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Top News

Week ending Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Front page news stories on politics and current
events in Rarotonga and the Cook Islands.

Taio tries again
Telecom pledges to deliver better service
Carr to act as Finsec
Missing boat found
League gate money goes to appeal fund
Fatal motor vehicle accident
Conference to celebrate Papa Ron
Mitchell up for diplomatic post
QR reappointed
ON THE STREET
Rebuild starts
New alert
Penrhyn reports damage from tropical depression
Tropical depression downgraded
PM on the fence
Mitchell confirmed
Fresh approach by ANZ sales team

A Taio Shipping vessel that was unable to offload its cargo at Pukapuka and Nassau returned to Rarotonga on Monday.

Josh Taio of Taio Shipping said that because of dangerous swell conditions and strong winds, the ship was unable to approach either island.

“The trip to Pukapuka is usually 12 days but this ship was at sea, waiting, for about 19,” Taio said. “For fuel and weather reasons, it had to come back.”

According to Pukapuka MP Vai Peua, cabinet has agreed to assist with another trip to Pukapuka and Nassau, which is scheduled to depart some time in the next two weeks.

Taio said that the extra trip shouldn’t interfere with any other scheduled deliveries to other islands.

Peua said that the islands of Pukapuka and Nassau haven’t received a cargo shipment since September, and are “very short on supplies – fuel, food and other things”.

Peua asked cabinet and the NZ High Commissioner to transport goods to the northern group via the RNZAF Hercules, but the aircraft left to assist Tonga in its post-cyclone stage.

He said that he will personally see to it that supplies are re-stocked, and is considering travelling with the ship to be sure that its cargo reaches the people.

“I feel sad because when the boat arrived on Monday afternoon, the potatoes and other things were rotten,” he said.

“I want things to be done in the proper way so I might go on this boat too.”

Peua said he has been unable to contact Nassau, as there have been problems with communication lines, so he has not had an opportunity to reassure the island that its supplies are coming.

Pukapukans, though, have been clued in and are awaiting their cargo shipment.

• RR

Telecom Cook Islands has publicly pledged to become the number one Telco in the South Pacific, admitting it has ‘lost sight of the ball’ over the past decade.

This undertaking comes just months after government recommitted to plans to open the telecommunications industry to competition.

Telecom New Zealand general manager international, Anthony Briscoe, says Telecom is of like-mind with the government and the people who want telecommunications that are good value, great service and quality second to none.

“We understand government’s decision to introduce competition. We have made a commitment to cooperate with government’s plan – Telecom New Zealand will support it 100 percent,” says Briscoe.

But Briscoe says government is being urged to consider carefully the risks and implications of opening the market.

He says if government’s overall aim is to reduce costs to the consumer and increase coverage and quality of telecommunications services, then TCI is ready to commit to setting a time-frame in which to achieve agreed targets.

“Lets establish a glide slope and benchmarks for cost, coverage and quality,” suggests Briscoe.

On Monday Briscoe, also an acting Telecom NZ director, and Nick Olsen, group controller and director, took part in a TCI board meeting and also talked to cabinet about government’s plans to change the legislation that gives the company a monopoly.

Telecom NZ owns 60 percent of TCI’s shares and to move forward with the plans to open the industry to competition, government will also have to get out of an arrangement made with Telecom NZ in the early 1990s.

On Tuesday TCI CEO Jules Maher and board chairman Mike Mitchell hosted a cocktail evening for a small group of key customers at Cafe Salsa to meet the two Telecom NZ directors.

Speaking to CI News, Briscoe said that TCI may have been a little complacent but it has now realised that the customer must come first. He says not all public criticism of TCI has been undue over the years, but the company is steadily improving its services and prices have been dropping for years.

“My view is that Telecom Cook Islands was, ten years ago, the number one Telecom company in the South Pacific. Over time, I think we’ve lost sight of that and we are learning from that and are now determined not to make the same mistake again. Now the challenge is to regain that reputation for being the best,” he said.

Briscoe says there has also been the perception that charges are going up but they are actually falling.

