COOK ISLANDS NEWS, Wednesday 4 December 2013 FRONT PAGE STORIES Treated water relieves shortage in Atiu A plan of action has been implemented on Atiu as the island’s water supply, like that of many of the southern group islands, becomes critically low. A Nomad water treatment plant, which treats water by UV (ultra violet) and filter, was shipped to Atiu last week to produce clean drinking water for the 466 residents on the island. The treatment plant, acquired by the Cook Islands Red Cross Society in 2009 to treat water in Aitutaki after cyclone Pat, is set to be transported from island to island to help ease the water shortage strain across the Pa Enua. On Atiu, residents have had to cart water from underground wells and streams for cooking and cleaning and the treatment plant now means the island population has safe drinking water. The islands of Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro and Aitutaki are being monitored closely as the dry season lingers and water runs critically low. For the past two weeks, the Atiu island government, Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the Cook Islands Red Cross Society and partner societies as well at the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have been holding meetings to discuss ways to resolve the water shortage, and transporting the treatment plant was the first item on the plan of attack to be implemented. The treatment plant is being used at the island’s two main water sources at Vai Pau and Vai Ukaveu. Director of the Pa Enua division at the OPM Otheniel Tangianau says the water situation on Atiu has become very critical. The island’s school was re-opened on Monday after it was closed due to lack of water for the sanitation system. The current estimated water capacity in Atiu is less than 50,000 litres at the island’s three main water outlets. According to Tangianau, the Tengatangi public tank is at 50 per cent capacity, the CICC water tank is at 30 per cent capacity and the Enuamanu School is at 20 per cent capacity. Measures being taken to control water usage are to reduce the operating hours of the three main water outlets and the amount of water allowed per household to 20 litres each. Water delivery of cave brackish water is available on the island for sanitation use and cooking food such as taro. “We have 48 20-litre collapsible plastic bottles and 200 10-litre collapsible bottles. The target is to treat 3000 litres per operation at a pick up point agreed by the committee,” says Tangianau. “We are supplying 20 litres per household population of four and over, and 10 litres for household population of one to three people.” The Cook Islands Red Cross Society has been alerted to prepare 5000 litres for deployment for sanitation as the demand on water increases with returning locals set to return to their home island during the Christmas period. Tangianau adds that while taro crops are showing stress from the heat and the dry weather, the tree crops are coping well. On Mangaia the water shortage situation is being reported as ‘manageable’, with 14 6000 litre water tanks set to be transported to the island. On Mauke and Mitiaro, the water supply is being considered as adequate and crops are being watered with supply taken from cave sources, while on Aitutaki the water supply is in a critical state. - Matariki Wilson School students visit parliament A special group of visitors were present for Tuesday’s session of parliament. Yesterday, students from Titikaveka College were present at the Cook Islands parliament building, and observed the nation’s members of parliament at work from inside the chamber as well as outside. In introducing the visitors, speaker Niki Rattle said the students have a desire to see how parliament works. Before getting involved in question period, Titikaveka member of parliament Sel Napa sent a warm welcome to the Titikaveka students from her village, saying she hopes to see them one day in parliament. MP’s from both sides of the house joked with the students, with sales pitches to join either the Cook Islands Party or the opposition Democratic Party. “This is where the learning starts from,” said Napa, a demo. “You can’t learn forever,” responded education and tourism minister and CIP member Teina Bishop. Napa also issued a reminder to the school students, saying she expects to see the students at parent’s day on Thursday, which drew chuckles from the students sitting in the gallery. In parliamentary business, question period during the session was dominated by debate on water infrastructure project Te Mato Vai. Additional questions were levelled at the ruling government on issues concerning the outer islands. The remainder of the day’s business included discussion on the Traditional Knowledge Bill, which aims to protect elements of Cook Islands culture. Noticeably absent from parliament was Teenui-Mapumai MP Norman George, who is believed to be in Switzerland performing duties as a member of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. - Emmanuel Samoglou Opposition questions Te Mato Vai salaries, page 7 Banner rings in Christmas cheer With 21 days to go until Christmas day, colourful tinsel and bright lights are rapidly growing on local businesses and homes – dressing them up for the festive season. Adding to the growing Christmas buzz, a big bright red banner wishing all a Merry Christmas has been erected at the entrance to the Avarua shopping central to help bring cheer to all shoppers this festive season. The banner, designed by Damien Heather of Vonnia’s and erected by the team from Te Aponga Uira with ‘The General’ George George from CITC helping direct traffic around the work, is all part of the ‘Tropical Christmas in Raro’ initiative driven by a number of local businesses and island personalities. The goal is to bring back the Christmas cheer to the island and local businesses wanting to be part of this initiative can contact