Banning

by frog

Kiwiblog has helpfully taken its responsibility to informing electors about parties’ policy extremely seriously, with David Farrar reading every single Green Party policy and compiling this list of things that he reckons the Greens would ban.

Even more helpfully toad has gone through and commented on each of these ‘bans’ pointing out which ones really are bans and giving the public policy reasons behind them, which ones are standards or regulations and which reside purely in the collective kiwiblog imagination.

Of course it’s helpful to remember every party wants to ban things. For instance Act gets notoriously upset about tagging, and most parties agree that driving a car without a seatbelt should be banned, except perhaps when filming TV commercials. I’ve even heard Libertarians draw the line at some things.

Now, on with the list:

1. Ban fizzy drinks from schools – Government runs and funds schools. Kids can drink or eat whatever they like out of school, but should not be supplied with unhealthy food in Government-funded institutions.
2. Ban fuel inefficient vehicles – This one’s a lie. The Green policy doesn’t say that.
3. Ban all gaming machines in pubs – Good idea. People will still be able to go to a chartered club or casino if they want to gamble. The proliferation of gambling venues encourages problem gambling and the majority of problem gambling occurs in pubs.
4. Ban the GCSB – Not a ban at all. Abolishing the GCSB is actually doing away with a state institution that impinges on all New Zealanders’ privacy. I would have thought libertarians would like the idea.
5. Ban violent TV programmes until after 10 pm – Not a ban either – moving programmes with excessive violence to a post 10pm slot will help prevent kids growing up to think violence is acceptable.
6. Ban feeding of antibiotics to animals that are not sick – This one is a ban, and a very sensible one. Use of antibiotics where there is no bacterial infection leads to antibiotic resistant mutations occurring – potentially ones that can cause pandemics and kill millions of people and animals.
7. Ban companies that do not comply with a Code of Corporate Responsibility – Not a ban. The policy says the Greens would develop a Code of Corporate Responsibility for all corporations operating in New Zealand. It is a voluntary measure.
8. Ban ACC from investing in enterprises that provide products or services that significantly increase rates of injury or illness or otherwise have significant adverse social or environmental effects – Not a ban, it is an ethical investment policy. Why should the funds of a Government agency charged with injury prevention be invested in enterprises that do significant harm?
9. Ban commercial Genetic Engineering trials – A half-truth. The Greens support them if they are in a contained laboratory environment. That is how we learn whether GE is safe or not in each individual instance.
10. Ban field testing on production of GE food – Yep, that is a ban, at least for the moment. Until there is evidence that there are any economic advantages of GE food, and that there are no environmental disadvantages, the Greens would keep the experiments in the lab.
11. Ban import of GE food – Yep, this one is a ban too – we have no need for it and the risks are as yet unassessed.
12. Ban Urban Sprawl – Not a ban, but the Greens do have policies to discourage it.
13. Ban non citizens/residents from owning land – Yep, this one is a ban. The Greens propose to govern for New Zealand residents, not non-resident foreigners.
14. Ban further corporate farming – This one is a lie. The Greens want farming, of whatever sort, to move towards sustainability. Whether it is corporate or not is not an issue.
15. Ban sale of high country farms to NZers who do not live in NZ at least 185 days a year – Yep, really just a repeat of the Greens proposal re land sales to New Zealand residents, not non-resident foreigners, as above.
16. Ban the transport by sea of farm animals, for more than 24 hours – This is a restriction, not a ban. It is to ensure animals do not suffer unduly.
17. Ban crates for sows – A half-truth. The policy permits the use of sow crates for farrowing for up to 72 hours in the interests of the welfare and survival of the piglets.
18. Ban battery cages for hens – True. The Greens are proud of our animal welfare policy, and battery cages are extraordinarily cruel.
19. Ban factory farming of animals – A half-truth. It is a progressive phase-out the Green are promoting, not a ban – again in the interests of animal welfare.
20. Ban the use of mechanically recovered meat in the food chain – Great policy. Do we really want people/animals contracting CJD/BSE?
21. Ban the use of the ground-up remains of sheep and cows as stock feed – Great policy again. Do we really want people/animals contracting CJD/BSE?
22. Ban animal testing where animals suffer, even if of benefit to humans – Yes, the Greens don’t want any animals to suffer.
23. Ban cloning of animals – Yep, what is wrong with natural reproduction. There are as yet no proven advantages of cloning, and it reduces the gene pool, with potentially threatening consequences.
24. Ban use of animals in GE – This one is true.
25. Ban GE animal food – This one is also true
26. Ban docking of dogs tails – This one is also true – it cruel
27. Ban intrusive animal experimentation as a teaching method in all educational institutions – This one is also true. The Greens don’t want animals to be killed and tortured just for the sake of teaching.
