Archive for November, 2005

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  The Times vs STV in the Tron - by frog

  
  
  
  In a remarkable move, the Waikato Times has today launched a petition calling for a referendum on the Hamilton City Council’s move to STV: [Editor Bryce] Johns said it was unusual for a news media to take this action, but readers had clearly demonstrated a move to STV was something they were uncomfortable with. “Voting [...] read more
  November 30, 2005 1:12 pm - 3 Comments
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  You can’t hide from the Greens - by frog

  
  
  
  Unlike New Zealand’s other small parties, the Greens are part of a global movement, something well demonstrated at Helen Clark’s visit to the European Parliament. At a foreign affairs committee meeting yesterday, German Green Party MEP Michael Cramer said he could not understand why Mr Peters had been appointed to the post. “You have a [...] read more
  November 30, 2005 9:33 am - 15 Comments
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  STV in the Tron - by frog

  
  
  
  In some paper somewhere in the last week (sorry, can’t recall where) I read a letter to the editor that started off with the usual letters page rant attacking MMP because it allows MPs who have been booted out of an electorate back in on the Party List. But it ended unusually by advocating STV, [...] read more
  November 29, 2005 6:03 pm - 31 Comments
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  A how to guide for supporting the repeal of Section 59 - by frog

  
  
  
  Unlike the flying kiddies debate I blogged on earlier, one thing Children’s Commissioner Cindy Kiro does agree with the relevant Green MP on is the repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act. Sue B‘s Crimes Amendment (Abolition of Force as a Justification for Child Discipline) Bill is due before the Justice and Electoral Select [...] read more
  November 29, 2005 4:36 pm - 10 Comments
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  A moral panic takes to the air - by frog

  
  
  
  The furore today over Air NZ and Qantas’ practice of not allowing men to sit next to unaccompanied children brings the Right’s definition of ‘political correctness’ into question. National’s PC Eradicator Wayne Mapp has said that the move is “political correctness that had got out of hand” (BTW, should we assume that when PC hasn’t [...] read more
  November 29, 2005 12:20 pm - 67 Comments
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  GE-Free Switzerland - by frog

  
  
  
  The Swiss have had a referendum and have voted for a five-year moratorium on genetically modified crops. As the BBC reports: Swiss voters have approved a five-year ban on the use of genetically modified crops, final results from Sunday’s referendum suggest. A total of 55.7% of the electorate voted in favour of the moratorium across [...] read more
  November 28, 2005 8:08 pm - 24 Comments
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  Jeanette and the solarists - by frog

  
  
  
  Further to the UK climate change and energy issues I was blogging on over the weekend, this morning Jeanette provided a comprehensive perspective on the NZ situation. Opening the Solar 2005 conference at Otago University, she delivered a hard hitting speech that brings together in one tidy package Green thinking on the energy crossroads New [...] read more
  November 28, 2005 4:39 pm - 7 Comments
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  A tag for tigger - by frog

  
  
  
  Now I’m not condoning vandalism, but further to the fire sign in the South, here’s a graffiti memorial to Rod from Auckland. read more
  November 28, 2005 11:03 am - 12 Comments
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  At the energy crossroads - by frog

  
  
  
  While we’re looking at climate change, Friday’s The Guardian runs the most sensible and informed assessment of the pros and cons of nuclear power as a solution to climate change I’ve yet read. In a column titled Take the clean, green alternative over macho nuclear rod-waving, Polly Toynbee writes: What should be the ground rules [...] read more
  November 27, 2005 1:36 pm - 14 Comments
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  Sea level rise reaches Boulcott St - by frog

  
  
  
  I am a little bit gob smacked to see the weekend edition of The Dom Post leading with a climate change story: Ocean levels are now rising at 2mm a year – twice as fast as they were 150 years ago, according to a study at Rutgers University in New Jersey. And a separate project [...] read more
  November 27, 2005 12:30 pm - 19 Comments
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  Good on ya, Peter Dunne! - by frog

