Archive for April, 2005

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  The Green Independence Party - by frog

  
  
  
  A while back, I blogged about Franz Ferdinand providing music for the British Greens’ election broadcast. The Scottish rock band’s song, “This Fire�?, provided the backdrop to a “nightmare vision�? of the future if we let our environment be polluted. Well, a frogblog reader, Clare, has pointed me to this story about Britain’s Channel 4 [...] read more
  April 30, 2005 8:53 pm - 2 Comments
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  Because we’re worth it - by frog

  
  
  
  The Listener out today has two articles about consumption that are worth a read. Their economy columnist Brian Easton wonders whether our progressive income tax should be replaced with a progressive expenditure tax. He writes: Instead of taxing income: what one puts into the economy, why not tax expenditure: what one takes out? Should not [...] read more
  April 30, 2005 8:22 pm - 4 Comments
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  Hopping in fire - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s a great danger with making blind predictions: you can very easily get burned. But, alas, I like hopping around in the fire, so here goes. Back in January, the Herald decided to break the story of their own political opinion poll a few days early, before it was ready, to try and get two [...] read more
  April 30, 2005 6:10 pm - 3 Comments
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  Gorging on imports - by frog

  
  
  
  A while back, I blogged about how boycotting sweatshop labour can improve the working conditions of the people in the sweatshops. Another problem with the Government’s free-trade-at-all-costs agenda is that the benefits of the agreements they’re negotiating just aren’t eventuating. Rather than opening up markets for our exporters to sell goods, they’re actually causing New [...] read more
  April 29, 2005 5:52 pm - 1 Comment
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  Enough is enough - by frog

  
  
  
  Well, it seems that the New Zealand people don’t know what’s good for them. The crazy, politically correct, busybody government has foisted a smoking ban on them, and what do ordinary Kiwis do? Do they stand up for their human rights, say “enough is enough”, and reclaim the bars for the silent majority of New [...] read more
  April 29, 2005 4:17 pm - 1 Comment
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  Tracking hope - by frog

  
  
  
  So, Green Room 004: Hope, a CD featuring a track by Nandor, was released this morning. It’s the final in a four-CD series aimed at raising awareness of social and environmental issues. In 2002, Nandor‘s first foray into music-as-politics was seen as novel. In 2003, Metiria‘s words led to nervous giggles and raised eyebrows. This [...] read more
  April 29, 2005 4:02 pm - 1 Comment
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  Lock ‘em up, string ‘em up - by frog

  
  
  
  So, our prison population has reached 7,000 for the first time, and New Zealand now has the dubious honour of locking up a greater proportion of its people than any other developed country bar the United States. Well, way to go guys. So, what have the major parties got to say about this? Well, Paul [...] read more
  April 29, 2005 2:46 pm - 4 Comments
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  Blog wars - by frog

  
  
  
  David Young and Ben Thomas, of Dog Biting Men fame, have their first politics column in the NBR today. It’s about blogging by political parties. Noticing that only Act and the Greens have taken to blogging, Young and Thomas note a difference between these two parties’ blogs which I think accurately describes the difference between [...] read more
  April 29, 2005 9:36 am - 9 Comments
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  Catching the Asian flu - by frog

  
  
  
  Back in February, Unlimited’s Kate Wrath asked: Will Winston Peters catch his familiar dose of the Asian flu in time for election day? Well, almost three months later, and with the election in sight, that nasty Asian flu has indeed found its way into Winston’s system. The Herald reported yesterday that Winston’s concerned about New [...] read more
  April 28, 2005 1:50 pm - 2 Comments
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  Civilising acts - by frog

  
  
  
  As the first couples prepare for their civil unions this weekend, we should remember that, like other pieces of socially progressive legislation, this was one that only succeeded because of Green support. Gaynz.Com interviewed Metiria yesterday on the Civil Union Act and more generally about the so-called “social engineering” agenda that Labour and its progressive-minded [...] read more
  April 28, 2005 1:49 pm - 1 Comment
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  Greens set energy policy - by frog

