Archive for April, 2005

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  Democratic deficit - by frog

  
  
  
  The survey has some concerning data on the public’s view on central government. 56% of those surveyed said they believed the public had either no influence or only small influence on the decisions that the Government make. The most cynical (surprise, surprise) are those living in Tauranga (63% believing the public has no or little [...] read more
  April 25, 2005 3:19 pm - No Comments
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  Work/life balance - by frog

  
  
  
  Early last month, I blogged about our need to slow down and spend more time doing the things that mean the most to us. The Quality of Life survey suggests that many New Zealanders work too hard to be able have an adequate work/life balance. 45 percent of those surveyed said they experienced barriers that [...] read more
  April 25, 2005 3:00 pm - 1 Comment
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  Public transport - by frog

  
  
  
  The Greens are always keen for more and more people to use public transport, because it’s a much more efficient method of moving commuters in and out of cities than people driving alone in cars. The Quality of Life survey has much to say about public transport: Geography. Wellingtonians are much more likely to use [...] read more
  April 25, 2005 2:34 pm - No Comments
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  Quality of Life survey - by frog

  
  
  
  When I scanned the Herald this morning, hopping from story to story, this headline caught my beady eyes: Life is good, our health’s fine but we feel stressed Well, the story under the headline – about a new Quality of Life survey conducted on behalf of the Councils of New Zealand’s twelve largest cities – [...] read more
  April 25, 2005 2:04 pm - No Comments
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  Building momentum - by frog

  
  
  
  The Herald on Sunday‘s sports section gives extensive coverage to the Black Caps’ Zimbabwe tour today. Its sports editor, Paul Lewis, and cricket columnist, Mark Richardson, both offer their verdicts on the tour (it shouldn’t go ahead). The HoS also asks six former New Zealand players their views – only one, Dion Nash, says the [...] read more
  April 24, 2005 9:21 pm - No Comments
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  Wave power - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s a fascinating story in the SST‘s business section today about a wave power initiative in Auckland. Garry Sheeran writes: Power Generation Projects Ltd is negotiating with a British company to build 150m-long, sea snake-like structures in New Zealand which would float semi-submerged 5-10km off the west coast of both islands. The devices use the [...] read more
  April 24, 2005 8:20 pm - 1 Comment
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  Thwarting the bigot - by frog

  
  
  
  Former Listener Editor Finlay Macdonald has a perceptive column in the Sunday Star-Times today about political correctness. He suggests that if the “silent majority” of Kiwis are sick of political correctness, then the logical next step is that a party be set up explicitly on an anti-PC prospectus. He writes: I see it as … [...] read more
  April 24, 2005 7:17 pm - No Comments
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  New campaigning technologies - by frog

  
  
  
  The Herald on Sunday has of late been running a series on “Communicating in New Zealand”. Today’s instalment looks at cellphones. Reporter Patrick Crewdson writes: You’re in a cafe, deep in conversation with a friend, when her cellphone beeps twice and vibrates softly against the table. She’s just received a text message. So what’s her [...] read more
  April 24, 2005 6:55 pm - No Comments
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  Taxing petrol - by frog

  
  
  
  David Farrar loves a new billboard National has erected about petrol tax. The billboard’s headline reads: “What’s your petrol tax for?”. On the red, Labour half of the billboard, your petrol tax pays for “hip hop tours, welfare bribes, prisoner compo, twilight golf, singalong courses, taniwha, more bureaucrats, NCEA inquiries, Treaty lawyers”. On the blue, [...] read more
  April 23, 2005 8:56 pm - 3 Comments
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  Why become a politician? - by frog

  
  
  
  Why do people become politicians? To make the world a better place? “Ha!” scoffs Jane Clifton, in this weekend’s Listener. While Clifton is always cynical of politicians, her latest column is particularly so. She writes: Obviously, politics has some rewarding aspects, or no one would do it. Helping people, making the world a better place, [...] read more
  April 23, 2005 6:12 pm - No Comments
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  The Greens “Metrofied” - by frog

