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Letters to the Editor

Week ending Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Send us a Letter to the Editor

We will not publish any material which we consider to be defamatory

Why stress over tsunamis?
Take note and check Tap’s conclusions
One death is one too many
Your news is wonderful
Still the carnage continues
What insolence!
TCI defends itself
‘Fantastic experience’
Stand alone
Leave the ‘traitors’ out
Waiting for radio announcer to scream
Hope springs eternal
Amazing claims
Why govt should take over
Good on govt – don’t take China money
Demo president confused, not true to party
Lessons from 1960
Stop mafia type control by the party executives
Leaders emerging who know how to run businesses
‘We are not at any serious risk’
Island leader praises T&M
Egg numbers don’t stack up – Scotts Farm
Police need to re-focus strategies
Count the deaths
Helmets won’t stop a neck breaking
Answers and repairs, please
CIP clears up ‘misconceptions’
Toast the PM and TCI board, don’t criticise them
Thanks, but road works incomplete
Thanks for good advice
Don’t believe re-write
Thanks to four guys

Dear Editor,

To avoid unnecessary anxiety, time, widespread panic and effort being spent by officials and concerned people trying to work out appropriate areas where people can possibly flee to in the event of an approaching tsunami, perhaps we first need to ascertain whether Rarotonga and her sister islands are in fact vulnerable to tsunamis.

On one hand you got officials from Police and Emergency Management (EMCI) making us believe that tsunamis can wreak death and destruction to our islands. So we must be prepared to flee to higher ground every time countries as far away as Chile get an undersea earthquake that generates tsunamis.

On the other hand you have the likes of Tap Pryor, who is a world renowned marine scientist, claiming that unlike islands such as Samoa and Hawaii, Rarotonga does not have the geological features – in this case an offshore shallow slope or shelf – that would allow tsunamis to cause damage.

If this is indeed the case, why on earth are we stressing out big time over something that is not really of relevance to ourselves?

So who is right and who is wrong? And what scientific evidence does EMCI possess to demonstrate that Rarotonga is vulnerable to tsunamis?

Tsunami stressed

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

My congratulations to Tap Pryor for his letter about tsunami warnings. Since the Samoa tsunami, I have been telling a number of people the same thing but Tap’s use of the English language is vastly superior to mine. I do hope that those in authority take note and check up on Tap’s conclusions.

My congratulations to those in authority for the efforts they made early that morning and also the comments in yesterday’s paper that “the back roads of Rarotonga are far enough inland for people from the coast to move to”.

The photograph on the front page of the newspaper seemed to show a complete state of panic and I would hope that our police would ensure that in any future emergency situation, the access road to our hospital and the hospital grounds are kept clear of all parked vehicles apart from those belonging to duty staff and hospital transport.

Jim Ditchburn

Dear Editor,

If I had a magical solution to our horrific death rate here or anywhere else in the world I would have used it by now. But I haven’t!

Helmets are not a magical cure to our deathly problem but they are one component in a whole mix of measures that need to be applied.

If anyone cares to see the bigger picture as depicted in the excellent documentary aired on CITV last Saturday night, the WORLD has an enormous problem and the developing world (us) has an even bigger one. Death rates on the roads. Bigger than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – but does anyone really care? Or do anything about it?

Well some of us do and some of us are prepared to try to make some of those changes rather than just ignoring them. If anyone wants a copy of that documentary please drop by CIPS and pick one up.

Helmets – emotional, yes. We do enjoy our freedom and so did those guys and gals who died on our roads over the past 12months since our politicians refused to have the courage to pass a sensible law. Sensible – absolutely.

Everywhere else in the world where a universal helmet law has been applied there has been an IMMEDIATE reduction in road deaths and serious injuries.

In Vietnam for example after the helmet law was introduced in 2007 it estimated that over 1500 people’s lives were saved in the first year alone. Yes I know the population of Vietnam and the conditions are different to here. In the American state of Florida some of the helmet laws were repealed in 2000 (providing the road user has insurance of more than $15,000). There was an immediate increase of 48% in motor cycle occupant deaths in the following year (between 46 and 82 extra people died!).

The police are doing a good job at implementing our laws but don’t expect them to be omnipresent and to pick up the “less than 1%” who cause all our problems. These will always be elusive people that evade the eye of the law. We have an adequate police strength and would not advocate for more for the size of our population.

The police are stopping and prosecuting drivers for many of the road traffic acts – including moving vehicle offences.

RSC is proposing to bring back the “Report a Driver” phone line in the near future – but realistically there is little that can be done after an offence has been committed without any recorded evidence.

Yes we need to fix the roads, sort out the signs, educate everyone, have proper driving examinations, educate our children, catch all the offenders, and so on and so on.

2010 is the start of the world Decade for Action for Road Safety around the world.

We have to stop the deaths and carnage.

We have a small, dedicated group of individuals who volunteer their time to try to make a difference here in Rarotonga. We’d love to have more support and if anyone wants to join us, the next meeting will be at the Police Headquarters at noon on April 15.

Stop whining about “we don’t want law changes” and start to implement real change for the good of our people. One death is one too many.

Colin Burn

Chairman, RSC Rarotonga

Dear Editor,

Once a week I read about the Rarotonga news online. Things over there seem to have improved with the schools and the government, but the drink driving people don’t seem to care about safety and it sad that family has to suffer. I know because some of my family have died from drink-driving.

Rarotonga is the most beautiful place. I haven’t been back for 40 years – that is why your news on the internet is wonderful.

Pati Nia Rua,

New Zealand

Dear Editor,

Your correspondent Brian Coker is under the misapprehension that a compulsory helmet law is being touted as a “magical solution” to the carnage on our roads.

There is no “magical solution”, although it would be rather magical if we could eliminate speeding, drink driving and all the “acts of complete insanity that one sees on the roads” that Brian quotes in his recent letter, which he says can be achieved by the police being given “far more resources and encouragement to ensure the existing laws are enforced”.