Lorrette Siulepa who will be more than happy to receive your input and support. Put on a Santa hat, tie tinsel on your bike, put up your own island Christmas tree, buy a gift for the giving tree and share the Christmas cheer. - PF/MW OTHER STORIES Opposition questions Te Mato Vai salaries Debate on the $60 million Te Mato Vai water infrastructure project dominated question period during the second day of the current sitting of parliament yesterday. Discussion on the large-scale infrastructure undertaking began with a question by opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen, who asked the government about the rates of pay for those currently involved with the project. “Can someone explain to this house and the public listening, why are the salaries of the people involved in the implementation of Te Mato Vai so high?” he asked, saying he believes salaries for certain project executives are reaching as high as $200,000 per annum. Responding for the government was finance minister Mark Brown, who said the opposition leader appeared to have more information than himself on the matter. Brown said companies contracted to work on Te Mato Vai were selected through an international tender process, and salaries paid are a matter of “internal concern”, and not of the concern for ministers. “I think we are all aware, international contractors and consultants are paid at international contract rates,” said Brown, before mentioning the role of Cook Islanders in the project, such as communication advisor Jaewynn McKay. If Cook islanders working for these companies are getting paid the same as foreigners, “that’s a good thing”, said Brown. “We want our locals … to get paid at the same rate that international workers are paid at.” In a supplementary question, Rasmussen also asked about the credentials of project manager Latu Kupa from KEW Consult Ltd – a Te Mato Vai contractor – who holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Canterbury University, New Zealand. “Does he know that the senior in charge is actually a mechanical engineer, not a civil engineer?” asked Rasmussen. Brown said the project management unit (KEW) won the contract through tender, and is conducting work through funding provided by New Zealand and up to NZ standards. “This company is responsible for contracting the individual workers,” he said. “We have removed ourselves as politicians from the rewarding.” “It appears that the honourable leader would prefer government involvement,” he said. Also joining the debate was Titikaveka MP Sel Napa, who said Te Mato Vai is being funded through borrowed money, and asked Brown to clarify his position on government’s involvement. “This is a loan, isn’t it right then that people should be involved?” she asked. “Shouldn’t everyone be involved?” “I think we need to understand the government’s role in projects,” responded Brown. Since the Cook Islands Party came into power, Brown said people have been complaining about the standard of water infrastructure. “We are doing something about it … there is a lot of commitment from our partners involved in this project,” he said, adding government sets out its goals and what it wants to be delivered. “The work should not be overseen by politicians,” he said. “There are key milestones for the companies to deliver and will be reporting to government on how the project develops over the next two to two-and-a-half years.” “Te Mato Vai is about providing water to our people and to deliver that water at a certain standard, and to deliver water at that quality requires a cost,” he said. “While the opposition may be concerned about how much this person is earning, the government is concerned with the laying of pipes and delivery of water to households.” - Emmanuel Samoglou Chamber raises Te Mato Vai concerns The Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce has expressed concerns about the lack of consultation with the business community regarding the $60 million Te Mato Vai project. The organisation, which represents private business owners, has published an open letter to Finance Minister Mark Brown expressing their “immediate concerns ... with respect to the planning, design and implementation of the project.” The letter includes a series of questions that the Chamber said need to be addressed before further work is undertaken. The organisation’s position, as outlined in the letter, was formulated with the assistance of chamber executive member Bob Taylor, who performs duties as general manager of Edgewater Resort and Spa. Taylor is described by the Chamber as having “... expertise in this area and has supported the Chamber’s effort to understand the Te Mato Vai project and what might be considered best practise when developing a water project of this magnitude”. A specific concern cited by Chamber president Steve Anderson in the letter revolves around the project’s design – whether head pressure or a pump supply will be used to distribute water – and if sufficient quantities of water can be delivered to bigger properties such as resorts without having the need for on-site storage and pumping. “In other words will the gravity supply and ring main be able to supply sufficient water without pressure drop to other surrounding properties,” the letter asks. “We understand the materials for the ring main have already left China and are bound for Rarotonga,” reads the letter. “If the design has not been done, how has the sizing of the pipes been calculated, and are they adequate for peak (rather than average) demand?” Unforeseen costs that may have to be borne by private businesses, system maintenance, proposed treatment methods, and government intentions to charge for water are also addressed in the letter. Regarding cost, the chamber asks about the proposed cost per litre and the effects on businesses that have already invested in their own treatment facilities and whether those systems will become redundant. “The