Opinion

Police Commissioners response welcomed

Wednesday 15 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am grateful to the Police Commissioner for his warm reaction to the setting up of an Independent Police Complaints Authority, in a letter published June 11. It has been effectively in place in New Zealand for nearly 30 years. This covers all kinds of complaints against the police which includes in the […]

Student in search of a legend

Wednesday 15 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, My name is Ngatokotoru Tomokino and I am a current second year student at a performing arts school in Auckland , New Zealand. Im in the process of making a piece of theatre based on the legend Katikati. But I seem to have hit a road block. There is limited information about her […]

Trip cost not out of taxpayers pocket

Wednesday 15 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write in reply to the Smoke Signal article on the Tahiti agriculture trip surprises, published on June 11. The writer showed a clear misunderstanding of the facts. The initiative to travel to Tahiti came from the keen growers on Rarotonga who are more than happy to purchase their own air tickets not […]

Mineral millions still just a dream

Wednesday 15 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor At this point in time the dream about the billions of dollars we will earn from mining our manganese nodules is just that, a dream! And yet we are willing to spend big money on experts and a proposed bureaucracy that will get us no closer to realising that dream. The biggest obstacle […]

ANZ working for solution

Wednesday 15 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

We would like to respond to the letter that appeared on Tuesday June 14 titled: Give the borrowers a fair go. This is an extremely unfortunate situation for all parties involved. A company that was intended to provide a kit-set home to our customer was put into liquidation through no fault of the customer or […]

Country back in begging mode

Tuesday 14 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller looks at recent news headlines from another angle: Prime Minister Puna gets funding and assistance for infrastructure etc direct from the Auckland City Council: wow, fantastic now the council rates will go up even more in Auckland, directly hitting all Cook Islanders who live there and are already struggling with a tightening […]

No case against the Atiu Warrior

Tuesday 14 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have been reading with interest the articles relating to the so called contempt of Parliament proceedings by the Privileges Committee against the Atiu warrior, Norman George. My first concern is that as far as I can see from the Electoral Amendment Act 2007 s105A under the heading of Party Integrity; any MP […]

Give the borrowers a fair go

Tuesday 14 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor The TVNZ One News broadcast during the weekend relating to the ill-treatment of a Cook Islands couple who had borrowed funds from ANZ bank to build their so-called dream home on Rarotonga, is both very disturbing and extremely concerning. From the TVNZ news segment relating to this specific story, it is clearly evident […]

Is conservation a priority for NES?

Tuesday 14 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have been helping my child with an assignment called Wetlands for Healthy Islands (the theme of this years Lagoon Day), and we were referred to the National Environment Services (NES) website for answers to the questions. After reading about wetlands on their website and a bit on the Environment Act 2003, I […]

What price do we put on culture?

Monday 13 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes to TXT188 about the stage production based on the legend of Pipirima, the inseparable twins, which may end up being a single performance due to the venue cost: We should have another showing of Once Upon a Reef its awesome. If we need money, lets fundraise and get sponsors. Come on […]

Rarotonga a great holiday destination

Monday 13 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have recently returned from a holiday in Rarotonga. We had a really great time, the people were friendly and helpful wherever we went. I was impressed how clean the place was with not a lot of plastic bags that seem to cover Fiji when you leave the resorts there. Will be back […]

No need to wait for authority

Saturday 11 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I refer to Norman Georges letter to the editor in your paper dated, 3 June 2011, asking government to introduce a Police Complaints Authority which is probably a good idea. However, I would like to assure members of the community and visitors that they do not need to wait for one to be […]

Best detectives still serving

Saturday 11 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Katas cartoon in your paper of 3 June 2011, referred to my best detective being charged for smoking pot. I categorically refute this and would like to assure members of our community including our visitors that my best detectives are still serving with me, and working tirelessly and to the best of their […]

Akonoia te motu Maina Iti

Saturday 11 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Ki te Editor Kare rava au e rekareka ana i teia aronga kite surfing rubbish e te akatu are ki Maina Iti. Ko Maina Iti ko Maina atupaka rai ia its part of big Maina. Noai ma teia motu no matou ma atu enua- Elia family 7 acres yes I am a land owner- Avei […]

Tahiti ag trip surprises

Saturday 11 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

There was plenty of head shaking from some readers yesterday in reaction to the news that the minister of agriculture wants to take a delegation to Tahiti to look at how they grow things that we already know how to grow here. Its great that the minister is open about the plans, says one smoke […]

Different interpretation of genealogy

Saturday 11 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Referring to Yolande Brownes letter of May 22, we are also from the Tangiia Nui you are talking about. People have different stories of Tangiia Nui. He is known to the Manihikian, the Rangiatea and Raiatea as Te Mata O Uhenga. I am from the Ukarau Arera lines on my Pukapuka and Aitutakian […]

Cruise ships berth waste of money

Friday 10 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Wow, work is getting underway at the wharf but when I asked someone what was it for he said it was for the cruise ships, so the cruise ships can berth and turn around. I thought to myself, what a waste of money building a pathway for cruise ships to turn around. Havent […]

Public relations needed

Friday 10 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Because the results of the Cook Islands vs. Fiji game had not been announced on the radio for the whole of Wednesday unlike the wins against PNG and Samoa, I called the CISNOC office on Thursday morning eager to find out how they did. But, to my surprise, the response from the person […]

Kata - June 9, 2011

Thursday 9 June 2011 | Published in Kata

Paper wasps: Not as bad as they look

Thursday 9 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Rarotonga residents who recently have been ducking and sidestepping frisky wasps will be happy that the large number of these insects has dwindled in the past fortnight. After the tropical depression brought high winds and rain to the Southern Cooks last month, the following sunny weather in turn brought the wasps out in very large […]