TCI says in the last two years broadband internet rates have dropped dramatically and continue to fall steadily; capped international calls have reduced prices even more as well as an almost 50 percent reduction in prepaid mobile rates since 2006.

• Helen Greig

Financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti’s contract ends next week. 09011502

Former financial secretary Kevin Carr will be acting Finsec. 08112802

Former financial secretary Kevin Carr will return to his old job when current secretary Sholan Ivaiti’s contract comes to an end next week.

Carr, who held the position from 1998 until Ivaiti’s appointment two years ago, will be appointed in an acting capacity.

Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen told CI News yesterday that using Carr’s experience is seen as the best temporary measure for filling the position until the new three-year contract is awarded.

The contract for the highest paying position in the public service – as head of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management – will be advertised and Ivaiti will be eligible to reapply, says the minister.

“We may keep him (Ivaiti) on in another capacity,” says Rasmussen. “I’ve come to work with him rather well.”

Following December’s announcement of the $1.75 million settlement with the country’s fuel distributors Toa and Triad, Ivaiti’s future in the role has remained in doubt with government weighing up whether to suspend him when his contract was so close to an end.

Ivaiti and former minister of finance Sir Terepai Maoate have been blamed by the public at large for the contentious outcome of the two-year fuel farm scheme – now dubbed the Toagate scandal.

An audit investigation into the scheme and the large out of court settlement is due to be completed within the next few weeks. Meanwhile the public service commissioner has begun another investigation into the scandal and Ivaiti’s involvement in it.

Rasmussen has employed Carr over the past two weeks on a short contract to work with him on the Toagate settlement issues. He says Carr has been assessing the mediation agreements and has been very helpful in identifying issues that need further legal advice.

The minister has been consulting with NZ Crown Law on the settlement documents in recent weeks. He says he is not consulting solicitor general Tingika Elikana – to avoid a conflict of interest as Elikana has been involved in the fuel farm agreements over the past two years.

Rasmussen says as the new minister he has inherited the problem of a lot of debts incurred by government by, in his view, poor understand-ing of agreements and negotiations.

The minister has agreed to be interviewed by CI News next week for an update on the country’s financial situation which he claims is stable at present.

• Helen Greig

A major search and rescue mission was averted in the northern group last weekend after a missing boat was found.

On Saturday, police received a report that a boat headed for Rakahanga, which departed from Manihiki at 9am, had gone missing.

The trip was meant to last two or three hours and by 7pm the boat had still not arrived.

Though weather conditions were favourable and skipper and crew were experienced sailors, police activated a search and rescue plan.

Commissioner Maara Tetava consulted the Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington and the Royal NZ Air Force, and it was agreed that a Royal NZ Orion search aircraft would be deployed on Sunday morning.

Manihiki police planned to deploy two boats and Rakahanga police planned to deploy one. Te Kukupa was also standing by, awaiting a signal.

At 6.50 the next morning, 50 minutes after Manihiki sent out its search boats, the missing boat was found in Rakahanga.

The boat’s fuel had mixed with water, causing engine failure, and the skipper had anchored on the eastern side of Rakahanga to wait out the night. On Sunday morning, his son swam ashore to report the boat’s location.

All crew members were safe and returned to Manihiki with no issues.

Tetava said that the alarm triggered a widespread response among law enforcement both here and in NZ.

“Had the boat not arrived safely, we had the necessary plan of action in place to locate it at the earliest possible opportunity,” he said.

• RR

Warriors league club president Mark Brown presents an ice cream container containing $658 in gate takings to Aitutaki Cyclone Appeal committee chairman George George. 10021822

Aitutaki Cyclone Appeal committee chairman George George was thrilled to be given $658 in gate takings from rugby league matches hosted by the Takuvaine-Tutakimoa Warriors Rugby League Club.

The money was raised from the gate takings at last Saturday’s league games at the Happy Valley grounds.

Warriors president Mark Brown was very happy with the turnout and the contributions from league fans at the games between the Warriors and the Tupapa Panthers.

Many spectators gave more than the gate entry fee as a donation towards a good cause.

George was very happy with the Warriors being the first sports club to present their donation.

