knowledge is not power, says self-made millionaire Mike Pero who grew up in one of the poorest suburbs of Christchurch. “Action of knowledge is power,” he said referring to the Framework for Economic Growth submitted at the Economic Summit by the Task Force yesterday. Pero, who is part Cook Islands Maori, […]
Copyright laws are ineffectual
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
The global creative industry generates US$424b annually, though developing countries the world over find tapping into its potential difficult – particularly those without stringent intellectual property controls, like the Cook Islands. At yesterday’s Economic Development Summit, Vaitoti Tupa raised the issue with the creative industry session panel comprised of Te Tika Mataiapo Dorice Reid, culture […]
Passion to protect and grow creativity
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
The panel that presided over the cultural and creative industry session of the National Economic Development Summit yesterday fielded a broad range of questions from people in the public and private sectors who had one thing in common: a vision to grow the Cook Islands creative industry. The wide range of questions reflects the breadth […]
'Decrease' public service
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
The government needs to downsize the public service to free up money to pay for some of the 250 specific actions named by the Economic Task Force as necessary to grow the economy sustainably. Eddie Drollet, an economist from the Democratic Party, says the Budget Policy Statement is full of grand ideas but it’s ‘all […]
New accreditation system underway
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
A new accreditation system is being considered by Tourism Cook Islands (TCI) to ensure tourism industry providers maintain acceptable standards. TCI chief executive Carmel Beattie says the new system could be in place within the next few months. She responded to questions yesterday from members of the public about whether checks were in place to […]
Outer islands a tourism focus
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
Cook Islands cuisine needs to be improved and promoted to the world in order to expand annual visitor numbers to the country and provide local jobs, particularly in outer islands, those at yesterday’s national economic development summit were told. More than 200 people attended the tourism session of the summit, which will conclude today at […]
Departure tax leaves a lasting impression
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
Air New Zealand will re-consider including departure tax into airfares from the Cook Islands, as a means of encouraging visitors to return. The airline’s Cook Islands manager, David Bridge was a panellist during yesterday’s tourism session of the national economic development summit. Questions from the floor arose in respect of departure tax during the session, […]
Setting realistic and essential targets
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
A balanced framework for the future is what the Economic Task Force has tried to deliver, said chairman John Tierney in a welcome address at yesterday’s Economic Summit opening. He said the Cook Islands needs a stable, open, competitive, globally connected economy – while modernising attitudes in favour of educated, healthy, skilled, competitive Cook Islanders […]
Swiss envoy visits Cooks
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
Her Excellency Marion Krupski (above) will visit the Cook Islands from April 13 to 16 to present her credentials to the Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin. Ambassador Krupski is head of mission at the Swiss Embassy in Wellington and is concurrently accredited to New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu and Samoa. The Cook Islands and Switzerland […]
Ocean Sun preparing to sail
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
Shipping company operator Tapi Taio hopes his new vessel Ocean Sun will make its voyage to the Cook Islands from Norway in a few months, although an exact arrival date is not known. At present the ship’s captain Nubono Tebano and engineer Tevita Vakasavi are living on the ship while they get it ready to […]
'Scrap outdated and broken scheme'
Wednesday 13 April 2011 | Published in National
The Chamber of Commerce considers the government’s Employer’s Liability Insurance scheme outdated and broken and wants it replaced with commercial insurers. Passed in 1965, the ELI act which established the workers compensation scheme hasn’t been reviewed for over 20 years or “updated to reflect modern conditions”, says chamber president Steve Anderson. ELI is administered by […]
Vaka makes landfall in Tahiti
Tuesday 12 April 2011 | Published in Local
Vaka Marumaru Atua arrived in Tahiti yesterday. Captain Peia Patai emailed an update to Cook Islands Voyaging Society president Ian Karika yesterday at 6.34am, reporting that the vaka was 35 nautical miles from Tahiti and on track to arrive before 2pm. Samoa vaka Matahi and Tahiti vaka Faafaite were expected to greet her and escort […]
Don't trash Punanga Nui!
Tuesday 12 April 2011 | Published in Local
A pile of residential green waste dumped alongside the stream at the Punanga Nui Market is the last straw for market manager Elmah McBirney, who is issuing a final warning to those who use the market place as a rubbish tip. McBirney says the large amount of green waste, which includes hedge clippings and other […]
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