Since June 2008 (when parliament scrapped the compulsory helmet law) the police have been far more active in enforcing the existing laws than they have ever been in the past, as evidenced by the number of fines and court appearances by offenders. And still the carnage continues.

The Road Safety Council would welcome some positive input from Brian (or anybody else) as to just what resources and encouragement the police should be given to ensure the existing laws are enforced.

Already we see more traffic cops per mile than you will ever see in NZ or Australia.

As Pat Tasker asked, “Do we want to become a Police State?”

Don Silk

Road Safety Council

Dear Editor,

It’s wonderful Mr Ivaiti can so eloquently quote Einstein as he fades off into the sunset after being a major player in Toagate with “ no regrets” and “ leaving, a much more experienced and knowledgeable Cook Islander.” What insolence!

Personally I sincerely hope that Audit can wipe the smugness from his face.

Even if he has managed to cover himself technically, he will still go down as a major contributor to a great financial loss for every Cook Islander because the law suits are not over yet.

Let’s hope this time the government will hire the BEST applicant for the position, without fear, favour, race or nepotism as a guideline, and without any party involvement because this is consistently proving to be the downfall of the management of our country.

Disgusted Again

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

I wish to respond to William Framhein’s latest outburst claiming Telecom had no right to disclose details of the savings on his use of telecommunications, because he says, the information was personal.

William claimed in CI News on February 25 that his January account did not reflect pricing changes announced by Telecom in November 2009.

The implication from his comment was that:

1. His account was wrong, or

2. The company did not actually implement the pricing changes it announced, or

3. He was treated differently to other customers and was not given the benefit of the price reductions.

Whichever interpretation you take, the company’s integrity was being questioned and the company has every right to defend itself against unsubstantiated claims.

William could have asked Telecom to show him the savings on his January account. Instead, he chose to state publicly that his account did not reflect the changes. Now he is disgusted because Telecom responded publicly with evidence of the savings he made.

I will not stand by while this company is unjustly criticised in public. William has a personal interest in levelling criticism at Telecom – he wants people to believe that his company could do better. So my message to William is to check his facts before criticising. If he makes a private enquiry or criticism (as he has sometimes done in the past) Telecom will respond privately. If he makes a public criticism or inquiry I will respond publicly.

The information I disclosed about William’s account involved dollars and cents saved on his account, not actual charges or personal information (such as his phone numbers nor the phone numbers he called).

William cannot expect Telecom to remain silent while he makes factually incorrect claims against it and while he hides behind some misguided notion of privacy. William, if you are genuinely concerned about your privacy come and discuss your telecommunications bill in private.

Jules Maher

CEO

Telecom Cook Islands

Dear Editor,

I personally would like to thank the Cook Island Police, our neighbours and friends surrounding the Seventh Day Adventist School in Titikaveka for their fantastic response on Saturday morning during the Tsunami warning and evacuation.

Unlike ‘High Hopes’ in Wednesday’s newspaper, we had a completely fantastic experience.

We too were the ‘house at the top of the hill’ and many, many Titikaveka folks retreated to this spot.

We had people volunteering and directing traffic and others directing people to park orderly and neatly. Local people and police knocked on doors, warning people. We had a visit from a policeman to check on our safety and we also had someone from the Red Cross turn up.

Everyone on our hill signed a piece of paper listing who was there and how many family members were with them. We were able to hear the sirens from the road (at least 900m away) clearly and the messages on the radio were consistent with regular updates.

No one panicked. Everyone was calm and relaxed.

I was so pleased with the job done by the Cook Island Police, local people of Titikaveka and the SDA church folk! It was simply superb.

Thank you also to all our friends on the island who were regularly contacting people from 3.30am onwards.

It is always better to be safe and prepared than sorry. Most of the people I have spoken to said that they were blown away by how organised and efficient the evacuation was in their individual areas.

I watched the New Zealand news on Saturday night and saw what a haphazard experience they had in comparison to the brilliant response we had in the Cook Islands. I feel honoured to be living in the Cook Islands. Thank you again.

Sherid Carter

Titikaveka

Dear Editor,

Can someone tell me why it’s necessary for the five members of cabinet to ‘form a new political party’ just because the two tired, old parties don’t want them. Why not run as independents?

We expect to see more than a few independents run successfully in September even without the addition of the Marurai Five. Add the five and you have a controlling block without all that party nonsense.

Exactly what does membership in a party do for politician? Well, it often means that they cannot decide conscientiously on issues. Instead, they must behave like sheep or, as we often see, get sacked by non-elected party-hacks.

How much better off the Cook Islands would be with no parties at all. Imagine 24 MPs all voting for what is best for the nation! Starting a new party seems a step backwards just when fresh approaches are most needed.

Asking

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

If Jim Marurai and his four ‘rebel’ Cabinet ministers Wigmore, Rasmussen, Heather and Piho are intending to stand at the next general elections, surely they do not expect to ride on the Demo Party campaign wagon?

In the betrayal of the Demo Party last year, these five politicians have made the party and its leadership suffer greatly. So much so that the Demo Party will now have to fight hard during the campaigning period to prove to voters that embracing the future is still the best option for the tangata rikiriki of this country.

I say that these political party ‘traitors’ should be isolated and left to fend for themselves. If they want to form their own party, then good on them.  I bet nobody will support them as they can no longer be trusted.

However, if the Demo Party is foolish enough to allow them back into the party, then I can predict that the CIP will likely win a landslide at the country’s general elections later this year.

Demo Way

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor

With regard to the debate on helmets and their ability to “help” save lives, I ask one question: How can you disagree, and be intelligent at the same time?

With regard to the tsunami alerts, I commend the Police Commissioner for his statements on Cook Islands Radio. He had the sense, and courtesy to read them in Cook Island Maori and then repeat them in English.

Apart from that the 20 or so of us who had gathered at one of our homes and had our ears pinned to Cook Island Radio for updates could only hope that we would recognise a looming catastrophe by the high pitched scream of the announcer as he did not have the fore thought or courtesy to translate announcements.

