Opinion

Is NES telling the truth?

Wednesday 8 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The answer from the Environment Service to my letter about the mud and possible sewage running down the road on hospital hill is unbelievable, Buried waste a public heath risk, published June 2. Is Vavia Tangatataia trying to say those two big mud flows didnt happen? I wasnt talking about some old dry […]

Good television needed

Tuesday 7 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, How boring it is to see nothing at all interesting on CITV. All through the day we see Australia network and after 11 pm we see Australia network again -wow. Whats the point of Computer Man paying for the same old advertisement with the same old special on a phone which is selling […]

A message we dont want to hear

Tuesday 7 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor The hermit crab article in Saturdays paper Ecosystems deserve some consideration was a thought provoking story. Even I, who knows the issues, dont want to hear that I need to think more broadly when I crave ariri, paua or eke! People just wont stop eating their traditional food especially when it is so […]

Were a car dumping ground

Tuesday 7 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

While the world automotive industry re-tools for hybrids and electric drive trains, most every ship landing in the Cook Islands brings a load of petrol-guzzling monsters designed for cheap petrol and 100kph road speeds, a smoke signaller writes. We continue to be on the list of ignorant Third World countries that serve as the dumping […]

Rarotonga the black pearl of Pacific

Saturday 4 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Referring to the letter We like to enjoy our waves as they are published on May 21 and others on the subject of surf tours. I was not showing a one-way attitude I was just talking about the types of accommodations that tourists like to live in. I did not put down the […]

Why is there state censorship?

Saturday 4 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I cant understand why in Fiji there is still state censorship of the media and restriction on free speech four and half years after the 2006 coup? That might be the post coup regimes way of shaping a better Fiji but it is not a very convincing way, is it? I think it […]

Hats off to Ngateina Rani

Saturday 4 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, With all the media coverage of the Mauke water project success, I take my hat off for to the project manager, Ngateina Rani. Congratulations for the excellent accomplishment of this water project and the effort you have made. You have made us really proud and shows that you able to prove your academic […]

Go Golden Girls!

Saturday 4 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Congratulations to our chosen golden girls representing us in Papua New Guinea, a smoke signaller writes to TXT188 about our national netball squad that headed overseas on Wednesday night to compete in the Pacific Netball Series. Go girls, make us proud out there. Do what you can. Win or lose, you guys already make us […]

Kata - June 3, 2011

Friday 3 June 2011 | Published in Kata

Scared to be in Rarotonga

Friday 3 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am very concerned a month after an elderly mans death CI News has confronted the police with information that he could have been murdered, with Thursdays story Death may be probed. There have been reports of Operation Eagle day in day out but nothing at all about a murder. A few years […]

Butts: love them or hate them?

Friday 3 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: While were on the topic of trying to stamp out smoking, maybe the Government should look at having a law to impose an instant fine against the smokers that flick their disgusting butts and ashes out of their vehicles (or bike) while driving, into the face of the poor bike rider […]

Police complaints authority needed

Friday 3 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, While we all congratulate the Police with their results in Operation Eagle, there are other areas of great concern to me. On Thursday it was reported that the Police Commissioner was considering reopening the cause of death of a man in Matavera last week, Death may be probed. When a body displays a […]

Kata - June 2, 2011

Thursday 2 June 2011 | Published in Kata

Give free patches to help quit

Thursday 2 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

I note with interest that Government and the Ministry of Health are trying to stamp out smoking, a smoke signaller writes. Why, with the high tax collected on cigarettes, is the ministry not providing FREE patches for any smoker who wants to stop? The revenue collected by way of tax needs to be directed to […]

Card seller has bully beef

Wednesday 1 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Not all retailers are delighted at being turned over by Telecom, a smoke signaller writes in response to yesterdays smokie on E-Cards. Switching from 20 percent to 7 percent margin is only part of the problem. Providing till-roll, internet and increased shopkeeper time (now most of the transactions are at the $5 level) means that […]

Unhappy over surf mission

Wednesday 1 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, What a deal for wanting to do a good thing! The aim of the recent two week surf mission was to introduce the Australian people to the beauty of the Cook Islands through a Track Magazine article, to be produced within the next three months. Businesses in the Cook Islands were keen to […]

Much potential in eGovernment

Wednesday 1 June 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Until recently, the main drivers internationally for e-government have been efficiency gains and effective delivery of policy outcomes. The focus has now shifted to other objectives such as improving services, increasing accountability and facilitating engagement with the public. I was encouraged by the statements made by Finance Minister Mark Brown in Saturdays paper […]

Kata - May 31, 2011

Tuesday 31 May 2011 | Published in Kata

Slippery, smelly, steep slope

Monday 30 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Over the last few years we have been doing early morning fitness walks up hospital hill. In the past when we got about three-quarters of the way up we often used to walk through the delightful smell of raw sewage wafting down from the hospitals septic tanks. Now a large area of hillside […]

Kite-surfers, tread lightly

Monday 30 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I have just returned from a week in Aitutaki – my fifth visit there. I spent two days on the beautiful lagoon. I visited Honeymoon Island and was extremely disturbed to see construction taking place on this island amongst the nesting ground of the Red-Tailed Tern. To hear that the kite-surfing championships, in […]