Archive for March, 2005

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  Think of the children - by frog

  
  
  
  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 - 1 Comment
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  One out of three ain’t bad - by frog

  
  
  
  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 - by frog

  
  
  
  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 Question [...] read more
  March 31, 2005 7:20 am - No Comments
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  Smacking (revisited) - by frog

  
  
  
  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 Kiwi parents. [...] read more
  March 30, 2005 10:22 am - No Comments
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  Ugly pylons - by frog

  
  
  
  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! - by frog

  
  
  
  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 - by frog

  
  
  
  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, and [...] read more
  March 29, 2005 6:18 pm - No Comments
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  Smacking - by frog

  
  
  
  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 - by frog

  
  
  
  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) - by frog

  
  
  
  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 wise [...] read more
  March 29, 2005 8:31 am - No Comments
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  Slowing down for Easter - by frog

  
  
  
  Some people just can’t get enough profit. That’s self-evident, but what makes it infuriating is that this “can’t get enough-ness” means many families just don’t get to spend any time together. Why? Because, during the periods their kids are off school (Easter, Christmas, etc), many parents are required to work, often because of tacit pressure [...] read more
  March 28, 2005 5:19 pm - No Comments
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  Spluttering SUVs - by frog

  
  
  
  This weekend, there have been a couple of ideas floated about how to combat pollution and free up the roads in Auckland. First idea: Richard Simpson, the chair of Auckland City Council’s transport committee, is moving to prevent SUVs from getting into the central city. He tells NZPA: SUVs do have a role to play [...] read more
  March 27, 2005 5:15 pm - No Comments
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  Stinginess - by frog

  
  
  
  We’re just very stingy, I’m afraid. The Sunday Star-Times has an excellent editorial on the amount of overseas development aid New Zealand gives out. It’s worth quoting at length. Notice the similarity between its arguments, and those Keith made in February in support of an aid agency campaign to raise our aid budget to 0.7 [...] read more
  March 27, 2005 9:47 am - No Comments
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  Do you believe in God? - by frog

  
  
  
  That’s the relatively straightforward question the Sunday Star-Times put to political leaders for a fascinating story for its Easter Sunday edition. The most interesting aspect about the answers (unavailable online) was the lengths to which Peter Dunne and Don Brash – seemingly both atheists – went to dress up their beliefs so as not to [...] read more
  March 27, 2005 9:09 am - No Comments
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  Birthday the first (and last?) - by frog

  
  
  
  There are countless reasons why New Zealand would be poorer if National came into office in September. Let’s chalk up another one. On Monday, Maori TV will celebrate its first birthday, as the Herald reports in an excellent feature this morning. Two-thirds of a million Kiwis had watched Maori TV by the end of last [...] read more
  March 26, 2005 1:17 pm - No Comments
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  Japanese advocacy - by frog

  
  
  
  So, is a state company that mines and sells coal a sensible spokesperson for New Zealand’s clean, green image? Apparently so. The Government is spending $10 million on a pavilion at the 2005 World Expo in Japan, which is opening over this weekend. As the Press reports: New Zealand pavilion commissioner-general Phillip Gibson said he [...] read more
  March 26, 2005 12:19 pm - No Comments
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  Pukka school tucker - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s nothing like celebrity to get an issue moving. Health groups have been banging on for years about food in schools and its relationship to child obesity. But now that celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is on the case (with a campaign highlighting the crap British schools feed kids), Tony Blair’s actually promising to do something. [...] read more
  March 26, 2005 10:22 am - 1 Comment
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  Easter lessons - by frog

  
  
  
  As Labour strategists sit down for a long Easter weekend with their families, they’ll probably be pretty pleased with how the year’s going. They’re ten points ahead in the polls despite a difficult first-quarter of the year, and the Nats are seemingly divided and led by a leader who’ll be uninspiring at the best of [...] read more
  March 25, 2005 10:21 am - No Comments
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  Dog-whistle politics - by frog

  
  
  
  The election in Britain, due in May, will tell us something interesting about how our election is going to play out. Superficially at least, the overall dynamic of the two campaigns is similar: a once-very-popular Labour government, coming to the end of a second term, looks a little tired and vulnerable, and is faced with [...] read more
  March 25, 2005 9:46 am - No Comments
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  I hate cars - by frog

  
  
  
  News yesterday that Auckland’s public transport system was going to get a funding boost unleashed a three-party tag-team of outrage. Three of the four parties of the past (United was having a day off) launched press releases into the mediosphere. Act leader Rodney Hide: “gutless … weak … negligent … running scared.” National transport spokesperson [...] read more
  March 25, 2005 9:22 am - No Comments