Yes, I know we have chosen to live here and that a portion of the population speaks Cook Islands Maori, but in the times of disaster alerts one would expect that all are entitled to know what is going on. Thanks again to the Police Commissioner, you really stepped up to the mark.

Neville Puckey

Chief Pharmacist

Ministry of Health

Dear Editor,

Yesterday’s (March 4) article ‘NZ law change extends student loans to Cooks’ highlights the fact that the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau are acknowledged by the NZ Government as being within the REALM OF NEW ZEALAND and, as such, students living in this realm are entitled to receive interest-free loans.

I submit that to be consistent, NZ should apply exactly the same principle in respect of NZ superannuation payments to our expatriates and locals of eligible age here who should be entitled to receive their rightful benefits by virtue of having worked and paid taxes for 20 years or more (or a proportionate amount for a lesser number of years in the NZ workforce).

I therefore reiterate that if our government can find the political will to help our old people – and the economy in the process – they should engage with Niue and Tokelau in a joint effort to lobby their counterparts in the NZ Government on the basis of the precedent now set by the latter in respect of student loans.

Due to the present fragile political situation here, I’m not holding my breath that any action will be taken anytime soon, but hope springs eternal, etc....

Les Priest

Matavera

Dear Editor,

It’s amazing to see the TCI boss accusing William Framhein of ‘unsubstantiated claims’ when TCI has been making ridiculous unsubstantiated claims for years to retain their monopoly.

The same ridiculous claims that AT+T was making when it was rationalising its strangle hold on world telecommunications over 30 years ago.

Free market without monopoly will improve quality and reduce price in the Cook Islands just like it has world wide. This has been proven many times over.

Richard Wachter

The last grand plan for the Vaimaanga property – the resort proposed by Tim Tepaki’s joint venture company. 08110233

Big talk and big dreams – once a Sheraton, once a Hilton, now in ruins again. 09021908

Dear Editor,

In response to ’Get Real’ in last Saturday’s Cook Island News, may I suggest he or she GET REAL and look at what is happening to world economies, our economy, our country and our people as we reel in a recession not of our making.

The saddest thing for me as a Cook Islander is to see our people leave our country with their heads hanging in shame because they lost their job, their home, their land and their dignity.

They leave never to return because some foreigner will live in the home they built and on the land of their ancestors.

So why should’t government take over the Vaimaanga hotel project and stimulate the economy so our people can retain their jobs, their home, their land and their dignity?

I’m aware of the article Get Real refers to and the businessman who wrote it before he left, because I’m one of of the group of Cook Islanders who helped Tim Tepaki put together the Rarotonga Hilton Economic Stimulus Plan to put to government so it can stimulate our economy and save our people, and I’m proud to be part of a group with such vision.

The Bible says without vision the people will perish? We have a vision, and that vision is to save our people and our country!

I’ve done real estate and mortgage broking in Sydney and dealt with developers, reviewing their due-diligence reports, designs, building permits, covenants ( council rulings), costings, timelines, valuations, deposit bonds, insurance, finance and guarantees, which has to be done to properly assess the viability and sustainability of project.

As I have said to our group, if government can raise a loan at 2% interest for a term of 20 years with the Peoples Republic of China as our sources say it can, even a first year student at Tereora can figure out that the funding offered to our group at 14% interest during development phase and rolling over to 8% when the resort is operational and the project is de-risked is no match for such funding.

And any fool can figure out that the tax take and surplus available to government will increase markedly, as will the borrowing power of government, and enable government not to only stimulate the economy but expand it!

So why government? Because:

Only government can borrow at 2% funding from the Peoples Republic of China. It’s a no brainer!

Government successfully developed The Rarotongan Resort and introduced the tourism that now drives our economy.

Government now has the opportunity to finish the job started by its predecessor to introduce international tourism, which failed because the builder walked off the job –not government’s fault!

Government and the Peoples Republic of China and Chinese State Owned Enterprise that developed the court house, police station and mini games stadium have the proven track record for the task, with all completed on time and on budget!

Local private sector cannot access soft funding to do it, so either government does it and keeps the benefits on island to help the people or it sits back and allows offshore developers to come in and do it for themselves and take the benefits offshore, AS USUAL!

As for Get Real, who is obviously enraged that government might intervene in the economy and save its people like every other government on the planet is doing, I suggest he or she change his nom-de-plume to ‘Not Real’, as he or she is obviously a ‘tupapaku’ and not a Cook Islander!

James Thomson

Cook Islander

Dear Editor,

Probably after Kevin Cook I am the country’s second biggest critic when it comes to making sure that the roads of this country are of a decent standard, particularly in the capital Rarotonga.

Relying almost entirely on the tourism industry to keep the country’s economy chugging along, it is critical that the country’s infrastructure, such as roads, is of a high quality. Along with the airports, harbours, schools, hospitals and water supply, our roads are perhaps this country’s most essential infrastructure.

Rarotonga, after all, is a well developed and sophisticated society whereby one would expect the roads to be regularly maintained and therefore of decent quality. That is what we citizens and our tourists would both demand and expect. Unfortunately, however, the roads are in a terrible mess.

Dreadful by any international standard, the roads on Rarotonga have been in dire need of complete resealing for years. Strewn with thousands of gaping pot holes that get filled by a small but uneven mountain of tar and rocks every so often, the state of Rarotonga’s roads is probably an accurate reflection of just how poor public services have been delivered over the years. Year after year it is the same old plenty talk but empty promises and little action.

However, the recent statement from the finance minister that government is likely to not approve the $37.5 million Chinese loan for the road and water upgrade on Rarotonga is both wise and bold.

First, there is a real threat that any further borrowing undertaken by this government at this point in time will have the potential of drowning this country into debt that we may perhaps struggle to repay and which could leave this country virtually bankrupt. Not much use having great new roads but bankrupting the country in the process resulting in more people flocking overseas.

Last year our country’s national debt stood at $51.9 million. Today it is $103 million. Can this country afford to add another $37.5 million on top of the huge existing debt?  I do not think we can.

