Archive for November, 2005

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  The Times vs STV in the Tron

  
  
  
  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 systems might [...] read more
  November 30, 2005 1:12 pm - 3 Comments
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  You can’t hide from the Greens

  
  
  
  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 coalition, [...] read more
  November 30, 2005 9:33 am - 15 Comments
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  STV in the Tron

  
  
  
  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

  
  
  
  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 Committee [...] read more
  November 29, 2005 4:36 pm - 10 Comments
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  A moral panic takes to the air

  
  
  
  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 ‘got [...] read more
  November 29, 2005 12:20 pm - 67 Comments
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  GE-Free Switzerland

  
  
  
  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 [...] read more
  November 28, 2005 8:08 pm - 24 Comments
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  Jeanette and the solarists

  
  
  
  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 [...] read more
  November 28, 2005 4:39 pm - 7 Comments
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  A tag for tigger

  
  
  
  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

  
  
  
  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 for this [...] read more
  November 27, 2005 1:36 pm - 14 Comments
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  Sea level rise reaches Boulcott St

  
  
  
  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 [...] read more
  November 27, 2005 12:30 pm - 19 Comments