Chamber represents the majority of these businesses, who wish to be constructive, and to be able to pass on their accumulated knowledge, experience and meaningful input into the design phase. “However, the clear consensus is that there has been insufficient planning and consultation prior to government making commitments to procurement and ringmain installation.” “We believe that government, in discharging its obligation for fiscal responsibility, must not make any commitments to specific actions on the Te Mato Vai project until a fully costed, peer-reviewed design is available to all stakeholders, and that all subsequent submissions have been taken into account.” Yesterday, secretary Mac Mokoroa of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning said a meeting is currently being organised between the chamber and the Te Mato Vai project management committee to address some of the issues outlined in the letter. - Emmanuel Samoglou Public imput at TMV meeting The public may have an opportunity to provide input for the $60million Te Mato Vai water infrastructure project before the end of the year. Te Mato Vai communications advisor Jaewynn McKay said she is hopeful public consultations will begin by the end of 2013. She said project officials are working on the summary of the Te Mato Vai master plan and the presentation to be used for the public meetings. Once officials have consulted with the availability of Minister Teariki Heather – who McKay said would like to lead the consultations – dates will be announced. A finalised version of the plan is expected next January, and will take into account input received from the public consultations. - Emmanuel Samoglou Govt proposes at least 12c rise to minimum wage A government proposal which may see the minimum wage raised by only 12 cents has been labelled “ridiculous” by the head of the Cook Islands Workers Association. Minister of Internal Affairs Nandi Glassie announced last month that a panel is being formed to consider increasing the $5 minimum wage. Workers at the bottom of the ladder secured that $1 increase on July 1, 2006 but have had no pay rises since. Patricia Tuara-Demmke, director of labour and employment relations, said it would be premature to speculate on whether and how much the wage rate might go up by. “The minister (Glassie) will decide, however it is likely to be informed by the proposed Tax Review which has proposed a minimum increase of 12 cents per hour,” she said. Anthony Turua, president of the Cook Islands Workers Association CIWA, said he wanted to see the minimum wage lifted to at least $6. “For the past five years we haven’t had any rises in line with inflation. Twelve cents – that’s ridiculous, taking into account some of the local commodities and freight costs are shooting up.” Turua said the government will probably claim workers are going to be better off because of a rise in the tax-free threshold to $11,000, and cuts to personal tax rates. “But they’ve also just increased VAT by 2.5 per cent”, which will cancel out any benefits, he said. Turua said he has received an invitation to be on the review panel and wants see a “fair outcome”. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is hoping to set the panel up before January but there are no rules determining how long the review should take. Any changes to the tax rate will come after the minister receives advice from the panel. “If changes to the tax system proceed, it is likely that any changes to the wage rate will occur within a similar timeframe and with regard to transition time for businesses,” Tuara-Demmke said. The panel will consist of five members – a representative from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, an association of employers, an association of employees, and one other “suitably qualified person”. Those five people will look at factors such as the prevailing economic conditions, income distribution, protection for low income earners and work incentives. Under legislation passed last year - the Employment Relations Act - a review of the minimum wage must be conducted on an annual basis. - BCS Avatea proposes brand new school A proposal by Apii Avatea to build a new primary school in Nikao will be considered by the Ministry of Education, alongside some opposition from the Nikao Maori School community. The proposed idea is to replace the two schools, which are situated next door to each other, with a single new school. This follows extensive damage to Avatea School in a fire on October 20, which has since been declared an act of arson. While the Avatea School community is widely supportive of the proposal, there has been some opposition from parents of children at Nikao Maori School. Avatea School principal Nga Charlie said the idea for a new school came up during discussions of how to rebuild the area that was destroyed in the fire. “Avatea was proposing to build a new school, because the rest of the school is old anyway.” She said the remaining buildings are in need of replacement, with the ageing infrastructure leading to a string of problems such as leaky pipes and electrical issues that need fixing. The buildings at Nikao Maori School are even older and may also be in need of replacement, said Charlie. “We want to build a new school, a modern school – a model school,” said Charlie, who added the proposal received some encouragement from the Ministry of Education, with suggestions to further investigate the idea in consultation with the community. “They (the ministry) really want it to come from the community rather than from them – but they liked the idea,” she said. A general meeting was called for members of the PTA (parent teacher association) of both schools on November 21, to discuss the idea of building one new school for the Nikao community. “Avatea was all for it,” said Charlie, “But when Nikao came they said they need to ask the community rather than just the