Second, if the terrible quality of the workmanship on the three buildings built by the Chinese is anything to go by, the very last thing we need is for our new, Chinese built roads to be of a similar shoddy standard. If they are, the roads will only fall apart after a short time. In any case, why should the Chinese be allowed to build our roads. Better to give the job to T&M. After all, this awesome, 100% local company has proven itself time and time again and employs hundreds of local workers.

So good on the finance minister for taking a stand when it comes to Chinese loans and shoddy workmanship and for making certain that this country does not drown in debt in order to gain political mileage leading up to the country’s general elections.

It is just fantastic to see government embarking on a cautious, long term strategic approach when it comes to this country’s national debt levels and future dealings with Chinese loans and their poor workmanship.

Keep up the good work.

Prudent

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

Many of us Democratic supporters are tired of Makiuti’s rendition in the newspapers about the Demo government. Can we ask Makiuti the following questions please:

1. Who is he to say that the PM will eventually be sacked from the party.

He is not the party and there are many supporters out there who do not agree with him.

If Ivirua returns him as our Demo candidate, Makiuti has no say about the matter.

2. Sir Terepai did not lead us in the last election. Makiuti as president agreed that if the Demos presented Sir Terepai to be PM, the Demos would lose the election so they confirmed that Jim Marurai will remain the PM. It was as much for that promise that the Demos won.

Does Makiuti think Sir Terepai is better liked by the people now especially after the Toagate and his attempted hijacking of the government?

3. Does Makiuti think the Toagate was a good thing and if so can he point to the Demo policy at the last election to say we were going to buy back private assets for government to run.

4. Does he think spending over $5 million to buy Toa petroleum when its lease was about to run out a good deal or a dumb deal.

5. Who gave him and his executive the authority to abandon our Demo government which we fought hard to win at the last election.

6. Why has he put the party in a shambolic position with a Demo government but not a Demo government – whose government is it then?

7. Who did the manipulation and forced ministers to resign – all a manoeuvre and then cry foul when they got out-manoeuvred.

8 Who are you president of – the Democratic Party or some rogue members of the Demo caucus?

9. Why have you failed to support the government we worked so hard to win?

10. Who gave you the authority to form a coalition with the CIPs without at least calling all the chairmen of the punas or at least calling a conference to decide on this important issue?

All Makiuti’s letters to the editor sadly reveal a confused mind and an inability to grapple with the basic principles of democracy.

Fed up

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

A friend sent me a scanned copy of CI News dated 23 May 1960. It reported on the impact of a tsunami caused by an earthquake of 9.5 magnitude that was, also, near to Conception, Chile, where 2 million persons were left homeless. The US Geological Survey calls it the ‘largest earthquake in the world’.

At that time, the water in Avatiu harbour rose 18 inches (46 cm) above the wharf. The water surged in and out of Avatiu from 9.30pm until about 3am, damaging two yachts.

There seems to be several lessons here:

(1) It’s physically impossible for a tsunami to cause significant damage on Rarotonga;

(2) Yachts are advised to leave the harbour or be hauled out;

(3) Don’t live near Conception.

Please, Willie, link us to the ‘real life data from real scientists’ to which you refer. If the evidence is there, we are entitled to read it, too.

Tap Pryor

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

If the politicians won’t do it – what about the people?

One of the most consistent political reform changes the Cook Island people ask for is fewer politicians.

The politicians are obviously not going to allow this to happen and due to our flawed constitution they control everything and will simply ignore the people’s wishes.

After an election during which they always promise change, they simply forget it without shame. So why can’t the voters take the reins for a change? Just tell them this is the way it’s going to be, what can they do?

This could apply to Aitutaki, Mangaia, Aitu, Manihiki/Rakahanga.

Hold your own referendum to vote for change, let’s face it we are not talking large numbers of people to contact. If the people choose to reduce their politicians to one each island it will cut the total by 6, from 24 to 18.

Why should we and what’s in it for us?

1. Each island keeps their representation.

2. Everyone keeps asking for reduced numbers.

3. The island could demand the saved salaries go into their budget for their use (sorry, you can’t have their airmiles and per diems).

4. Most of all you could start the process of change where the better person gets elected to represent you AND run the country.

Demand the government accepts this position, work with your traditional leaders if they accept the idea then, together, only elect forward thinking members, whatever party, who publicly commit to continuing the change to the old system.

This would include reducing the number of seats in Rarotonga to make room for some national seats that you could vote for because that’s the real future for the outer islands.

National seats will give you the chance to help elect some MPs that won’t necessarily be party members but can be elected for their capability and can be from any island originally and its better politicians that you need.

Think about it, you really do have to put a stop to the mafia type control of the party executives who tell you who you can vote for now.

Young people, listen up – it’s your right as a citizen to vote for what you believe in too –you’ll still be here trying to make the best of it when all us old fools are in the ground. I for one don’t want to leave you a mess.

But I am,

Getting Concerned

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

When people complain to me about the CI government I point out that there are a lot of bigger countries with much worse ones. However, one thing does occur to me and it concerns the type of person who is selected for the job.

The Cooks is really a small player in the highly competitive business of tourism. It stands to reason that the best people to run a business are businessmen, preferably those with a track record of running one successfully. This reliably shows that they can make rational decisions about expenditure, pricing and motivating a loyal team of workers.

Fortunately for us residents in the Cooks we have a few such men emerging who might get a chance to run our little country as well as they have run their businesses. Let’s hope they are voted in!

Optimistic PR

(Name and address supplied)

Rarotonga residents rushed to high ground early last Saturday morning (February 27) after the tsunami warning. This is a group gathered in Titikaveka. 10030501

Dear Editor,

The comments from Emergency Management Cook Islands (Saturday’s CI News) saying they were justified in alerting the island by door knocking, sirens, and horns blowing etc and getting everyone to run to high ground at  around 2am when the ETA of any perceived threat was now over six hours away, just shows their ignorance and stubborn attitude to reason.

Also commenting that “real life data” and “real scientists” have proven that Rarotonga is vulnerable to tsunami, borders on either lying or more likely is misleading the public to justify their alert. Let me explain.

