Archive for June, 2005

• 

  Kids matter - by frog

  
  
  
  Sue B launched the Greens’ children’s policy for the 2005 election at a child summit in Hamilton yesterday. Some key points: Work towards eliminating child poverty by 2010. Increase the rate of state house provision. Encourage a far more child-friendly workplace culture, including through flexible working hours, breastfeeding facilities, and tax incentives to employers. Retain [...] read more
  June 30, 2005 12:08 pm - 3 Comments
• 

  Winston First - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s a debate about tax on TV One at 8.30pm tonight, featuring representatives of almost all parties in Parliament, including Rod. The Herald is focusing on the fact that Labour is putting up Steve Maharey, not Michael Cullen, for the debate. This is being portrayed by National as Dr Cullen running scared. I’m more interested [...] read more
  June 30, 2005 12:05 pm - 6 Comments
• 

  5% Pure - by frog

  
  
  
  Last week, the Greens’ launched, in conjunction with our environment policy, a series of ads highlighting the fact that only 5 percent of New Zealand’s lowland rivers are safe for drinking and swimming in. The posters were a parody of Tourism New Zealand‘s 100% Pure campaign, and had the headline 5% Pure. However, it’s fair [...] read more
  June 30, 2005 10:50 am - 1 Comment
• 

  Goff’s spin (2) - by frog

  
  
  
  The other aspect of the Government’s shameful spinning on the Zimbabwe issue is the way it has tried to seamlessly move from ambivalence to staunch opposition to the tour without anyone noticing, So, let’s have a little history lesson. What started as a “we’re not going to get involved – whether the tour goes ahead [...] read more
  June 30, 2005 10:46 am - No Comments
• 

  Goff’s spin (1) - by frog

  
  
  
  The Government was caught napping on Zimbabwe. Rod raised the issue with them in April. Now, in late July, having failed to do anything for two and a half months, they’re finally changing their tune. However, this changing of tune has required some incredible spinning that hasn’t really been exposed in the media coverage. One [...] read more
  June 30, 2005 10:44 am - 2 Comments
• 

  Brash gives it a bash - by frog

  
  
  
  I promise to do the decent thing and move on from Dr Brash’s “gays are not mainstream New Zealanders” gaffe, but I’ve read a couple more things on the issue worth quoting. The first, a comment from icehawk on my previous post on this issue, reads: Brash’s problem is that he’s trying to go two [...] read more
  June 29, 2005 3:36 pm - 2 Comments
• 

  The gender divide - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s always interesting when media outlets provide demographic breakdowns of their political polling. The Herald has a story today illustrating something that’s been clear for a long while: women like Labour; men like National. In a Fairfax poll a few weeks ago, Labour had a 13-point lead over National among women, while National led among [...] read more
  June 29, 2005 11:43 am - 13 Comments
• 

  A debate, anyone? - by frog

  
  
  
  One of lamentable things about this Labour Government is that, when the pressure has gone on, it has refused to stand up for its principles. For one, it has refused to stand up for the Maori renaissance, and defend the race-based policies that contributed to it. In the Herald this morning, Tapu Misa offers the [...] read more
  June 29, 2005 11:38 am - 1 Comment
• 

  tadpole ‘toon - by frog

  
  
  
  While Zimbabwe burns, and everyone appeals to Umpire Goff to give the Black Caps’ tour “Out!”, the man in the white coat dithers… Put your finger up, Phil! read more
  June 28, 2005 5:42 pm - No Comments
• 

  Homophobe or opportunist? - by frog

  
  
  
  So, the new theory about Brash’s “gays are not mainstream New Zealanders” gaffe is that it was no gaffe at all. Rather, he is trying to do two things simultaneously: appeal to the homophobic and stay cool with gays. So, you have him saying on National Radio “gays are no mainstream” and then him “clarifying” [...] read more
  June 28, 2005 12:22 pm - 20 Comments
• 