PTA.” Charlie said the idea was opposed by “a few local mamas”, and a conclusion on the issue was not reached. On November 27, the Nikao Maori community met to vote on the issue – with a result of 21 against the idea and only 13 in support of the proposal. Charlie said the Avatea community also voted on Monday, and “everybody agreed – there was no opposition”. However, the school also allowed parents to submit their views via a petition in case they couldn’t attend the meeting – the results of which were still being counted yesterday in preparation for reporting the information to the ministry. Charlie said she believes the opposition to merging the schools is due to concerns the individual schools’ identities will be lost, adding that Avatea is willing to call the new school ‘Nikao Maori School’ to help address the issue. She said another idea to help preserve the identities of the schools is to incorporate a kind of ‘museum’ into the new school, which acknowledges the separate histories of Apii Avatea and Nikao Maori School. “That way ex-students have something to look at when they come and see the school,” said Charlie, who hopes that if some funding can be found for a new school, those opposed may reconsider the idea. “We’re hopeful that the minister will support it. We might as well grab it while the opportunity is there. If we don’t , there will be more burden on parents trying to fix the (ageing infrastructure of the) school.” On several occasions following the fire on October 20, Charlie expressed her gratitude to the neighbouring Nikao Maori School and its principal Elizabeth Kapi for the support that was provided, including making room for displaced students whose classrooms were destroyed. - Briar Douglas Young men charged for fight outside Empire movie theatre All matters at the criminal court on Thursday were set aside to make way for both the Superannuation case with Chief Justice Thomas Weston and High Court judge session with Justice Christine Grice. All matters were adjourned by deputy registrar Nooapii Tearea to be dealt with by a Justice of the Peace in the following week. Temaru Goodwin, 25, along with Trevor Tiro, 21, were charged with fighting in a public place. Both were charged with fighting near the main road outside Empire Theatre in Avarua on November 17. Goodwin pleaded guilty to the charge and his matter was adjourned to December 5 for sentencing. Tiro did not appear; his matter was adjourned anyway. Brittany Clementis, 25, was charged with theft of goods. She did not appear, however her lawyer Charles Petero asked that her matter be adjourned to December 5 to enter a plea. John Pepe, 30, was charged with possession of cannabis and a utensil. He was bailed at large without entering a plea and his matter adjourned to December 5. Meautoa Putaura, 17, was caught trespassing on the property of Edgewater Resort and Spa. No plea was entered and his matter adjourned to December 5. Maro Mataiti, 35, is charged with common assault, for an incident that occurred at a farewell party. His matter was also adjourned to December 5 without plea. - Merita Wi-Kaitaia Police appeal against assault An assault on a female case has been reopened, and the decision by a Justice of the Peace to dismiss the case has been quashed. High Court judge Justice Christine Grice granted an appeal by police against a decision by Justice of the Peace John Kenning to dismiss a charge of assault on a female against Fijian man Sivam Narsimulu when his partner, the victim, had asked for a withdrawal of the charge. Sticking to their no drop policy on female assault cases, police had instructed Crown Law to make an appeal against the decision not long after it was made. The case was brought back to court on Wednesday with sufficient evidence of the assault. Narsimulu pleaded guilty to the charge for a second time. He even asked to be sentenced that day in order to get it over and done with, saying he did not want to get a lawyer. Justice Grice said that there must have been a mistake, as Narsimulu had pleaded guilty to the charge; a decision of dismissal for want of prosecution only applies in a situation where the defendant has pleaded not guilty and prosecution does not appear to the trial. The case was sent back to the JP court for sentencing. A probation report was needed, so the matter was adjourned for two weeks. Narsimulu, 34, had appeared in court on October 10 where his partner, Terepai Paulo, was sworn to the bench and requested a withdrawal of the charge saying the assault was a result of her actions. - Merita Wi-Kaitaia UK taxi campaign showcases Cook Islanders Winter-weary Brits in the city of Bristol are sliding into taxis right now and being greeted by the smiling face of Pa Teuruaa, of Pa’s Nature Walks. As part of a new tourism campaign, 10 taxis in the city have been branded inside and outside with a series of artworks designed to project a sense of the true Cook Islands. One image features three local children - beaming under their head ei’s - with the ‘Cook Islands Discovered’ tagline written over the top. Other taxis are branded with the award-winning tourism photo of two Cook Islands women - Nane Papa and Lydia Nga - laughing as they ride on a scooter. Bright photos of a shirtless, always-grinning Pa have been printed on the backs of seats, designed to warm the hearts of taxi customers. Ian Griffiths, who represents Cook Islands Tourism in the United Kingdom, said the campaign represents a new strategy of promoting the Cook Islands by showing its people – rather than just its pristine beaches and palm trees. There are hundreds of stunning beaches within a short distance of the UK but the Cook Islands is unique because of its people, he said. Griffiths said the new strategy is already proving successful. “The UK market over the past 10 years has declined and one of our aims was to look at what was going on,” he said. “Since March, UK arrivals have