First off, “vulnerable” – any eight-year-old as seen in Saturday’s Kids Page paper has an idea that we could be vulnerable to tsunami, that is not the issue here. What is at issue here is how vulnerable are we and should we be crying out “wolf” when it is only a “pussy cat” at the door.

I have explained that the Cook Islands not just Rarotonga is not at any significant risk (or if using the term vulnerable correctly we are NOT vulnerable) from the types and size of earthquakes that are occurring. We are however subject to the minor effects  (slightly vulnerable if using this term) to tsunami in that they affect us by way of draining harbours and can over fill harbours (depending on size of the earthquake and tsunami generated)  and of causing high current flow at passages and inlets etc only.

So if you have boats in harbour they could be damaged by the rapid flow of water exiting and entering the harbour or people swimming in these areas or inlets and channels would be sucked out, etc.

Now let’s move on to their other quote that “real life data” has proven (what data are they referring to). The real life data we have on the 1960 and 1963  and the recent Tonga 2009 tsunami and now the 27 February 2010 data shows the opposite, that we are “NOT vulnerable” to these size earthquakes and resulting tsunami.

Now trying to further justify themselves by dropping in the “real scientists have proven that etc” needs inquiry.  I would like to ask which scientist, who are they, please give me a call and tell me who.

As a general rule nearly all or most “Real Scientists” will make this statement as it covers the majority of different country situations. You must then give them your own situation and conditions i.e. bathymetric conditions, size and shape of island, water depth, under sea slope, run up to reef etc. for them to make a detailed comment on your specific situation. This is why the tsunami bulletins that are issued state for agencies to “make decisions regarding the official state of alert in their area and any actions to be taken in response” this is because they now recognise that conditons are different for each country.

I have been in contact with a “VERY REAL SCIENTIST” – a specialist “Tsunami Scientist” working for NOAA who operate the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center which provides us all with the tsunami warning bulletins. He is a fulltime “TSUNAMI SCIENTIST” so how real do you want to get, EMCI.

After giving him, and him reviewing our unique conditions (sea depth, type of islands, bathymetric, conditions, etc) the points in my article of September 2009 were supported by this Tsunami Scientist. I also asked him what size earthquake should we be concerned about (I relayed this at ther PM’s debrief last year). He said that we should only be concerned with earthquakes in the Kermadec trench (Tonga trench) area of Magnitude 8.5 and above, but this would be restricted to, as I have said before, to harbours only and the immediate areas around the harbours, in our case Avatiu, Avarua and Avana harbours, as it (the Tonga trench) was closer to us and the warning time was only about 2 hours.

From experience anything from Chile would have to be in the Magnitude 9.5 and up.

Note that the Chile earthquake of Magnitude 9.5 in 1960 has been the largest earthquake ever recorded. It did no damage to the Cook Islands (it did however do major damage to other countries) with over 1,655 lives lost, 3000 injured and 2 million homeless. The toll would have been higher had it not occurred in the middle of the afternoon and a series of strong foreshocks had warned the public. These waves reached heights of 11.5m or 38 ft due to run up on continental shelves, yet in Rarotonga it was recorded at about levels of  0.75m or 2.5ft or 30 inches from low to high, which is a wave half that at 0.38m or 1ft3in. The NZ reading was 11ft above normal at Lyttelton harbour with Timaru getting a 4ft wave. 1960 wave heights: Chile 11.5 meters, Rarotonga 0.38m, New Zealand 3.16m. What do the facts tell you – much the same as last week’s results, Rarotonga 0.32m with the largest last year Rarotonga 0.62m.

WE ARE NOT AT ANY SERIOUS RISK TO TSUNAMI.

So in summary – a very low risk existed last week, and this “RISK” was only to harbours, not the general island or public.

The waves that arrived first at 9.07am were of 0.15m or 6 inches and the biggest was at 9.18am of only 0.32m or 12 inches, these same waves when washing up a shelf like in NZ built up close to 2m or above 60 inches, over 5 times the size considering NZ is a further 1,800 km away from the 8300km to Chile = 10,000km away

We have the ability to easily “mitigate” this so called risk – consult with people. We don’t expect EMCI personnel, who up until the Sumatra tsunami most likely never had any idea of what a tsunami is, to have much knowledge of how a tsunami forms, etc.

Give me a call, EMCI, you have my number, don’t be shy.

Alistair Macquarie

Dear Editor,

I would like to thank the Heather Families of Arorangi, Rarotonga, for the great support and work they are giving to help the people of Aitutaki from the devastation caused by Cyclone Pat.

I say thank you and thank you again many times. Your men or operators are great. They know their jobs, I admired them. I asked the operator on a bobcat machine to pull a trunk of a tree at my home in Araura. He did not waste time, he turned in and did it in three or four minutes. I said to him, “Thank you Mr, you’re very kind.”

I suggest in the future to privatise the infrastructure, ie the work on the roads etc.

Piri Maao BEM

Putokotoko o Tamatoa Ariki

Chairman of Aronga Mana – Aitutaki

Dear Editor,

I am replying to CITC’s response on the egg sales situation. What would be really enlightening at this time is to hear from the egg consumers because they are the ones mostly affected.

Some other observations:

1) If, as they state, our weekly supplies into the CITC Food Group comprises just 40% of their egg purchases and these come to roughly 40-50 cartons a week then that means the other 60% are made up from other local suppliers and NZ which translates into 60 – 75 cartons weekly that could be supplied locally but is not. As of last week the only eggs in both CITC and Foodland that I observed were NZ eggs. There were no local eggs at all but by Saturday I suspect they had rushed around to find a few.

2) Staff at both CITC and Foodland have been told not to order our eggs so even if there is no other local egg presence customers are being denied our eggs because of CITC purchasing policy which would appear then to be based on quite different criteria than the propaganda published by them on Saturday and diametrically opposed to their espoused concern to get the best deal for their customers.

3) If they justify this lack of support for local production by predictably claiming customers’ preference that is a huge number of customers hence the need to hear from some of them.