“This is a great start to the major fundraising effort that kicks off today at the Te Atukura with sales of cooked food and also for the radio-thon to be conducted by the three local radio stations 88FM, Matariki FM and Radio Cook Islands.”

Appeal reports, pages 7-9

• Warriors

A man died at Rutaki just before 5 pm on Wednesday evening after falling from his motorcycle.

The man, who had been drinking, fell off his motorbike on the main road and died of severe head injuries. Police suspect he suffered a fractured skull and internal bleeding.

Police commissioner Maara Tetava cited speed and intoxication as the primary causes of the crash.

Tetava extended his condolences to the family of the deceased, and raised concerns about the frequency of serious drunk-driving accidents.

“Over the past week and leading up to this crash, we had two other motorcycle crashes with serious injuries,” he said.

“One of those young men is undergoing treatment in New Zealand.

All of these crashes were alcohol related.

“Despite the continuing awareness programmes and strong enforcement, some hard-headed people just do not seem to care, and are still driving drunk.

“This behaviour and attitude must stop if we are serious about preventing the carnage on our roads. Too many of our people are losing their lives or suffering the consequences of road crashes.

“Perhaps it is high time that we seriously consider re-introducing the law on compulsory wearing of safety helmets.”

• Rachel Reeves

The life and work of the renowned Cook Islands scholar, Professor Ron Crocombe, will be celebrated at a conference in August.

The Festschrift for Ron Crocombe conference is being coordinated by the Cook Islands Research Association in association with the Library & Museum Society and University of the South Pacific Cook Islands campus.

Papers for the conference will celebrate the life and work of Crocombe, who passed away in June last year.

A selection of papers presented at the August 12-13 conference will be published as a Festschrift – a book honouring a respected person – which will also include a list of academic colleagues and friends who wish to recall or honour Crocombe’s personal, public or academic life.

• Rod Dixon

Mike Mitchell. 09102215

Foreign Affairs secretary Mike Mitchell is set to become the new Cook Islands high commissioner to New Zealand after being nominated by cabinet this month.

Now the ‘receiving State’ (NZ) must agree to the nomination before an appointment can be finalised.

Prime minister Jim Marurai said yesterday that if all goes to plan, Mitchell will take up the position, based in Wellington, early next month.

Marurai’s office says Mitchell’s appointment would be for one year in order to allow the next government to look at a longer term replacement for current high commissioner Tepure Tapaitau.

The high commissioner is usually appointed for a term of three years.

Late last year it was revealed that Democratic Party president Makiuti Tongia had been nominated by cabinet for the job. His nomination was soon pulled but government has offered no explanation for the turnaround.

Mitchell, 65, has been in his current position for almost two years after leaving a temporary post as solicitor general from 2007. He was the first solicitor-general of the Cook Islands in 1979-86.

Born in Gisborne, New Zealand, Mitchell has been a permanent resident of the Cooks since 1986.

He completed his law degree at Victoria University in Wellington in 1969 and went on to practice law in London, Uganda and New Zealand before coming to the Cook Islands.

Mitchell did not wish to comment on the nomination when contacted yesterday. Meanwhile, Marurai said he believed an acting foreign affairs secretary would be appointed before the newly appointed Jim Gosselin takes over the position later this year.

• Helen Greig

Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin has been reappointed for another three-year term following a cabinet decision on Thursday.

His reappointment has come after months of speculation about the post and after allegations by the Opposition Party that Sir Frederick ignored last month’s petition by MPs for parliament to sit because he did not want to lose the position.

Sir Frederick has been head of state since February 2001 and this year he will have served in the position for as long as former QR Apenera Short – a decade.

Short was QR from December 1990 to November 2000. An acting QR (Lawrence Greig) held the post until Sir Frederick’s appointment the following year.

Sir Frederick is the fifth QR since the country first had a head of state to represent the Monarchy in 1975.