  
  
  
  Metro and North & South are to the daily political media what haute cuisine is to fast food. And so it was with considerable pleasure that I digested a feature on the Greens in the Metro that hit the shops today. It left me edified. The article, written by Deputy Editor Bevan Rapson, discusses the [...] read more
  April 23, 2005 5:44 pm - 3 Comments
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  The invisible hand saves the world! - by frog

  
  
  
  The new issue of the Economist has an editorial and cover story about what it calls “environmental economics”, or how to use market mechanisms to protect the planet from harm. The editorial seeks to compare and contrast the “mandate, regulate, litigate” approach of the traditional environmental movement and the market-based approaches offered by innovative environmental [...] read more
  April 22, 2005 4:03 pm - 4 Comments
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  Bravery - by frog

  
  
  
  Anyone who spends any time with her will know that Sue B is a remarkable individual. Strong, tough, resilient, hardworking. Last week, Parliament was revisiting rape laws. Sue argued that rape shouldn’t discriminate on gender: both men and women can rape and be raped, and the law should reflect this. It doesn’t. Under current law, [...] read more
  April 22, 2005 9:35 am - 3 Comments
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  Happy Earth Day! - by frog

  
  
  
  The list release was scheduled for today to coincide with Earth Day, a worldwide commemoration which dates from 1970, when it was founded by an American senator. It aims to “educate and mobilize people, governments, and corporations to take responsibility for a clean and healthy environment”. The Greens will be celebrating Earth Day by handing [...] read more
  April 22, 2005 8:43 am - 5 Comments
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  The meaning of the list - by frog

  
  
  
  Media coverage of the list – both in print (Herald, DomPost, and Press) and on the radio (Morning Report and Newstalk) – has concentrated on Nandor. In 2002, Nandor was in fourth place on the list. This year, he’s seventh. Nandor tells the Herald that he’s “a little disappointed” with his ranking. Reports Kevin Taylor: [...] read more
  April 22, 2005 8:05 am - 1 Comment
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  The list - by frog

  
  
  
  The Greens’ list has been released this morning. The top thirty candidates are: 1. Jeanette Fitzsimons 2. Rod Donald 3. Sue Bradford 4. Sue Kedgley 5. Keith Locke 6. Metiria Turei 7. Nandor Tanczos 8. Mike Ward 9. Catherine Delahunty 10. Russel Norman 11. Steffan Browning 12. David Clendon 13. Luci Highfield 14. Jon Carapiet [...] read more
  April 22, 2005 7:24 am - 6 Comments
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  Winking at bigotry - by frog

  
  
  
  A reader who didn’t want to be identified asked whether I thought Clark should have forced Tamihere’s resignation. Well, that really was a matter for the Labour Party. Who they want in their caucus is their business. What I will say, however, is that Tamihere’s bigoted comments (about women, gays, and childless adults) were the [...] read more
  April 21, 2005 11:30 am - 4 Comments
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  Returning invective with interest - by frog

  
  
  
  John over at Home, Throne and Altar wrote to me to alert me to the fact that he’d dubbed the Greens his heroes of the week. Oh, how I hopped over to his site excitedly, only to find John was damning us with, well, vitriolic praise. Listing the four policies on which he agrees with [...] read more
  April 21, 2005 11:30 am - 5 Comments
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  Party blogs - by frog

  
  
  
  Another reader pointed me to a post which, inspired by frogblog, discusses the idea of an official party blog. The post is over at Daily Bork, and I think deserves a point-by-point response. It says: I’m not sold on the idea of official party blogs. They are clearly never written by a single person with [...] read more
  April 21, 2005 11:29 am - 2 Comments
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  The mail - by frog

  
  
  
  Rather belatedly, I’ve been reading my mail, and have come across some rather interesting tidbits. Three such posts to follow… read more
  April 21, 2005 11:28 am - No Comments