4) CITC only ever showed its price on eggs when I made a noise about it in 2008. Over time they have slipped back into the more deceptive practice of not showing any prices at all which is a trap for the unwary and timid. (Except this last Saturday, suddenly and quite coincidently, prices appeared on the egg shelf. Strange that.)

5) I followed a woman shopper out of CITC a couple of weeks ago who had purchased a dozen of our eggs. Outside the store I asked her what she had paid. She consulted her machine runner. $6.50. The approved price for our eggs at price controlled margins is $6.00. She and how many others were being similarly overcharged?

6) If our eggs are 28% more expensive than NZ eggs then there is some massive profiteering going on. Consider the maths. We sell eggs to CITC (and others) at $76 carton of trays and $78 carton of dozens inclusive of VAT. Remove the Vat (x 0.8889) and divide by 6 for trays and 15 for dozens. CITC cost therefore is $11.26 for trays and $4.62 for dozens. Add the allowed margin to retail of 15% and then add back the Vat and the maximum allowable retail price is $14.60 tray or $6.00 a dozen. Continuing the maths: If our price to CITC is 28% higher than the NZ eggs then the cost to them of their trays would be $8.80 and dozens $3.61. Adding in this time the two margins that CITC would be allowed, because it is also now the wholesaler as well, (10% on wholesale and 15% on retail) and adding the Vat we end up with in-store retail prices of $12.50 tray and $5.10doz which is quite significantly different from what they are charging which is $16.90 a tray and $6.50 a dozen or, after Vat, 71% on trays and 60% on the dozens which, unless CITC comes back with a retraction and admission of deliberately misguiding your readers, is I should imagine an area in which Price Control should be taking a keen interest profiteering and breaching price orders being as they are criminal offences.

7) Competition CITC tells us brings about better pricing but they did not say for whom. If the above is anything to go by they certainly did not mean the consumers.

8) CITC argues that a large number of their commercial customers specifically request NZ eggs. That list (if there are enough names to even constitute a list) would make interesting reading. However if that is their preference then in the face of a perfectly good, cheaper, fresher local product being available they should be prepared to pay a premium and no doubt would consider a protective levy a small sacrifice to make for the ill-conceived snobbishness of their choice.

9) CITC states that it has used its size positively in the international arena to ensure they get quality goods and favourable pricing. I am not so sure about that but I can attest to them using their position to prevent others having access to basic products like milk, cheeses and other dairy products. Fonterra being one example.

10) Contrary to what CITC says Scotts Farm is not too concerned about local competitors. We have been in the business for 26 years and have seen many come and go. What we are concerned about however is being able to gear our production to known requirements but being unable to quit our fresher and cheaper product because CITC engages in trade practices which it defends with a host of disingenuous fallacious irrelevancies.

Finally, how many readers picked up the contradiction in CITC’s statement about the pork and other protective levies. They complain that they should not be paying 50% and 10% to 75% protective levy on pork and other products when the local production cannot meet demand. The corollary of that of course is that where local production can meet that demand, a protective levy is a reasonable proposition. I shall be sure to stress this inadvertent admission to Government in my discussions with them because that position is entirely consistent with my earlier proposals to strengthen the existing provisions in the tariff.

John M Scott

Scotts Farm Muri

Dear Editor,

I do not want to be too critical of the work our police are doing but I believe that they could be more effective in discouraging drivers to stop drinking and driving than what is happening at the moment.

To me it is pointless stopping/checking the vehicles of every tom, dick and harry coming to work at 8 am on the weekday when those who cause most carnage on the roads are the younger drunk drivers during the wee hours of the weekend. Checkpoints at 7.30am as people travel to work are a complete waste of time, effort and energy.

Sure the police will catch a few who have no licences or WOF but they will NOT catch any intoxicated driver who has the potential of killing him/herself and/or innocent people at that time.

I believe the police have to re-focus their strategies on lowering the road toll by deliberately targeting or going after those who gamble on driving after they have had drinks.

This means the police have to focus more on putting larger number of officers in town and on our roads after mid-night on both Friday and Saturday nights rather than, say, at 10pm on the weekends.

At 10pm high risk drivers are probably still out of town drinking with their mates getting ready to come to Avarua.

Far better to get police officers on the roads after mid-night when there are more drunk drivers on the roads and therefore a much greater chance of stopping drunk drivers and preventing tragic accidents.

Sure nobody wants to be working between 11pm and 3 am on the weekends but if this means it’ll save lives then it is worth doing so.

As a parent of teenage children, perhaps the time has come for us to follow NZ’s course of action in that any driver under the age of 20 is NOT allowed to drink and drive. I’d be interested to learn what the police minister has to say about this deadly serious matter.

Very concerned parent

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

When I was principal at Tereora College a few years back, I strongly encouraged the wearing of bike helmets on the Island.

With the support of our Board of Trustees, the Road Safety Council, Cooks Transport and many others, we accessed helmets which the students were able to purchase at heavily subsidised prices.

We introduced a school rule requiring them to wear them and even built a helmet storage facility for the students’ use during school time. We also ran a helmet safety campaign at the college.

I have continued to watch the debate over this important health issue since I left Rarotonga at the end of 2006.

If you want a damn good reason as to why it should continue to be supported, as a starter why don’t you count how many people have died since 2007 through head injuries.

One death should be a good enough reason to have introduced compulsory helmets. Any more is a travesty and the question has to be asked (at the risk of sounding like a broken record), how many deaths is it going to take before something concrete is done about it?

Remember the adage, “If you continue to do things the same old way, you are going to continue to get the same old results.” When is someone going to show some initiative?

Darrell Waiti

New Zealand

Dear Editor,

I take my hat off to Nga Puna big time.

Realistically a crash helmet will not be able to prevent a motorcyclist’s neck from breaking, and losing one’s life.

Understandably young motorcyclists would overlook the speed limit, and with the crash helmets on they are unable to physically experience the actual speed with the wind in their faces.

