Opinion

We can all breathe easy now

Monday 22 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Congratulations CIP we have won the world cup, pushing the forwards to score the winning try, and are waiting for the ref to blow the final whistle for the Pukapuka seat. Now the people of the Cook Islands can wait and see what changes can be made to the constitution. Can I make […]

Lack of choice is apparent

Monday 22 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Thank you, for responding to my thoughts on, ‘To Vote or Not to Vote that is the Question’. Firstly let me apologise for being anonymous. That was an oversight on my part; my name is Norman Mitchell Ngawaka: Tamatoa. That dealt with, I am sick of it too. The question is what are […]

May justice and democracy prevail always in the Cooks

Saturday 20 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As an electoral officer in the Nikao electorate I felt a great sense of injustice in the mentality of people such as ‘Sick of it’ (18/11 issue). These are people who choose not to exercise their individual rights; Yes, your right! But a right that many in the world were either persecuted, prosecuted, […]

Kata - November 20, 2010

Saturday 20 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Maggie for prime minister!

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writing to TXT188 reckons the election night results as ranked by popular vote should determine how the official appointments are allocated: “George Maggie, number of votes 386, prime minister; Mark Brown, 304 votes, deputy prime minister; Kiriau Turepu, 294 votes, senior cabinet minister; and so forth…” SmokeSignals: Now that’s a novel way […]

Aitutaki speaks

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, This latest election also served as a referendum on Sunday flights to Aitutaki. The Te Kura O Te Au party was formed by people who are opposed to Sunday flights to Aitutaki, and that was one of their major campaign issues. Looking at the total number of votes the candidates of that party […]

Congratulations CIP

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Firstly I would like to congratulate the CIP successful candidates especially the new blood. Yes, you have various challenges ahead of you but that is the name of the game. I would also like to extend my acknowledgement to the Demos, even though you had lost the battle. To our tumutoa George Maggie […]

Kata - November 19, 2010

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Swimming pool idea 'stupid'

Friday 19 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I can’t believe that anyone would actually consider such a stupid idea as a tidal swimming pool. These pools only work in places with a much larger difference between high and low tide. Here it can be less than a metre and that would not be enough to flush the water (pool will […]

Wow Jim, nice speech

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Sometimes when a person says some really dumb things, others automatically assume it’s the result of a few too many drinks. But in outgoing PM Jim Marurai’s case when interviewed on Radio Australia before the start of the election, maybe it was just he wanted to give his honest opinion, without considering the damage it […]

Kata - November 18, 2010

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Kata

It's my right not to vote

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, To vote on not to vote, that is the question. Thank God we live in a democracy. That means some of us can choose to vote, or choose not to vote, because that is our right. Yes, that’s right – the right not to vote if we so choose. This right was won […]

Island admin top heavy

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I refer to an article in the general news section about a visit by the CIP leader to Mitiaro. It highlighted an administration problem on the island between the island secretary, the island council and the people of Mitiaro. Now we have a similar problem in Mauke. Our biggest problem is with a […]

Superbug threat is real

Thursday 18 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am writing with concern regarding yesterday’s article ‘Superbug threats in NZ’. A Superbug is created when due to antibiotic resistance, antibiotics are no longer able to kill that bacteria, rendering it untreatable. It highlights the risk of infectious diseases and how we should be looking at ‘holistic approaches to combat’ bacterial and […]

Kata - November 17, 2010

Wednesday 17 November 2010 | Published in Kata

Laptop risks for men

Wednesday 17 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

After reading an overseas news article ‘Is your laptop cooking your testicles?’ a smoke signaller writes: “As someone who has been robbed, I hope this article is true and that thieves and receivers of stolen laptops on Rarotonga become infertile for their sins!” The article says that sitting with a laptop computer on your lap […]

Auditor answers CIP

Tuesday 16 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Normally I do not reply to individuals or non politicians or Parliamentarians that air their grievances through the media. All Members of Parliament are well aware that they can call me in the Audit Office to explain or clarify a certain issue or problem that they may have that involves public resources, be […]

The truth will honour you, Mann Short

Tuesday 16 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Kia Orana e te Tama Etita, Kua marekakore tikai matou I te akarongo’anga I te au tuatua akakino a Terepai Maoate e Amoa Amoa I runga I te ratio ia Mann Short. E tuatua taukore ta raua I akakite kia vare a Ngatangiia e kua rave a Mann I te moni a te Ngatangiia/Matavera Sports […]

Looking for the Manifesto

Tuesday 16 November 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A Cook Islands Party smoke signaller says the Democratic Party’s manifesto can’t be downloaded from the Internet. “It’s either too thick or perhaps the Demos don’t want anyone to see it, so it was locked up just like they managed to lock up the Parliament House even though the other 18 MPs wanted it to […]

Think about it

Monday 15 November 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Kia orana te iti tangata. It’s been a long while since I have made “printable” comments in your esteemed news paper, so I have decided to tone down my use of the more “colourful language” in the hope that I might be able to have my comments printed for the enjoyment of the […]