  
  
  
  OK, having criticised Peter Dunne this morning, I’m now obliged to give him some credit for something he’s done this afternoon. The UF leader is calling for a multi-party agreement on increasing Overseas Development Assistance (ODA, AKA ‘foreign aid’). NZPA reports: Mr Dunne said it was time for New Zealand to put its money where [...] read more
  November 25, 2005 6:29 pm - 1 Comment
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  Wal-Mart laid bare - by frog

  
  
  
  US moviemaker Robert Greenwald’s expose Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices seems to have caused quite a stir – see here and here for some examples. The movie explores the effect that ‘big box’ retailers have on small communities, something that New Zealand has seen with the spread of The Warehouse into New Zealand’s [...] read more
  November 25, 2005 5:10 pm - 7 Comments
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  It’s a sign - by frog

  
  
  
  The graffiti tribute to Rod above is apparently on the Evans Pass road down south. If you have seen any other out-there-in-the-world memorials, feel free to send pics to frogblog@greens.org.nz and I’ll post them up. read more
  November 25, 2005 2:34 pm - 20 Comments
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  Where there’s smoke… - by frog

  
  
  
  It is a matter of public record, but nevertheless its good to see that the Dom Post is today giving Peter Dunne‘s support for the tobacco industry a good work out. The article (offline) reads as follows: Anti-smoke lobby given assurance on Dunne role ANTI-SMOKING groups have won a Government assurance that United Future leader [...] read more
  November 25, 2005 12:28 pm - 15 Comments
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  If you have to buy something today - by frog

  
  
  
  So here we are on Buy Nothing Day, but you’re finding the consumption urge is just too much to resist. If you really need to scratch that itch today, remember that, as Rod reminded us all a week or so before he died, shopping is a political act. So a good place to start is [...] read more
  November 25, 2005 11:45 am - 6 Comments
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  Fishing for an apology - by frog

  
  
  
  National Party MP Phil Heatley seems to have caught a case of verbal muddle-itis from his leader. In a press release this afternoon he appears to have gone on the defensive on behalf of Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton. In it he demands that Anderton seek an apology from Forest and Bird over assertions made in [...] read more
  November 24, 2005 5:19 pm - 1 Comment
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  Buy Nothing tomorrow - by frog

  
  
  
  Reminder reminder, tomorrow is International Buy Nothing Day. As the New Zealand site’s FAQ page explains: Why don’t you want people to shop? We are saying we want people to think about what they buy, and whether consuming ever-more actually does increase quality of life. The effects of over-consumption on the environment (such as toxic [...] read more
  November 24, 2005 5:13 pm - 9 Comments
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  Opening up Office - by frog

  
  
  
  Good old Microsoft, the People’s Friend! Computerworld reports today that the Seattle leviathan is to open its formats so that anybody can develop an application to read or write Office documents. Well, not quite. It’s all very well to release formats, but that’s of limited use if they’re still holding the patent. Developing an application [...] read more
  November 23, 2005 4:47 pm - 10 Comments
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  Why does the ICC dither on Zimbabwe? - by frog

  
  
  
  Former Zimbabwean cricketer Henry Olonga, who, with Rod, campaigned to stop the the Black Caps tour to his former homeland earlier this year, continues his campaign to highlight human rights abuses. Rod and Henry may have failed in their efforts to stop the tour, but his visit caused many New Zealanders to sit up and [...] read more
  November 23, 2005 12:21 pm - 5 Comments
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  Confidence in what by whom? - by frog

  
  
  
  We were told during the election and the government-forming negotiations that business was worred about the Greens getting anywhere near the levers of power. Then today, more than a month later, we’re told that business confidence is at a 17-year low. Anyone prepared to offer any explanations? And while we’re at it, wouldn’t it be [...] read more
  November 23, 2005 12:00 pm - 7 Comments