Discipline is the essence and to generate good discipline on the road, home education for young drivers should be initiated and implemented by the parents and supported by families and the community getting involved as well. This I believe will strengthen the policing side of the operation in conjunction with the community at large.

Take note: Crash helmets were compulsory back in the sixties but unfortunately there were still some fatal accidents, therefore they terminated the idea.

Why change the freedom and the beauty of our little paradise with crash helmets.

Proud Cook Islander

Tamaki Makaurau

(Name and address supplied)

Why must the public have to always bitch, moan and complain about our terrible roads in order to get roads works to do their job? 10022310

Dear Editor,

Can the HOM of ministry of infrastructure and planning please advise the public when the road works department will repair the roads in both Tupapa and Ngatangiia which were recently dug up to lay some power cables and water pipes?

My car has taken a battering every time I drive over these roads. I’m certain that the owners of other vehicles also feel the same way. Dug up a few weeks ago, these roads need to be filled with a combination of tar and metal as soon as possible. So why the endless delay by this government filling up these broken roads properly with a gravel and tar mix rather than simply sand?

Why must the public have to always bitch, moan and complain about our terrible roads in order to get roads works to do their job?

I cannot afford to buy another car and need my current car to last as long as possible. I have little savings and don’t want to commit myself to a high interest loan from any of the banks.  Unfortunately, however, at the rate that my vehicle is taking a hammering on these terrible roads, I do not think that the tyres, springs and shock absorbers will last much longer. Is government going to repair or buy me another car?

Promising action to improve our roads works when he became a minister, it seems that Smiley Heather does not understand or care for us tangata rikiriki whose vehicles are getting wrecked at a rate faster than what should be the case because of the terrible condition of our roads.

Come-on Smiley, get those responsible in MOIP to do their jobs properly or get them out and allow someone else to do the job.

Better still, give the roading contract to local businesses such as T&M to carry out. Damn good at any job they perform, I am confident that T&M will put smiles back on the faces of us motorists if they take over from MOIP’s lacklustre road works division.

Pissed off

(Name and address supplied)

Editor: MOIP has been asked to answer these questions and others about road works and contracting.

Dear Editor,

I wish to state for the record the following in order to clear up any misconceptions about the true CIP position on a range of current issues.

First, the CIP has not merged nor is about to merge with the Democratic Party. We have no need to do that, especially at this point in time.

The priority of the CIP is to win the upcoming elections where we aim to contest every constituency with our own CIP candidates, a task we are well on the way towards completion.

It is regrettable that the Democratic Party currently has serious and divisive internal issues, but we have no desire to be involved in that nor to be part of it. We wish them all the best in resolving those issues.

We will not, however, sit idly by and allow ourselves or our name to be used in any way shape or form as a tool by any of the warring factions to gain advantage over the other.

The real tragedy here is that those internal issues, which led to an implosion of the Democratic Party, have had a significant, direct and negative impact on proper democratic governance in our country.

That situation is both regrettable and farcical, and reflective of personal greed and political opportunism by the ‘Flaky Five’ (a more appropriate title as opposed to their self-proclaimed mantle of the ‘Tight Five’).

We can state, however, that there is a point of common agreement between the CIP and the Demos. Both parties agree that the existence of the current government is an abuse of democracy, and ought to be removed and consigned to the scrapheap forever.

It is nothing but a “government of convenience”, pandering only to narrow selfish interests with no proper regard for the greater national interests.

Just look at how it is trying so hard to avoid having to call parliament to sit to appropriate much needed moneys for the recovery efforts in Aitutaki and Penrhyn, and for the payment of the Toa fuel farm mediated settlement.

In case you were wondering, the sum of $2.7 million touted by government as its direct contribution to the recovery efforts is the only money government can contribute now from its own pockets without having to go back to parliament. We will find out soon enough whether that would be enough or not.

Then there is the need to ensure that in future, the stability of any elected government is not compromised by any rebel MP or a group of them. It was widely thought that the “party hopping” legislation would put an end to that sort of nonsense. But now we know better; a new situation has arisen, we need to deal with that and move on.

Second, the CIP wishes to place on record that it will give government the required numbers in parliament to ensure supply for recovery efforts in Aitutaki and Penrhyn.

We believe that politics does not exist in a vacuum but exists to provide service to its constituent peoples, more so in times of national need or emergencies. So it is with the recovery efforts on these two sister islands.

We will give government the numbers required to give it supply here, knowing that the $2.7 million it has pledged will fall far short of what is required. And that is only for Aitutaki. What about Penrhyn?

Indeed what about the other islands?

By the same token, however, the CIP will not provide government with the numbers to give it supply for the other non-emergency items, such as the Toa settlement payment.

These are, and will be, subject to normal political negotia-tions.

Third, and in conclusion, the CIP wishes to remind the PM and the ‘Flaky Five’ of the advice of Dr Alex Frame.

In the penultimate paragraph of his advice, he had this to say: “It may be recalled that in my Paper for His Excellency dated 1 July 1999 I had stressed Gladstone’s observation that the operation of ‘Westminster type’ constitutions required ’good sense and good faith of those who work it’. That comment is applicable here also.

Technically, no doubt, the government’s need to call parliament eventually arises from its need for ‘supply’ – authorisation to spend public money.

However, it must surely be the duty of a Prime Minister who finds that he no longer commands the confidence of a majority of Members of Parliament to take one of three courses: to tender his resignation as Prime Minister, or to advise the calling of Parliament to put the matter to the test, or to advise a dissolution of Parliament so that fresh elections may take place”.

Mr Prime Minister, you have not had the confidence of a majority of MPs since December 24, 2009, a period of nearly three months now. When is enough enough? When will you accept your duty and do the right thing? Your credibility and integrity are at stake.

Henry Puna

Leader

Cook Islands Party

Dear Editor,

Your correspondent ‘Bottoms Up’ (February 26) is surprised that the Telecom NZ Directors on the Telecom Cook Islands Board should meet with the PM over a meal and drinks. The inference that this unduly influenced the PM is, in my view, well wide of the mark.