• Helen Greig

Mrs Maeva Compared to Cyclone Martin in 1997 this [cyclone] was nothing but people are really reacting. 10021941

Ake Patia It’s been an awesome response. 10021943

Agnes Strickland It’s been very good. Most of our economy comes from Aitutaki so we really need to help them. Besides, my husband’s from Aitutaki! 10021944

Marie Aererua It’s too much. It’s wonderful. 10021942

Mari Unuia Under the circumstances it was a good response. They had to figure things out, but it was still pretty quick. 10021945

Jamie Enoka It’s been good. The whole community has been pushing in. 10021946

Tai Roberts It’s been a quick response. It’s going really well. 10021947

Lisa Hewitt It’s alright. It’s been fun, kind of exciting. 10021948

What do you think of the cyclone relief effort?

Aitutaki reconstruction main priority for govt

Wilkie Rasmussen, minister responsible for the national cyclone relief efforts for Aitutaki, says government is committed to the reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure on the island.

Options being weighed up include whether to provide kitset homes or build basic homes from scratch.

Rasmussen says government is also considering how it will fund the reconstruction estimated to cost in excess of $12 million.

He says government may fund 50 percent and then offer families a concessional loan to cover the rest.

The minister hopes to have a plan in place by Wednesday for how the reconstruction will be carried out.

“We need to move quickly,” says Rasmussen.

He says the faster government can address reconstruction, the better chance it has of preventing a mass exodus of the population from Aitutaki.

Already government is buying building materials and has builders working on houses that can be fixed quickly.

The minister says from the regular updates from the island, food and water is not a serious problem, but there remain families without homes.

He says the priority now is identifying the best way to begin home reconstruction for those that need either a lot of repair or complete replacement.

“The question is how we approach reconstruction.

“We have to make priorities for homes of residents of the island and not those that no one was living in. And we have to address this fairly so none miss out on or take advantage of free assistance.”

Several assessments have been done of the damage to homes and infrastructure on the island, but Rasmussen says more information is needed.

A United Nations expert in housing reconstruction following natural disasters will be providing an assessment report to government this week.

A team from the ministry of infrastructure and planning will be back in Aitutaki today to assess exactly what materials may be needed for reconstruction.

Government is also trying to secure around $8 million in NZAID funding to be used to start the rehabilitation and reconstruction of homes and other buildings in Aitutaki.

Rasmussen says from updates and assessments, government can then make decisions on providing more provisions.

“As far as the government support team is concerned, every morning we get a briefing and update from the various officials in Aitutaki including Red Cross. Everything is flowing smoothly.”

• Helen Greig

Yesterday's tropica depression forecast map sh172010 sh172010

A tropical depression 45 nautical miles from the northern group island of Penrhyn caused flooding in low lying areas yesterday and some roof damage caused by strong winds.

Police commissioner Maara Tetava activated the Police Operations Emergency Centre at 11 o’clock on Saturday morning to monitor tropical depression 11F sitting in the Cook Islands northern group islands.

Tetava says his police officer in Penrhyn had reported flooding and minor roof damage to some homes on the island yesterday and that they were still experiencing winds around 35 knots late yesterday afternoon.

Tetava says that he has been receiving clear information on the tropical depression and because it is travelling in almost the same path as cyclone Pat which caused widespread damage on Aitutaki two weeks ago, he says that they are keeping a vigilant watch on the depression.

Special weather bulletin 9 issued at 2.07pm reported that tropical depression 11F was 997HPA at its centre and was 45 nautical miles south-south east of Penrhyn.

The depression is moving southeast at about 13knots and is expected to turn south then southwest over the 12 hours following the bulletin.

The bulletin reports that the depression is intensifying slowly and may become a tropical cyclone over 24 hours.

On this forecast track, the depression centre was expected to lie about 140 nautical miles south of Penhryn and about 190 nautical miles east-southeast of Rakahanga at 1 o’clock this morning.

At 1 o’clock this afternoon, the centre of the depression is expected to about 250 nautical miles south-southwest of Pehnryn and 210 nautical miles south-southeast of Rakahanga.

With the devastation of Aitutaki fresh in the minds of a lot of people, Tetava urges people to be vigilant in tracking the depression and most importantly in preparing for the worst.

“This is the time to get prepared. Get into the drill again of making sure homes are tied down and you are prepared,” says Tetava.

• Matariki Wilson

A government delegation is due to head to Penrhyn today to assess reported damage from tropical depression 11F to homes and government buildings on Sunday night.