turned around. We’re showing positive growth. The only thing that’s changed is our approach to the market.” Griffiths is in the Cook Islands this week hosting 15 wholesalers from the UK and Nordic markets at the Kia Orana Cook Islands event. The event is designed to help wholesalers – who act as the middlemen between the local tourism operators and travel agents back in their home countries – meet Cook Islands tourism suppliers. These personal encounters and first-hand experiences of Cook Islanders go hand-in-hand with the new campaign strategy, Griffiths says. “It’s that relationship that Cooks do so well which is why Kia Orana Cook Islands (KOCI) is so important. It’s vital they get to meet these individuals” Griffiths is confident that showcasing the local characters and warm nature of Cook Islanders will lure more Brits to this side of the world. “We’re hoping to see these figures increase.” About 65 travel wholesalers from 17 countries are in here this week for Kia Orana Cook Islands. The annual event is now in its fourth year and is organised by the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation, in partnership with airlines and local tourism suppliers. - Ben Chapman-Smith Overseas travel reps to taste Cook Islands Cook Islands tourism operators will be hoping for a long-term boost in business by meeting this week with travel wholesalers from more than 17 countries. Now into its fourth year, Kia Orana Cook Islands is an annual event giving local suppliers the chance to showcase their hotels, resorts and various tourism activities to invited wholesalers. The Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (CITC) has invited 65 people – up from 25 people four years ago – who will familiarise themselves with Cook Islands products and services. Included in the schedule is a visit to Aitutaki, with the option of excursions to Atiu and Mangaia. By experiencing the country first-hand, the wholesalers can return home excited and better able to “sell the Cook Islands” to travel agents, said CITC chief executive Halatoa Fua. “We’re looking at some key outcomes – the ability to have good selling power in overseas markets and building strong relationships.” Fua said the event is about giving a real taste of the Cook Islands to wholesalers, who act as the middlemen between the local travel suppliers and the travel agents in other countries. Two new markets have been tapped into for this year’s event; representatives from China and South Korea have been invited for the first time. Fua said CITC is trying to boost visitor numbers during the low season – February and March – which is when people from China typically choose to travel. Nick Constantini, who represents the Cook Islands tourism industry in southern Europe, said there are about 140 million people in Spain, France and Italy, which presents big potential. While many Italians already visit the country, Spain and France are less mature markets, he said. “What we’re trying to achieve is....raise the profile and tell people that paradise is lying in these waters. The Italians, Spanish and Latin people are great dreamers and this is a dream destination for them.” Kia Orana Cook Islands kicks off today with a forum at the Highland Paradise Cultural Centre. Tomorrow and Thursday will be ‘Business to Business Days’, when local suppliers will have closed-door meetings with the wholesalers to negotiate deals. - BCS Wharf cracks at Avatiu discussed in parliament The discovery of cracks in the redeveloped Avatiu wharf was discussed in parliament yesterday. The topic was raised by Titikaveka member of parliament Sel Napa during discussion of Te Mato Vai – the $60 million water infrastructure project currently getting underway. Napa was calling for greater public consultation and input for the project, which would avoid “another failure”, and used cracks discovered in the wharf’s concrete structure as an example. Addressing the cracking issue - which was reported in a letter and editor’s note in CINews in April of this year - General Manager Bim Tou of the Ports Authority said “There is no structural problem, either now or in the future”. “The cracking that is evident does not affect their function,” he said. “The design approach adopted allowed that cracking may occur ... notwithstanding this, it is prudent to seal the cracks.” “This work, which has been planned for some months, is about to commence,” he added. New Zealand Engineering Company Beca International Consultants Limited (BECA) and McConnell Dowell Constructors Ltd have been monitoring the cracking since it started to appear many months ago, said Tou, and a mapping of the cracks has been completed. BECA is the firm that won the original contract to design and supervise redevelopment construction work for the wharf project. All concrete shrinks both in initial drying and, more slowly, with what is known as secondary shrinkage, which takes many months to finish, he said. “That is the mechanism that we are seeing here.” Tou added the Ports Authority board of directors has also decided at its recent meeting to seek opinion from independent civil engineers on the wharf cracks. - Emmanuel Samoglou Travellers lack awareness of Cook Islands – experts Many travellers in offshore markets are not aware of the differences between the Cook Islands and other Pacific nations, say international tourism experts. About 65 travel wholesalers from 15 different countries are in the Cook Islands this week to meet with local resort owners and other tourism operators. On the opening day of the Kia Orana Cook Islands event, held at Highland Paradise, wholesalers spoke about how the Cook Islands is perceived in their home markets. Sophie Vintner, a product manager for UK company Travel Nation, said many of her clients simply lack awareness of the Cook Islands. “People don’t always know the difference between the Cook Islands and Fiji. I think it’s making it clear for each