The NZ directors attend board meetings on Rarotonga in person once or twice a year.

It is normal for them to meet with the other major shareholder, the Cook Islands Government.

Apart from common courtesy, it is important they meet to foster cooperation and a common understanding of the direction of the company. Otherwise the company could suffer and, ultimately, its customers.

On Monday February 15 the directors met with the PM and his advisors in his office for several hours, reviewing the government’s plans for the telecommunications industry.

The following day they met with cabinet for around 30 minutes.

During their two-day visit directors attended the Telecom Cook Islands Limited Board meeting, toured Telecom facilities and met with Telecom managers and me. They shared an evening meal with the PM and one of his staff. It was indeed “shared” because the PM paid for the drinks (out of his own pocket, I believe) and Telecom Cook Islands (not Telecom NZ) paid for the meal.

The reception attended by the PM the following evening was designed for key customers to meet the Telecom NZ Directors and hear about Telecom’s plans for the future.

Again it was appropriate the PM attend because he is the Minister of Telecommunications and the government is itself a major customer of Telecom Cook Islands. For example, the Departments of Education and Health both receive large discounts on their telecommunications services and I am sure the PM has an interest in ensuring this preferential treatment continues, for the good of all Cook Islanders.

‘Bottoms Up’ needs to wake up and realise that for the government to achieve its policy objectives for telecommunications in the Cook Islands, it needs to encourage Telecom to improve coverage and quality services while bringing down prices.

That is what the PM has been doing and the results speak for themselves – broadband and mobile charges were both reduced substantially late last year (the latest in a long line of price reductions over the years), and there’s more to come.

‘Bottoms Up’ should be proposing a toast to the PM and the Telecom NZ directors on the Telecom Cook Islands Board instead of criticising them for doing what Cook Islanders expect them to be doing, that is, communicating about ways to improve telecommunications services in the Cook Islands!

Jules Maher

CEO Telecom Cook Islands

Dear Editor,

Thank goodness that MOIP’s road work gang has finally got around to adding a tar and gravel mix fill into the 6 inch gaps that were recently ripped perpendicular at set intervals throughout the main road in Tupapa. This simple but critical work has probably saved many vehicles from enduring a further bashing!

But just too bad those who work on the road gang could not be bothered making use of their ministry’s hand-held road portable compactor to properly compact the tar/gravel fill so that it is level to the road.

As for the trenches that were dug along the inland side of the mainroad in the districts of Tupapa and Ngatangiia, can the MOIP HOM advise when these two strips will be tar sealed again?

As a motorist who drives daily from Titikaveka to Avarua, I have noticed that the electrical cable/water pipe trench work has resulted in the inland side of the mainroad in both Ngatangiia and Tupapa getting narrowed to a rather dangerous level.

This is especially so when vehicles heading to Avarua from Takitumu swerve suddenly towards the middle of the road in an attempt to avoid large holes that have now appeared along the roadside.

Therefore, to prevent a bad accident from happening as a result of these narrowed roads, can the minister for works, Smiley Heather, please make sure that MOIP gets these roads tarsealed and widened to the original width of the road as soon as possible?

Very concerned motorist

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

A big thank you to both Alistair Macquarie and Tap Pryor for taking the time to shed more light on the effects of tsunamis and making us realise that islands such as those in our country are actually not vulnerable to the deadly effects of tsunamis.

Not only have Alistair and Tap put my mind at ease should another tsunami ever come this way again, their recent advice through articles published in your good newspaper has probably prevented mass hysteria and panic from happening in future.

Just as important, their commentary has probably saved government from wasting a lot of time, effort and scarce resources ($$$$) constructing new roads on Rarotonga which lead way up into the mountains to so-called ‘tsunami shelters’.

I reckon that both these two gentlemen deserve a big thank you from the Prime Minister and a public apology from the likes of EMCI’s Charles Carlson and Willie Tuivanga.

Great actors for ads on local TV, Charles and Willie should put more of their time and effort into conducting proper research on the different types of natural disasters that the country is prone to.  That way these two amateurs don’t create panic the next time by crying wolf when it is only a pussycat.

Tsunami de-stressed

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

One would not normally dignify the ramblings of Tepaki’s PR man James Thomson but our young people should not be allowed to believe James’ re-write of history is true.

Government development and running of The Rarotongan was most certainly not successful. The ministers and other insiders who ran up bar and food tabs in Brandi’s Restaurant that were never paid (some say the total was a million dollars when the hotel went bust) might have considered it all a big success, but no one else did.

The hotel was two weeks from having its doors padlocked when Tata Crocombe was asked by government to take over the dilapidated ruins.

So James wants us to do it all again. Brilliant James, please apply for the vacancy left by Sholan’s smarmy exit.

The ugly truth

(Name and address supplied)

Dear Editor,

I think it is important to thank all of the kind hearted and generous offers that have gone towards the Aitutaki Appeal.

Without so many people offering their time, money and expertise I am sure that, while by no means complete, the recovery effort would have taken so much longer than what it has.

There has been a lot said recently about the great work that T&M Heather and crew have been doing, and a lot of negative press about our Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning.

While I am sure some of the negative comments are justified, I would like to correct a letter to the editor ‘Island leader praises T&M’. There has been an immense amount of work involved with the clean up from many different sectors of the community, however credit where credit is due. I would like to put my hand up and personally thank the four guys from the road works crew from Rarotonga that have been in Aitutaki since the clean up began on day one.

These four guys, along with a worker from G&S Contractors, have been working from before dawn until well in to the night, six days a week, helping to get Aitutaki back on its feet. They have now been in Aitutaki for more than three weeks, and apart from a brief couple of days at home, these guys have been working selflessly, away from their wives/partners and kids.

So to hear more comments on how great T&M are when they were never actually in Aitutaki, being praised for the hard work of the works crew and G&S Contractors, I feel it is necessary to speak up and set the record straight.

Andrea Rongokea

Arorangi

Editor: CI News regrets that the letter referring to T&M on Aitutaki was misinformed.

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