Cabinet approved an Air Rarotonga charter flight worth $19,720 to take finance minister and Penrhyn MP Wilkie Rasmussen and three officials to the island to carry out an initial damage assessment and take emergency supplies.

Rasmussen says cabinet was briefed early yesterday morning by police on the damage – 17 homes with roof damage, seven unoccupied dwellings with roof damage, and three-quarters of the Omoka school roof taken off. Other buildings also have roof damage. Communications were patchy to the island yesterday where Rasmussen says flooding was also causing concern.

The minister says the tropical depression had been right over the island when the damage occurred.

“They have estimated that the wind (speed) was 50 kilometres per hour, rather than the 35 (kilometres per hour) as forecast.”

The depression was downgraded to a tropical disturbance yesterday.

Rasmussen says the next cargo shipment to the north may be redirected to go to Penrhyn with building materials first.

This has already caused concern for Pukapuka MP Vai Peua as Taio Shipping has received government assistance to take urgently needed cargo to the island after one failed voyage earlier this month. The ship is set to leave on March 10 for the northern group islands.

• Helen Greig

A feeling of relief rippled around the Cook Islands yesterday after special weather bulletins were cancelled for a tropical depression in the north.

At 2am on Monday, special weather bulletins for tropical depression 11F were cancelled. At 8am yesterday the depression was downgraded to a tropical disturbance.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, the island of Penrhyn sustained flooding in low lying areas and damage to roofs when the depression generated winds of between 35 and 40knots with gusts of up to 50knots.

Cook Islands Metrological services operation manager Maara Vaiimene reported to Cook Islands News late yesterday afternoon that while the depression had been downgraded to a disturbance – they were still keeping a close eye on the weather system.

He said that the system could generate strong winds for the Southern Cook Islands as it continues its southwesterly movement towards the island of Niue.

Vaiimene says that they are also keeping a close eye on a second disturbance sitting over the Tokelau Islands.

He says they are concerned at its current easterly path heading into Cook Islands waters.

Meanwhile the meteorological service is urging people to stay alert and be prepared for strong winds.

• Matariki Wilson

Prime minister and telecommunications minister Jim Marurai says government’s intention to open the telecommunications market remains unchanged but it is considering the alternative – keeping the Telecom monopoly.

Judging by Marurai’s statements on Friday, he’s more and more swayed toward seeing if a better service can be created with the status quo.

“I’ve seen their (TCI) pricing trends – they are gradually lowering their prices,” says Marurai.

Now he says he doesn’t think companies such as Mervin Communications will survive if they go into competition with Telecom because they have no infrastructure set up and the market size would also be a limiting factor.

Two Telecom New Zealand representatives last week met with the PM, cabinet and the other TCI board members and proposed that benchmarks be set to reduce costs and improve service quality as an alternative to pursuing the ‘open market’ plan.

Government has been considering whether to stay with the one provider to see what benefits can be achieved.

Neither government nor its Telecom Cook Islands partner, Telecom NZ, have signed off on any agreements following their discussions, but Marurai says they are all considering what to do next.

The PM says government has been under increasing pressure from the business sector to allow competition in the market.

“If that’s what they want, then they can have it. They can all fight over the market and see who wins.” - HG

Mike Mitchell’s nomination as Cook Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand has been accepted as of yesterday by the NZ government.

Foreign affairs and immigration minister Robert Wigmore announced that Mitchell will take up the new post in Wellington from mid-March.

His new appointment is for one year.

• Helen Greig

The ANZ team 10021815

Fresh air sparks fresh ideas – that’s the idea behind outdoors meetings by the ANZ Bank marketing and service department. The team is pictured during their open air meeting last Thursday morning.

Team leader Christian Mani (front right) says that the department holds a meeting at the picnic tables across the road from the bank in Avarua once a fortnight.

He says that their outdoor meetings are very productive and he encourages more people to take up outdoor meetings. His team enjoys getting out of the office, he says, and it creates a more productive and healthy working environment.

So take a leaf out of the ANZ marketing and service book – and take your next meeting outdoors to spark fresh ideas.

- Matariki Wilson

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