  
  
  
  Well, it’s nice to see seasoned political journo Richard Harman claiming the Government’s decision to stall Transpower’s terrible power pylon plan for the upper North Island was due to Green influence. In today’s edition of Political Update, a newsletter put out by law firm Busby Ramshaw and Grice and believed to be written by Harman, [...] read more
  April 28, 2005 1:44 pm - No Comments
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  God’s planet - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s fair to say that when one thinks about the role Christians play in politics, one usually thinks of “the religious right” in the United States, a morally and socially conservative force with which the environmental movement has very little in common. But one shouldn’t forget that a “religious left” exists too, which emphasises such [...] read more
  April 28, 2005 8:51 am - 2 Comments
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  Around the world… - by frog

  
  
  
  First stop: the United States, where writer James Howard Kunstler has gone around the New York Auto Show and talked to punters about the end of cheap oil and alternatives to fossil fuels. His account of his walk-around is hilarious, including the following voxpops: 1) I’ll leave it to the scientists. I can’t see sticking [...] read more
  April 27, 2005 3:48 pm - No Comments
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  Campaign humour - by frog

  
  
  
  All political parties could do with taking themselves less seriously. It’s in that spirit that I wish to share the highly amusing piece the Capital Times’ sports columnist, Paddy Lewis, wrote about Rod‘s call for a Black Caps’ boycott of Zimbabwe. Imagining other boycotts that the Greens might call for, Lewis wrote: TUESDAY: Sue Kedgley [...] read more
  April 27, 2005 3:02 pm - 2 Comments
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  Act wants more of your money! - by frog

  
  
  
  Act says the Government is not spending enough taxpayer money! I didn’t think I’d ever read that sentence in the newspaper with my breakfast of flies and water. But, alas, this morning I did. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised: Act is for small government, except where it comes to law and order and [...] read more
  April 27, 2005 11:56 am - 1 Comment
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  2-0 down at halftime - by frog

  
  
  
  In a moment of refreshing honesty, British Conservative Leader Michael Howard has admitted to being 2-0 down at halftime in the UK election campaign. Reports the Guardian: Two-nil down at half-time is every manager’s nightmare. Your key players are sulking and that tough-tackling foreigner you signed to boost your attack has only motivated your opponent’s [...] read more
  April 26, 2005 12:12 pm - 4 Comments
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  Go figure(s) - by frog

  
  
  
  Earlier this month, Metiria asked Education Minister Trevor Mallard a series of questions in the House about the funding for special education. One of the exchanges was as follows: Metiria Turei: What is the Minister’s response to the 97 percent of schools reported in the Quality Public Education Coalition report on special education that stated [...] read more
  April 26, 2005 9:48 am - No Comments
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  Get out of bed! - by frog

  
  
  
  Peter Wilson, NZPA’s political editor, writes in his weekly column for New Zealand’s regional papers: Older voters turn out in much higher numbers than younger ones, so they actually represent more votes than a simple age breakdown indicates. The Greens, for example, have strong support in the 18 to 24 age group. But getting university [...] read more
  April 26, 2005 9:03 am - No Comments
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  Election music - by frog

  
  
  
  A reader, Michelle, pointed me to this story about Scottish rock band, Franz Ferdinand, providing music for a Green Party election broadcast in the UK. The broadcast, featuring the song “This Fire”, will offer a “nightmare vision” of the future if we let our environment be polluted. Reports the Sunday Herald: A remix of Franz [...] read more
  April 26, 2005 8:08 am - 2 Comments
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  Nike backs down - by frog

  
  
  
  Should we boycott companies that produce goods using sweatshop labour? That’s the question that was up for debate last month between the resident left-wing and right-wing columnists at Salient, Victoria University’s student magazine. The proponent of not boycotting, right-winger Christopher Bishop, wrote: There’s no doubt that the conditions of those who work in sweatshops are [...] read more
  April 25, 2005 3:42 pm - 7 Comments