Archive for July, 2008

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  Russel’s entry into US politics

  
  
  
  Occasionally you actually learn something at question time. Not often, but occasionally.  Today it was mostly farce (particularly this exchange between Rodney Hide and Winston Peters.) But we did learn today that While US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did not have time to discuss with our Foreign Minister his views on Islam, New Zealanders’ [...] read more
  July 31, 2008 6:05 pm - 47 Comments
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  Tuhoe and Crown talk about te Urewera

  
  
  
  It’s interesting to hear that Tuhoe are now entering treaty negotiations with the Crown.  This will, I imagine, be a very different set of negotiations to previous large negotiations such as Ngai Tahu and Waikato. Tuhoe’s engagement with the crown is stereotypically characterised as more confrontational than for many other iwi, which will add an [...] read more
  July 31, 2008 4:18 pm - 82 Comments
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  Transit’s chainsaw massacre

  
  
  
  Following on from yesterday’s post about the matai trees in Haast that were going to be cut down because they were old and rotten, Metiria has just released some photos proving that they are healthy, or at least, they were healthy: Metiria is worried abut the precedent this sets: Yet these unique trees, supposedly so rotten they [...] read more
  July 31, 2008 2:11 pm - 11 Comments
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  “A victory for supermarket consumers and competition in markets”

  
  
  
  That’s how the Commerce Commission is describing the Court of Appeal’s decision to block Woolworths and Foodstuffs from buying out their competitor the Warehouse. Commerce Commission Chair Paula Rebstock says New Zealand consumers know that more competition is needed in the supermarket sector: “The Commission declined clearance in mid-2007 for acquisition by either Foodstuffs [...] read more
  July 31, 2008 1:19 pm - 3 Comments
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  Cycling hints

  
  
  
  There’s some helpful cycling advice from Treehugger this week on making sure you claim back tax deductions for extra food as fuel expenses incurred while working – this might be particularly relevant to those many cycle couriers who burn extra calories whizzing about town all day long: And there’s also ten tips to ugly your bike [...] read more
  July 31, 2008 12:14 pm - 7 Comments
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  Favourite peak oil quote of the week

  
  
  
  This letter in the print edition of Straight Furrow this week from John of Pukekohe has a new challenge for the peak oil-ologists here at the Green Party to answer: “A Russian professor”?… “basically said”?… “second law of thermodynamics”.  Well that clinches it then.  Nothing says convincing science like the second law of thermodynamics.  Well, except [...] read more
  July 31, 2008 11:38 am - 8 Comments
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  “Good police officers are going to get hurt”

  
  
  
  A good shorthand way to tell if Parliament is voting to remove people’s civil liberties is to look for those bills that the Greens, Act and the Maori Party oppose but Labour, National, United Future and New Zealand First support.  Such is the case with Chester Burrows’ Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill. [...] read more
  July 31, 2008 9:34 am - 205 Comments
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  Old matai make way for campervans

  
  
  
  When the Haast highway builders passed through ancient Matai forest forty years ago, the trees were left standing close to the road. After all, some of them had already been there for 1000 years or more. So that’s why Metiria is trying to find out why Transit currently felling 250 ancient podocarps along this scenic highway, [...] read more
  July 30, 2008 4:54 pm - 6 Comments
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  Fragile planet

  
  
  
  This video should get right up some people’s noses – it’s got the United Nations, Sting and polar bears! read more
  July 30, 2008 4:47 pm - 1 Comment
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  A big Friday night

  
  
  
  This Friday at the Wellington Opera House, young Green activist and candidate number 11 on our party list, Gareth Hughes, is joining Metiria and Russel to launch the Green Party youth policy and the Green Party youth election campaign. But after that, it is Friday night after all, he’ll be joining the Phoenix Foundation, Little Bushman, [...] read more
  July 30, 2008 2:46 pm - 7 Comments