Ministers, live like us
5 ministers can do it
Elect new team the old-fashioned way
Why did he resign?
Step up to the plate
Why must Dean go?
Ministers, live like us
Fri
15 Jan
The ministers who have resigned should do the honourable thing and return their perks, cars etc and quit their offices immediately, says one signaller. “Relinquish the right and join us and live like us. By hanging around, you guys are contributing to the fiasco that is going on at the moment.”
PAID DEFENDERS
One of our readers notes: “Whenever Wilkie Rasmussen is a minister and someone writes into the paper about his hypocrisy and incompetence, someone always writes a rebuttal in his defence. “But when Wilkie is not a minister, nobody writes anything. It appears Wilkie’s stooges need to be on the payroll to try and defend his practices.”
SOLOMONS MOVES TO ANOTHER OCEAN
Further to Saturday’s weather article in CINews that suggests that Fiji Broadcasting published in error an old cyclone report that was then picked up by Google which then redistributed the error, another mistake was spotted from another major organisation. The venerable Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre over in Hawaii sent out a couple of tsunami bulletins after an earthquake in the Solomons recently which seems to have relocated that country: LOCATION - SOLOMON ISLANDS; MAGNITUDE 7.2. EVALUATION: THIS EARTHQUAKE IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE PACIFIC. NO TSUNAMI THREAT EXISTS TO COASTLINES IN THE PACIFIC.
A TOA POINT
A reader asks: “These MPs who are seeking to remove the prime minister and cabinet – does that mean that they support the proposed TOA fuel farm purchase and the loss of $1.75 million?”
Keep the smokies rolling in! Smoke Signals will be accepted by e-mail (smokesignals@cookislandsnews.com), text to 188 or a phone call to the newsroom on 22999.
5 ministers can do it
Mon
18 Jan
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Deputy prime minister Robert Wigmore could wear his work shirts to cabinet if we went the Hawaiian way.
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Leave the government alone, says one signaller. “It will prove that we only need up to five people to manage the country – good for a political reform trial run.” And on the opposition thinking about jumping into bed with the Demos to form a coalition, the person says, “Fancy that, it’s monstrous and total stupidity. Go Jim and your team of five – you are true warriors.”
SOME AIRPORT PR NEEDED
A signaller wonders why no one has bothered to prepare a leaflet or even a statement for passengers arriving in Rarotonga, advising that airport terminal renovations may cause some inconvenience, that the arrivals ‘container’ is temporary, and that queuing delays in processing by immigration are due to the ongoing upgrade of facilities. Instead, locals arriving home are often heard telling other passengers about the airport work, whereas the airlines and the airport authority should be on the front foot.
PAREU POLITICS
“Here’s a political, sensible cost saving, albeit not a great one, but everything helps,” writes one of our readers. “Formal wear in Hawaii for the governor and state employees is an aloha shirt. Why do our cabinet meetings and other ministerial occasions call for dark suits, dress shirts and a tie? Would the island not be more comfortably governed if the legislators wore smart pareu shirts and slacks to their meetings? Open all the windows and turn off all the expensive air conditioning. You can’t tell me that one certain senior minister who has likely just got off his tractor would not appreciate that informality and that would surely go for all of them.
EYEING THE $3.5M AG FUND
The New Year’s Eve announcement of $3.5 million for agricultural development is of interest to most growers, a signaller says. “When will there be an announcement of the exact procedures that will be followed to apply for a share of those funds? Or is the money going to be quietly handed to insiders and their mates?”
MORE ON THE W
A signaller writes: “Sir Terepai must be nursing a big headache now having to watch his former rival in cabinet taking over the finance portfolios he has coveted since 2006. Also everyone’s talking about how Wilkie may be the next PM – a lot of it is cheeky but hey, there are some of us that think he’s got the wiles to achieve it.”
Keep the smokies rolling in! Smoke Signals will be accepted by e-mail (smokesignals@cookislandsnews.com), text to 188 or a phone call to the newsroom on 22999.
Elect new team the old-fashioned way
Tue
19 Jan
“The infamous Gang of 19 now want a judge to sack a legal government and hand the power over to them instead,” writes a signaller. “Is this the same lot that was calling for stability? Can someone please remind Henry Puna that September is not that far off. If he and his CIPs want to take over government, fine. But, do it the old-fashioned way by earning our votes. Just put together a great, new slate of candidates to replace the has-beens they have. Then, encourage the new lot to propose what they will do for the nation. Please, Henry, don’t put up the present bunch and tell us that anything will change.”
A SUMMER POEM
A reader asked if the following “extremely touching and thought provoking poem about our Cook Islands summer” could be published under national news, or cultural pages. He writes: “I found this beautiful Aussie Summer poem and thought it might be a comfort to you. It was sent to me and it’s very well written; I hope you enjoy it because it’s the best piece of English literature I’ve seen in quite a while...
A Cook Islands Summer, a poem by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre
Sh*t, it’s HOT!
Why did he resign?
Wed
20 Jan
Dear Editor,
It is sad to read that John Dean has resigned for personal reasons.
But why so abrupt and without notice?
The rumour mill has it that he has been fed up with the tourism chairman’s interference and domination in the internal affairs of the tourism office.
If this is the case, then Tata Crocombe must explain himself and declare his conflict of interest. The board is there to ensure that government policies are pursued. The CEO should be left alone to carry out the day-to-day operations, along with his hard working staff.
It is clear Tata has vested interests in the hotel industry -- has he declared his personal and business interests to the minister?
The new minister should come out and explain to the public, what really is the main reason John Dean resigned suddenly.
Concerned Tourism taxpayer
(Name and address supplied)
Step up to the plate
Wed
20 Jan
Dear Editor,
I do not know how others feel but it concerns me greatly that politicians are allowing Tata Crocombe to have increased influence in the way the country is now governed.
This should not be the case.
If Tata wants to poke his nose into government affairs and dictate how government should conduct itself and formulate policy, then he should step up to the mark, enter politics and seek public office by way of popular vote.
When dealing with high profile individuals or special interest groups, politicians should always bear in mind that their perspectives or observations on issues may not necessarily be supported by the average
voter.
Toketoke enua
(Name and address supplied)
Why must Dean go?
Wed
20 Jan
“False words of courtesy can be nauseating,” a signaller writes. “After shoving Tourist Corporation’s Dean out the door, Crocombe purred faint praise: ‘The board is grateful for Dean’s contribution towards positive growth’. Positive growth? 2009 was the best year ever for tourism! Then, why must Dean go? Everyone knows that Tata still wants a Cook Islands Airline modelled after the one Nauru had before it and Nauru went under. But, this obsession meant diverting funds away from Dean’s priorities such as encouraging 10% growth this year, therefore one or the other must go. Too bad it’s Dean. Instead of phoney words, Tata, why not say it straight: ‘I’m a control freak and Dean got in my way’.”
AVATAR ROCKS
Spotted in the audience in cinema 3 at the Empire Theatre... a number of people watching the sensational science fiction movie Avatar for the second time, and some their third viewing! A little trivia: one of the movie’s main actors, Sam Worthington, was born in England and moved to Perth, Australia, during his childhood. His US-born female co-star Zoe Saldana has a Dominican father and her mother is from Puerto Rico. The movie is set in the year 2154, and watching it makes you wonder whether in 150 years time there will be parallels between the mining of the Cook Islands’ immensely valuable undersea minerals and the hugely expensive and humourously named mineral in the Avatar movie, unobtainium.
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