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CI Times Weekly | Current Issue 277 | 18 November 2008

The way forward is in hand and God given

I have discussed with you in this column several of the many problems which together are weighing this country of ours down and which in several ways are making life down right difficult and far more onerous than it ought to be.
This country is literally losing its life blood as our people leave for better governed and happier pastures. Our government has done absolutely nothing to address this issue. If we are worried about the increasing number of imported labour, it is the government’s way of punishing us!
The cost of living in Rarotonga has gone up, it is punishing in the other Southern Group Islands and absolutely pulverising in the Northern Group. What is needed on the breakfast and dinner table are barely there because the price of staple foods have gone up. The price of fuel and fuel products have gone up. Electricity and phone bills are truly punishing. School fees are going up and we must expect the same, in fairness to the owner-operator, in bus fares. The prices of baby products and school clothes have gone up. If, by any chance, we are hassled, oppressed and feel downhearted as a result of all this it is the government’s way of punishing us!
CISNOC did a great job in fighting for and winning for the Cook Islands the opportunity to host both the Mini Games and the World Under 19 Netball Tournament. Both endeavours require a multi- sports complex. This was a wonderful opportunity to give our lagging construction industry a much needed boost in the economic arm. It was also a good opportunity to utilise local skills and provide a good training ground for the trade skills which the Ministry of Human Resources Development is attempting to develop. We could have done all this with our own money (even borrowed), our own way, our own designs, our own products that gives us a sense of ownership, of achievement and pride. Instead we see nearly 100 foreign workers here in Rarotonga from the country that lent us the money doing their own thing and in their own way. If this constituted a deliberate kick in the national proverbials it is the government’s way of punishing us!
Infrastructure throughout the nation is either non-existent or dilapidated. The roads on Rarotonga have not seen a proper resurfacing since 1990. For the last fifty years and with several millions of dollars spent, we still have not resolved the water problems of Rarotonga and our Sister Islands where matters are worse. How much longer will this nonsense carry on? The Ministry of Health is in a state of disarray and health delivery has worsened despite the hard work of some doctors and nurses. The Ministry of Education cannot undertake what it believes it should because it is strapped for funds. The elderly, the infirmed and the disabled justifiably need more assistance and, sadly, many heard of a proposed increase in January but have since passed away. If this is very depressing, just remember that this is the government’s way of punishing us.
However, all is not lost. The way forward is in hand and it is God given. All we need to do is to look at the many gifts God has given and is giving us, take it all in hand, put it all to good use for the benefit of the whole nation and thereby glorify God for his graciousness.
At last the moribund Energy Division – inactive since 2005 – has finally come alive and has decided to bleeding well do something about utilising the God given gifts of wind and sunshine to reduce our near total reliance on fossil fuel and so reduce the millions of dollars leaving our shores to pay overseas suppliers and leaving our pockets to pay local distributors!! I have no idea who woke up to the realities of today. Was it the Minister? Was it the staff of the division or, more likely, was it someone else who lit a fire under their beds?
I and the members of the Opposition will be keeping a close eye on how the Energy Division and the government will mismanage and misuse these free gifts from Heaven!!
Sitting on our seabed within and without our EEZ are billions and hundreds of billions of US dollars worth of manganese nodules. They have been there for thousands of years. They are like a deposit in our bank of mind-boggling value. They have accumulated interest on a compound basis of, again, mind-boggling value. They are simply waiting for us to withdraw some of this deposit on an annual basis as befits the needs of our National Budget while the interest continues to compound and it will take us up to a thousand years to withdraw the lot. They too are one of God’s many gifts to this blessed nation simply waiting for us to bring them to the surface in the shape of “green backs”.
The world on the whole was once deeply concerned but is now shaking from the post effects of the US financial meltdown. Huge bail out sums paid by governments to their financial institutions were needed but is not creating the confidence to stimulate economic activity. Large multi-state and international corporations are predicting dramatic drops in profits causing a massive scale back in their activities. Many advanced countries are in recession and are desperately attempting to ward off the feared depression.
We have an answer to the impact of these problems. It is on our seabed. It is God given. It is waiting for the government to either use it or lose it - for lose it we will should a depression hit the world for no mining company will be able to save themselves.

Headlines : Times 277 18 November 2008
- Fire destroys Pue Home
- Combatting mozzies the Wichman way
-The way forward is in hand and God given
- Local Lawyer Censured
- New Regional Director visits