Archive for June, 2007

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  GE Free becoming part of national identity - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Saw the new Steinlager ad the other night with Harvey Keitel. Thought it was interesting that one of the things he listed off as liking about NZ was us saying no to GMOs, as well as nukes, preservatives in beer, and women not having the vote (yep double negative but they were trying to keep with [...] read more
  June 29, 2007 12:28 pm - 82 Comments
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  bye bye BZP - by frog

  
  
  
  So called ‘party pills’ are to be outlawed, Jim Anderton annouced this afternoon. Metiria’s response is here. Green Party Drug Law Reform Policy is here, and a summary here. There seems to be general consensus that the ‘War on Drugs‘ is a bitter failure. This recent Independent article doesn’t even begin to mention the misery [...] read more
  June 28, 2007 7:00 pm - 56 Comments
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  Angela Davis in Aotearoa - by frog

  
  
  
  those of us lucky enough to hear Prof. Angela Davis in Auckland on Monday night or Wellington last night are likely to still be buzzing from it – Frog certainly is. The turnout itself was inspiring (possibly not so inspiring if you were one of the almost 200 people turned away from her Wgtn lecture!). [...] read more
  June 27, 2007 9:39 am - 109 Comments
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  Roger Award for 2007 Open - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The Roger Award for the Worst Transnational of 2007 has now opened for nominations. The award is organised by the Campaign Against Foreign COntrol of Aotearoa and you can nominate your least favourite multinational here. Last years winner was Progressive Enterprises. The judges for 2007 are: Laila Harre, from Auckland, National Secretary of the National [...] read more
  June 26, 2007 10:25 pm - 8 Comments
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  plastic bag peril - by frog

  
  
  
  The Retail Association, Progressive and Foodstuffs are banding together to work on the reduction of plastic bags. Which is good, and a long way from earlier in the year! Nandor praised them, and the NDU reminded us of the intersection between social justice and environmentalism. Not sure how your local supermarket performs, but whenever frog [...] read more
  June 26, 2007 5:32 pm - 11 Comments
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  Kiwisaver – ethical investment? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  After I caused a spot of trouble for Dr. Cullen by pointing out that NZ Super Fund is investing our taxes in nuclear weapons manufacture etc, I thought it would be interesting to see what they were doing about KiwiSaver funds and responsible investment. And of course it turned out that no-one in Treasury or [...] read more
  June 22, 2007 11:46 pm - 29 Comments
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  Stabilising the housing market - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  I discussed the question of ringfencing the losses from rental housing on Morning Report yesterday – tax changes for investments (mp3, 2.7mb, Morning Report, RNZ) . Cullen refused to front up to the discussion but I think it’s important that we discuss it. Housing prices have doubled in six years and it is a big [...] read more
  June 22, 2007 6:54 pm - 75 Comments
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  Tune into the Greens Climate Defence Tour on TV - by frog

  
  
  
  Missed the Climate Change Tour in Auckland or want to share what you heard with others? You can watch a 45 minute interview with Jeanette Fitzsimons with PlaNet’s Alan Marston. The topic is climate change and The Greens current campaign promoting the Climate Defence Fund. Go to this website to watch it: http://www.pl.net/Ntv/clicla.htm Or: Click [...] read more
  June 22, 2007 10:21 am - 23 Comments
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  v16 - by frog

  
  
  
  Sue B must have missed being the target of massive opprobrium, cos she’s gone and done it again, with her new Private Members Bill to lower the voting age. The filthy and furious emails are already rolling in, and the talkback is gearing up… For some serious and considered comment, try the always reliable Idiot [...] read more
  June 21, 2007 6:07 pm - 98 Comments
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  Bain retrial decision - by frog

  
  
  
  The Solicitor General has just announced that David Bain will face a retrial for the murder of his family. This follows the Privy Council ruling last month there had been a substantial miscarriage of justice. read more
  June 21, 2007 4:33 pm - 9 Comments
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  Release from Dalai Lama Visit Trust - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  For those of you who missed it. I think it’s worth reprinting. Press Release by Dalai Lama Visit Trust New Zealand at 12:46 pm, 20 Jun 2007 An open letter to the Prime Minister of New Zealand In succumbing to diplomatic pressure from the Peoples Republic of China for you and your government not to [...] read more
  June 20, 2007 5:40 pm - 6 Comments
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  If you’ve got the stomach for it…. - by frog

  
  
  
  check out some of the gruesome stuff on the cat and dog fur trade. Sue’s release is here. If anyone wants to ever shut the eyes without nightmare images rearing up on the retina, then DO NOT dwell on these pages, and certainly don’t look at the videos… This article is particularly infuriating – not [...] read more
  June 20, 2007 5:33 pm - 9 Comments
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  Field decision reserved…. - by frog

  
  
  
  A judge in the High Court at Auckland has reserved his decision on a preliminary hearing about whether Mangere MP Taito Philip Field can be prosecuted for bribery and corruption charges. read more
  June 20, 2007 4:44 pm - No Comments
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  Dalai lama visits Green caucus - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Scoop have some good pics of the visit. He started by saying that morally speaking he was a member of the Greens and talking at some length about the ecological crisis. He said some quite interesting things about the importance of integrating China into the world but also remaining critical of the Chinese govt’s human [...] read more
  June 19, 2007 5:13 pm - 10 Comments
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  Canada’s political finance laws even more stringent - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Green policy on political finance is reasonably stringent but Canada’s new laws are even better. You can only give $1100 in a calendar year and only natural persons entitled to vote can give donations. Amendments to the Canada Elections Act that came into effect on January 1, 2007 New, lower limits on the annual contributions [...] read more
  June 19, 2007 5:03 pm - 17 Comments
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  BP’s oil review not likely to be accurate - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  BP has released their Statistical Review of World Energy 2007. As usual it appears to dramatically overstate the amount of remaining oil because it uses the stats provided by various middle east countries and oil companies that are inflated. Colin Campbell and the Oil Depeletion Analysis Centre are saying that the peak for easily extractable [...] read more
  June 18, 2007 12:16 pm - 34 Comments
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  Phil Amos - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  I won’t claim to have known Phil Amos well but I do want to remember him. He was the one senior figure in the Labour Party who followed Anderton into the NewLabour Party in 1989. He had been a cabinet minister (Education) in the third Labour govt (1972-5) and shared Anderton’s horror at the new [...] read more
  June 17, 2007 9:53 pm - 5 Comments
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  Is this the most important news story of the day? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  TV3 led their 6pm news bulletin tonight with the news that Paul Holmes adopted daughter has been arrested on drug charges. I really have to question why this is the lead item on TV3 news. Surely there are more important stories and anyway why does she have to get her name all over the media [...] read more
  June 17, 2007 9:40 pm - 20 Comments
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  Political finance seminar - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Went to a political finance seminar yesterday at Vic Uni organised by Institute of Policy Studies and Transparency International. I presented the Green position on campaign finance reform – which includes getting rid of anonymous donations above $1000, stopping donations from overseas (except for citizens), rolling disclosure of donations in lead up to election, putting [...] read more
  June 16, 2007 11:45 am - 39 Comments
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  Food and compulsion and why has National lost its brain - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  I have been pretty saddened by the response of some principals and National Party Spokesperson Katherine Rich to the proposal that originated from the Greens that schools will be forced, yes forced, to provide only healthy food in their school tuckshops.  Is school voluntary? Don’t we make parents send their kids to school? And if we as a society make [...] read more
  June 14, 2007 1:59 pm - 73 Comments