type of passenger in the market what’s here for them.” She said tourism campaigns should highlight the country’s unique offerings, such as its chain of remote islands and the vast number of water sports on offer. Those features would be attractive to the British backpacker market, one that the Cook Islands could tap into, she said. “They get to go and discover somewhere like Atiu where there are barely any tourists and it’s untouched.” Also speaking at the Kia Orana Cook Islands event yesterday was Anneli Nordberg, a travel wholesaler from Finland, who agreed with Vintner. “It’s a lot easier to go to Fiji and it’s cheaper – but it’s not always a matter of money,” she said. People in Finland know very little about the Cook Islands so tourism campaigns need to educate people about the country. “I think it’s the destination awareness that’s lacking. That’s the most important thing.” Lars Jonsson, who owns a company in Sweden called Tour Pacific, said the Cook Islands should be proud of its heritage, food and people. The local industry should be emphasising the fact that the country is still largely untouched by big business. “One of the main advantages in the Cook Islands is there aren’t any big hotel chains. From a European point of view, the big charm is that most hotels are family owned and operated,” Jonsson said. “There is no McDonalds. You have some great burgers but not the golden arches.” Andrea Rongokea, who runs Wedded Bliss Rarotonga, said she has only missed one Kia Orana Cook Islands event since it started four years ago. “For me, it’s the benefit of meeting international suppliers and networking. I’m not aligned with any particular wholesaler so it’s nice to network and get our name out there,” she said. Brynn Acheson, co-owner of KiteSup Cook Islands, said the event is an opportunity to learn from wholesalers about their respective markets. “I’m really wanting to educate myself about the industry and how we can improve our business and where we can focus our marketing efforts,” she said. Andrew Burnes, chief executive of Australian company AOT, also made suggestions for how the Cook Islands can make itself more attractive to tourists. He said the country should consider moving to the other side of the International Date Line, changing flight times to be more accommodating to visitors, improving internet speeds and continuing to pour funds into the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation.- Ben Chapman-Smith Laughing mamas reunited Made famous last year in an award-winning tourism photo, Nane Papa and Lydia Nga were back together yesterday at the Kia Orana Cook Islands travel event. “You don’t have to be a size eight to be a supermodel,“ joked Nga. The iconic photo of the two women laughing on a scooter won first prize in a competition to select Germany’s best PR photo of 2012. The Cook Islands tourism corporation photo was taken by Australian photographer David Kirkland and was titled ‘Heavy traffic in the Cook Islands’. - Ben Chapman-Smith Giving tree promo needs more takers People are encouraged to get into the giving spirit this Christmas and purchase a gift for a child in need. Since Westpac started its ‘giving tree’ promotion on November 20, 120 out of 193 tags are left hanging. “Ten gifts are already under the tree. Some of our customers decided to get their gifts in nice and early,” said operations analyst Ngairinga Iro. One tag on the giving tree represents a happier Christmas for an underprivileged youth under 14 years. Customers are encouraged to take a tag that represents the age and gender of the child, and purchase a gift for them to put under the tree. The ‘giving tree’ is a joint initiative between Westpac and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said business manager Massey Mateariki. The initiative started in 2008 and has been a successful way of giving back to the community. “The giving tree is for children under 14 years of age and who are already known to the ministry for assistance in regards to food, shelter, clothing, the basics,” says Mateariki. The ‘giving tree,’ initiative lasts until December 16. “We would love it if you guys could come in and grab a tag and help us help the kids,” said Iro. - Sahiban Kanwal LETTERS ‘Issue a new writ’ for parliament Dear Editor, I have no wish to frustrate the workings of parliament but they have to get it right! If we cannot have faith in parliament doing things properly, what chance is there of government functioning properly – after all, the functions of parliament are mostly a reflection of government initiatives. The calling together of parliament for the current meeting is a good example. Article 29 of the Constitution requires that meetings of parliament be at such time and place as the Queens Representative appoints. Article 5 provides in this regard that the QR acts on the advice of Cabinet, the Prime Minister or the appropriate minister. In this instance he would have acted on the advice of the Prime Minister. Implicit in that is that the Prime Minister would have to ensure that the QR acted accordingly. It is not clear to this writer whether the PM was or was not here on November 20, 2013 when the QR signed the summons but it matters little – the fact remains there was either no checking or, if there was, it was appalling. On the basis of the QRs summons parliament was called together and the day referred to by the clerk was Monday December 2, 2013. The Speaker was informed. Parliamentary staff was informed. The notices went out. Twenty four were despatched and those members not absent from the Cook Islands responded and attended. Not one seems to have read the Writ of Appointment or if they did saw nothing amiss or if they did thought nothing of it, or knew not what to do. The QRs Writ of Appointment mistakenly appointed November 2, 2013 not December 2, 2013 So what do we have here? A parliamentary meeting unconstitutionally called together