  Defending Kyoto - by frog

  
  
  
  Murray Ward, a global climate change consultant, has an op-ed in the Herald this morning ripping apart National’s position on Kyoto. Why aren’t India and China expected to meet the same commitments we are? Well, he writes, because in 1995 (when National signed up to Kyoto), it was decided that industrialised countries were to go [...] read more
  June 28, 2005 12:03 pm - 8 Comments
• 

  Show us your legal advice! - by frog

  
  
  
  Well, the Government’s rhetoric regarding Zimbabwe has hardened significantly in the last few days. They’re certainly getting the headlines they want: NZ to push for cricket ban Clark steps up pressure over Zimbabwe tour Tour pressure mounts as Government wants NZ Cricket to pull out What could be better for a government under pressure than [...] read more
  June 28, 2005 11:21 am - 4 Comments
• 

  Windy times ahead - by frog

  
  
  
  James Glennie of the Wind Energy Association puts the case for wind very well in the Herald this morning. He argues: I don’t think anyone reputable in New Zealand has ever claimed wind energy to be more than a very good energy source to have alongside others. The critics seem to acknowledge its benefits but [...] read more
  June 27, 2005 4:57 pm - 2 Comments
• 

  Must do more - by frog

  
  
  
  Peter Adams, the head of NZAID – the semi-autonomous government agency that delivers New Zealand’s overseas development assistance to the world – spoke at the weekend of the importance of doing more to combat global poverty. He said: We need to see our relationships in the Pacific and Near Asia not through a donor/recipient lens, [...] read more
  June 27, 2005 4:23 pm - 4 Comments
• 

  Cornering the mainstream - by frog

  
  
  
  Short of any new policies to examine, the media have been scratching around for things to write about the National Party conference at the weekend. John Armstrong’s pick of the crumbs was to analyse National’s coining of the phrase “mainstream New Zealand”. Writes Armstrong: On the evidence at its weekend conference, National’s campaign will be [...] read more
  June 27, 2005 10:38 am - 10 Comments
• 

  Biofuelling the nation - by frog

  
  
  
  If not oil, then what? Well, one idea is to use fat from the animals we farm to fuel our nation. How? Well, the new Listener has a very interesting article about biofuels explaining precisely how. It starts: Biofuels are already common in parts of Europe, America and Asia, where vehicles run on plant-based fuels [...] read more
  June 26, 2005 4:21 pm - 4 Comments
• 

  Better late than never - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s taken him two and a half months to get his act together, but Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff now seems to be taking meaningful action aimed at stopping the Black Caps’ tour of Zimbabwe. It was in early April that Rod started asking the Government to investigate what it could to prevent the Black [...] read more
  June 26, 2005 4:20 pm - No Comments
• 

  Living green - by frog

  
  
  
  Going to your first Green Party conference is an education experience for anyone. I, for one, learnt that frogs stick out like, umm, a sore thumb among humans. Anyway, the Listener this week has a very amusing column by Paul Maunder, a conference virgin until this Queen’s Birthday weekend. In part, he writes: Hard to [...] read more
  June 26, 2005 4:20 pm - 1 Comment
• 

  A four-horse race - by frog

  
  
  
  A new opinion poll this morning shows only four parties with significant nationwide support. Labour and National are on 38%, NZ First is on 10%, and the Greens are on 8%. All other parties are at or below 2%. Act and United are poised to be swept off the political landscape. Using the Electoral Commission’s [...] read more
  June 26, 2005 4:18 pm - 4 Comments
• 

  Ending the reign of oil - by frog

  
  
  
  The Guardian also ran an editorial a few days ago which pulls together nicely climate change and the end of cheap oil. It reads in part: The underlying message is that higher oil prices are here to stay … the biggest optimist cannot ignore the fact that the annual average increase in demand for oil [...] read more
  June 25, 2005 7:04 pm - 8 Comments