Archive for March, 2005

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  Think of the children

  
  
  
  There are plenty of reminders in the papers this morning that this social democratic government isn’t doing enough to ensure all Kiwi kids grow up with everything they need to have a good start to life. The Herald reports how Working For Families will get New Zealand’s family support on par with Canada and the [...] read more
  March 31, 2005 8:05 am - No Comments
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  One out of three ain’t bad

  
  
  
  Well, actually, one in three is very bad, if we’re talking about how many of the things which humanity needs to survive will be okay for future generations. A report released by the UN’s Millennium Ecosystem Assessment yesterday makes for sobering reading. Conducted by over a thousand experts all around the world, it’s concluded that [...] read more
  March 31, 2005 7:37 am - No Comments
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  When politicians go dating

  
  
  
  And so the courting is starting to heat up… The Government yesterday celebrated becoming the longest-continuous administration under MMP, having reached 965 days (commented on by Bertrand Bargolias here). This led to a photo-op morning tea in the Prime Minister’s Office comprising Clark, Jim Anderton, and Peter Dunne. However, the Prime Minister’s performance during [...] read more
  March 31, 2005 7:20 am - No Comments
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  Smacking (revisited)

  
  
  
  Smacking, like cannabis, is losing its cool. Yesterday, I bemoaned the Government’s decision to shelve plans to review section 59 of the Crimes Act, which allows parents to use “reasonable force” to discipline their children. But the Herald has a story this morning pointing out that smacking has become much less common among [...] read more
  March 30, 2005 10:22 am - No Comments
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  Ugly pylons

  
  
  
  Transpower probably underestimated the backlash it was going to get about its plan to build new transmission lines right up the Upper North Island. This issue isn’t going away. Brian Rudman writes in his Herald column this morning: Who in their right minds, wants more ugly pylons marching across farmland or the outskirts of suburbia? [...] read more
  March 30, 2005 9:55 am - No Comments
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  Slow down!

  
  
  
  The Listener has a wonderful cover story this week, with a succinct Green message: slow down! It’s the quality of your time on this earth, not how hard you work or how much you produce, that matters most. It quotes at length from Carl Honore, author of In Praise of Slow – How a Worldwide [...] read more
  March 30, 2005 9:41 am - 1 Comment
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  The Green Port

  
  
  
  Plaudits to Port of Auckland for investing $1 million in cutting its energy use by 20 percent: it’s great they see energy efficiency as a worthy investment. It does make you think, though: if Port of Auckland can do it, so can most other companies. Here’s hoping many more will follow the Port’s lead, [...] read more
  March 29, 2005 6:18 pm - No Comments
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  Smacking

  
  
  
  And the smacking goes on… The Government has shelved a plan to review section 59 of the Crimes Act, which allows parents to physically discipline their children with “reasonable force”. This is in light of a new survey it conducted which shows about half of parents physically discipline their kids. It’s a shame the Government’s [...] read more
  March 29, 2005 3:15 pm - No Comments
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  Uncool cannabis

  
  
  
  Those who argue against the decriminalisation of cannabis often claim that doing so would increase use of the drug among young people. But new research in Britain suggests the drug is “losing its cool” among young people, in part because it has been downgraded from a class B to class C drug (i.e. less illicit). [...] read more
  March 29, 2005 1:13 pm - 1 Comment
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  An early election (revisited)

  
  
  
  Remember how, early last week, I mused about recent speculation in the blogsophere about a July election? Well, the Gallery has finally caught on and decided to start writing about the speculation. Seems the blogoshere may be the place to go to get the early gossip on the political landscape… So, what have the [...] read more
  March 29, 2005 8:31 am - No Comments