engaging in parliamentary matters and considering new legislation. If the constitution can be so casually ignored then we are in real trouble. Should this situation continue uncontested it raises the question that if the meeting proceeds to pass legislation what is the status of that legislation? What would you say if a Constitution Amendment Bill were given a third reading after just 60 days rest rather than the required 90 – let it go? My advice, which in the past the authorities have proven adverse to listen to, would be to eat humble pie, accept that an error has been made, adjourn the house, get the QR to issue a new writ and start over. There would appear to be another incentive for doing this. Immediately after question time I heard the speaker accept a motion to suspend Standing Order 106 to permit the period of Notice of Public Bills to be waived so that parliament could proceed to the first reading of the 13 bills notified on the order paper that day, which would then allow the house to proceed to a second reading. Not only do I question the impossible requirement for a responsible and representative parliament to intelligently contribute to debate on new laws which they have not even had a chance to read (cabinet aside that is) but if the government does employ this tactic for racing through its legislation then for goodness sake, again, get it right. Standing Order 106 relates to the period of notice required for motions. It has nothing to do with the notice required for public bills. The appropriate standing orders for that particular exercise are 224 and 226. Motions of this nature should not just be accepted by the chair on the assumption they are correct – they should be verified as being applicable to the situation. In this instance the suspension motion was not applicable and the afternoons procedure will need to be repeated because right now the first readings of those 13 bills are in breach of the standing orders and by extension Article 42 of the constitution, so starting over with a new writ might not be such a bad thing. Purists will argue, and I would be inclined to otherwise agree with them, that the provisions of Article 36 (1) could be invoked to rescue this last predicament in that The validity of any proceedings in parliament or in any committee thereof shall not be questioned in any court however these are not proceedings in parliament because parliament has not been properly convened. John M Scott Ngatangiia Constitutional intervention should be avoided - Toagate Dear Editor, I refer to the recent revival in your columns of the Toagate issue (14 and 15 November 2013) and again today and wish to remind your readers that your paper threw an invitation out there (December 22, 2012) for ideas on how the Toagate problem could be solved. I responded to this invitation and you published it on December 24, 2012 but nothing further was heard of it. Now Mr Arnold (CINews November 14, 2013), on behalf of his client, Triad, is proposing a constitutional amendment to override the ruling of the court which guaranteed the Toa annual profit of $1.2 million until 2018 and noted that this legislation needed to be passed “before the new fuel hosting contract begins in February 2014”. There are two things wrong with this scenario. First, interference in the Judiciary. The last time we ill-advisedly went down that track was when Premier Albert Henry prevailed upon the Fraser CJ court to suspend court sittings. Such interference was unprecedented and to my knowledge has never again been attempted. Constitutional intervention to override a court decision is, in my view, no better and should be avoided because the precedent it sets could then be adopted any number of times by either unscrupulous or well intentioned but misguided politicians to achieve their own ends and the independence and sanctity of the Judiciary would consequently be forever imperilled. The second flaw in this scenario is the timing. A constitution amendment would require 90 days minimum to pass but there are not 90 days available between parliaments recent resumption and the commencement of the new hosting contract so that apparent prerequisite could not, it seems, be satisfied. I invite government and opposition, and indeed Mr Arnold, to examine my windfall tax proposition and explain why, being far less complex and cumbersome, it would not work and achieve the desired objective of relieving taxpayers from five more years of Toa payments and do so without interfering with the Judiciary. John M Scott Ngatangiia Tax law has ‘caught up’ with pensioner - Stoddart Dear Editor, The story by Don Reid reported by CINews on November 28 is hearsay. Reid’s recollection of his questions to me and my answers are quite different to mine. First, it was not seven years ago he approached me. It was around three years ago when he interrupted one of my morning runs roadside at Panama. Don not being the type to want to pay tax would not have approached me seven years ago with info on what income he had, as I was still employed at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM) seven years ago. Reid was told the New Zealand Government Superannuation was free of tax as this provision had been in the tax law in Raro for decades, and still is. There are a good number of recipients of NZ Government Superannuation walking around Rarotonga as prior to the reform years of 1996-97, many people in Raro contributed to that NZ administered scheme. Some people confuse that exempt class with NZ Super, which is sometimes referred to as National Super. He also asked me about his other New Zealand-sourced income and hopefully he can remember the answer of whether it was taxable or not. Mr Reid and his associates appear desperate to get some leverage because the government has not budged on the requests to let them off tax. I am disappointed that Reid has endeavoured to put a spin of non-taxable on his super