Opinion

Toagate2 not hard to imagine

Monday 9 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Reuben Tylers searching questions in his letter in Saturdays CINews set alarm bells ringing which hopefully are peeling in MMRs ears! Toagate2 would be a blockbuster that would dwarf Toagate1. But instead of making our own favourite son rich, it would put millions into the foreign purse seiners. Imagine the scenario: In the […]

Reigning in the purse seiners

Monday 9 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

Very clever of Cook Islands News putting a picture of Joe Cocker next to the headline Guard our precious marine resources in Saturday’s paper, a smoke signaller playfully writes. Who could resist finding out why Cocker had an opinion on our marine activities? Turns out it was an article by Reuben Tylor and an excellent […]

Singing an old tune

Saturday 7 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

A month ago on being appointed chairman of the board of Cook Islands Investment Corporation, Julian Dashwood said politics will not be part of his game in office, a smoke signaller writes. Now hes singing a different tune and is back to square one singing the age-old national tune of the Cook Islands: Me e […]

Kata - May 7, 2011

Saturday 7 May 2011 | Published in Kata

Good on BTIB

Saturday 7 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Congratulations to the BTIB! I read with interest yesterdays CINews article on the BTIB refusal to approve a foreign company registration application due to the lack of local involvement in their harbour works contract. What a ray of sunshine! We must now all carefully watch our new look Government to ensure they do […]

Money waiting for landowners

Saturday 7 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, For the sake of reassuring the 242 landowners who have right of claim to their money being held in their land trust account at this office, I wish to note that your article is misleading where it states that the Registrar is not paying the money to the landowners. That is incorrect. The […]

Guard our precious marine resources

Saturday 7 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

I expressed my concerns at the proposal to issue exploratory licences for purse seining when it was first announced. Since then we have had the benefit of further explanations from Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) both in the newspaper and at public meetings, Ipukarea Societys TV programme on the poor state of Pacific fishing resources, […]

Kata - May 6, 2011

Friday 6 May 2011 | Published in Kata

Whats going on?

Friday 6 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wait with baited breath for the next gripping episode of the long running soap opera to appear on our media screens The rise and fall and rise of the short hom. What is going on in this longrunning saga ….or have we just lost the plot? Isnt it time that the Police […]

Well done team

Friday 6 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As a cataract patient I write to express my appreciation of the splendid work being done by the volunteer eye specialist team from New Zealand. Not only are their dedication and skills apparent, but their informal, cheerful approach on a first name basis immediately puts apprehensive patients at ease. The local population should […]

No holding back

Friday 6 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I note Julian Dashwood, the new Chairman for the CIIC Board, deliberately deflected what really happened with the sacking of Piltz Napa from the Te Aponga Uira Board. Brave man, our Julian, a political appointee himself he would be first to admit it. For Julian and all other interested readers including anxious Democratic […]

Not convicted

Thursday 5 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In yesterdays CINews mention was made about my client Matangaro Lang, being convicted of breaching a non molestation order. Although the J.P. found her guilty on the evidence before her, she did not convict her of the charge. Instead my client was discharged without conviction and ordered to come up for sentence if […]

SS Maitai designers turning in graves

Thursday 5 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Yesterday I wrote to you on a serious matter of defamation. Today I am writing to you on an even more serious matter your blatant…. ongoing… gratuitous…. unforgivable… inexplicable… refusal to embrace elementary aspects of marine engineering as they relate to the description of the component parts of steamship propulsion systems. Yes, I […]

Kata - May 5, 2011

Thursday 5 May 2011 | Published in Kata

Allegation outrageous

Wednesday 4 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Last Saturday the Cook Islands News reported on the Yvonne Quarter jail sentence. The article included outrageous, and unsubstantiated allegations against other staff members of our company. I find this an appalling and contemptuous piece of journalism. Here are some facts. Yvonne Quarter stole in excess of $75,000 from our company in a […]

Kata - May 4, 2011

Wednesday 4 May 2011 | Published in Kata

Kata - May 3, 2011

Tuesday 3 May 2011 | Published in Kata

Reasons for exploratory fishing not good enough

Tuesday 3 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The MMR public consultation on exploratory fishing was a big disappointment for me. With all the media hype involved, I was expecting the Pukapuka hostel to be full! In fact, no offence, but there were more ex-pats there than our local Maori people. To make matters worse, the presentation was all in English […]

A setback for democracy

Tuesday 3 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The recent subterfuge in Parliament to plunk MP Norman George before the Privileges Committee has not surprised me that it would fertile incense, repartee and debate. Friends and strangers who have visited, rung and stopped by for a chat, fervently expressed coherent comments and opinions in the negative. Standing Orders 37 & 38 […]

Tax trumps MMRs $4M

Tuesday 3 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

The report that the Ministry of Marine Resources will make $4 million was probably designed to impress, writes a smoke in response to a front page article in Saturdays CI News. Not so it was a pathetic endeavour to gloss over the bad administration over the last few years. I bet MMR gave the story […]