when he was told otherwise. What has happened is just as I forecasted; that if he was on NZ Government Super it was okay but if it was NZ Super he might get caught up with, and keeping his head low was his option. The new guys and girls at MFEM have caught up with him. It goes without saying Don won’t need to interrupt my running training again. Geoff Stoddart Atupa Nikao Maori say ‘no’ to merging schools Dear Editor, Currently there has been talk about a new school to be built and two schools to merge, which is Nikao and Avatea. Now I know Nikao Maori School have had their meeting with parents and committee members and the outcome was Nikao have said No. What about the sweats from parents and grandparents who built Nikao Maori School? What about the commitments and involvement of the current and former teachers, parents and students? In Mondays paper I read an article about Avateas principal mentioning that there is a meeting to drive the idea of a brand new school and being one school instead of having the two schools side by side. Don’t you people understand what the word ‘no’ means? Nikao dont want to merge so why is Avatea still trying to drive the idea? To Ms Charlie, how does a brand new school cater for the needs of the 21st century students? Why should we cater to the wants of one school, obviously its not a need – whats needed are teachers that will teach students equally and not just concentrate on the rich or favourite ones. Leave Nikao Maori School as is, they are happy where they are and so is my daughter who continuously says Mum, I like my school. Annoyed Parent, Name and address supplied SPORTS Netball in Paradise action continues apopo Telecom Netball in Paradise teams take a break from the court today to enjoy the island and recover from two days of intense and action packed games at the Telecom Sports Arena. Round two of the weeklong netball festival yesterday saw some tight battles in the open mixed division with body-on-the-line action providing plenty of spectacle for die hard netball fans. New Zealand team Te Reanga Maori were well represented on court with three of the group’s team flexing their muscle and showcasing their skills on court. An intense and closely-fought battle was seen between the Te Reanga Maori 2 team and the Sweet-Ezy side. The two teams traded goals through the quarters, ending the second quarter on 13-all and the third quarter score was again locked at 22-all. The fourth and final quarter of the match was an all-out physical battle that at times could have been mistaken for a rugby game or basketball game. In the end it was the Sweet-Ezy crew that emerged victors 29-27. The Tumeke Barracudas also proved a handful on court for team Night Spanners with tall timber players scooping out missed goals and fiery mid-court players intercepting and deflecting passes at every turn. While today will be a welcome break for all – the action will continue at the Telecom Sports Arena apopo with games starting 9.30am. While the first two days of games have seen the social and open and open mixed teams play during the day with the under 13, under 15 and under 17 games played later in the day and through the evening to accommodate for students still attending school – netball lovers can expect a good mix of division games played on Thursday and Friday. Games of interest on Thursday will be between the national under 17 team and the Valley Flyers scheduled to start at 11.10am. Tomorrow’s netball stars in the under 13 division will also prove to be highly entertaining on court with the Puaneinei under 13 team to square off with the national under 13 team on Thursday at 12pm. Games on Thursday will run right up till 7.30pm so there is plenty of opportunity to get your netball fix. Friday is set down as the final day of games in this the second Netball in Paradise tournament and should be a thrilling final day of netball. The wrap up and closing ceremony of the tournament will be held on Saturday to be hosted by the Takuvaine Sports Club at a venue yet to be confirmed. Get along to the TSA apopo and get your netball on. - MW Semi-final time in soccer comp Today’s soccer semi-finals will kick off at 4.15pm with the under 11 mixed divisions followed by the under 17 men’s division at 4.50pm at the CIFA Complex in Matavera. In the under 11 mixed division – Tupapa takes on Matavera while Titikaveka will go head to head with Nikao Sokattak. In the under 17 men’s division, round cup winners Puaikura will go head to head with Titikaveka and Nikao Sokattak will meet Tupapa. More exciting semi-final matches are scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday and Friday at the CIFA Complex. - CIFA Media The draw and referee appointments for this week’s matches at the CIFA Complex. Under 11 mixed and under 17 men’s draw and referee appointment for today – 4:15pm CIFA Field 1 U11 Mixed Tupapa vs Matavera, Referee-Ngati Manuela, 4:15pm CIFA Field 2 U11 Mixed Titikaveka vs. Nikao Sokattak, Referee-Kura Smith, 4:50pm CIFA Field 1 U17 Men Puaikura vs Titikaveka, Referee-Tupou Patia, Assistant Referees: Ngati Manuela and Jerrica Matapuku, 4:50pm CIFA Field 2 U17 Men Tupapa vs Nikao Sokattak, Referee-Terry Piri, Assistant Referees-Noel Mani and Brayden Kavana. Draw and referee appointments for Thursday 5th December 2013 – 4:15pm U14 Boys Avatiu vs Matavera, Referee-Mata Iroa, Assistant Referees-Ngati Manuela and Noel Mani, 5pm Senior Women Tupapa vs Titikaveka, Referee: Mata Iroa, Assistant Referees: Ngati Manuela and Noel Mani. Draw and referee appointments for Friday 6th December 2013 – 4:15pm U14 Girls Takuvaine vs Matavera, Referee-Lai Gukisuva, Assistant Referees-Paavo Mustonen and Jerrica Matapuku, 5pm Premier Men Tupapa vs Matavera, Referee-Terry Piri, Assistant Referees-Paavo Mustonen and Jerrica Matapuku.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Dec 2013 06:39:52 +0000
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