28. Ban smacking – Not true. The Greens successfully banned beating children. Whether a smack is prohibited depends on the severity, frequency and circumstance, and the Police have discretion to determine whether a prosecution is in the public interest.
29. Ban advertising during children’s programmes – This one is a lie. The policy is to move commercial advertisements away from screening during pre-school and school age children’s television, not to ban it completely.
30. Ban alcohol advertising on TV and radio – True, why should we be encouraging people to drink excessively, given the societal harm this causes?
31. Ban coal mining – This one is a lie. The Greens don’t want any new coal mines, but don’t propose to close down existing ones.
32. Ban the export of indigenous logs and chips – This one is just continuing existing Government policy.
33. Ban the use of bio-accumulative and persistent poisons – Great idea. Who wants these in the food chain?
34. Ban the establishment of mustelid farms – Yes, imported predators such as ferrets and weasels are a real threat to many indigenous species, have considerable ability to escape from farming captivity, and should be eradicated.
35. Ban new exploration, prospecting and mining on conservation land and reserves – Fair enough, this is a ban. If it is a conservation site or reserve, that status has already been established and should be paramount over short-term economic gain.
36. Ban mining activities when rare and endemic species are found to present on the mining site – As for the point above. Same point really.
37. Ban the trading conservation land for other land to facilitate extractive activities on. – Fair enough. This one is a ban.
38. Ban the further holding of marine mammals in captivity except as part of an approved threatened species recovery strategy – Yep, again in the interests of animal welfare.
39. Ban the direct to consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals – Why should this be permitted. Pharmaceuticals should be prescribed on medical advice, not because someone has seen something about more and better hard-ons in a TV ad.
40. Ban sale of chips and lollies on school property – Maybe half true. The policy is to “require all food sold on school premises or at school sporting functions to meet the criteria for food and drink that promotes children’s health.”
41. Ban any additional use of coal for energy – Yep, this one is true. Why should we use the energy source that creates the most greenhouse emissions when there are plenty of more sustainable alternatives available?
42. Ban fixed electricity charges – The policy is to implement progressive pricing, based on level of usage. Hardly a ban.
43. Ban further large hydro plants – Not really a ban, but, as with coal-fired electricity generation, these are unnecessary given other renewable energy options and energy conservation measures.
44. Ban nuclear power – Anyone proposing this for New Zealand has a kangaroo loose in the top paddock. It may be a better option for countries with a heavy dependency on coal-fired generation, but is completely unviable economically in New Zealand.
45. Ban further thermal generation – It is actually a moratorium. The Greens would support this, and from gas, not coal, only in extreme circumstances. Those circumstances do not exist.
46. Ban private water management – This one is a lie. The policy is does not prevent councils contracting out various aspects of the service when they believe this offers better value to its residents.
47. Ban imported vehicles over seven years old – Cannot see this anywhere in Green policy.
48. Ban the disposal of recyclable materials at landfills – Another lie. The policy is to ensure that local authority waste management plans set out a clear vision for the phasing out of landfills including promoting and implementing the source separation of waste into streams as an essential part of the transition from landfill dependency to resource reduction and renewal.
49. Ban the export of hazardous waste to non OECD countries – Yep. That’s cool. If it is nasty and we make it, we should deal with it, rather than making it someone else’s problem.
50. Ban funding of health services by companies that sell unhealthy food (so McDonalds could not fund services for young cancer sufferers) – Ah, so an admission that McDonalds is unhealthy food. That’s progress.
51. Ban healthcare organizations from selling unhealthy food or drink – As with schools, a great idea. If people want it that bad, they can have someone bring it in for them.
52. Ban advertising of unhealthy food until after 8.30 pm – Yep, that one’s true. It is unethical to promote unhealthy food to kids so they put pressure on their parents to buy it for them.
53. Ban all food and drink advertisements on TV if they do not meet criteria for nutritious food – Um, don’t se that one anywhere in the policy.
54. Ban the use of antibiotics as sprays on crops – Yep, that’s cool. Antibiotics should be used only where there is bacterial disease.
55. Ban food irradiation within NZ – Great idea – who needs it?
56. Ban irradiated food imports – Great idea, as above?
57. Ban growth hormones for animals – Yes, an animal welfare issue, as well as a health issue, because the science is as yet uncertain about the potential flow-on effects to humans.
58. Ban crown agency investments in any entity that denies climate change!! – Yep, Government needs to be responsible about not supporting those who deny the greatest potential threat to humanity.
59. Ban crown agency investments in any entity that is involved in tobacco – Yep, it stinks. I would say the same about cannabis and alcohol too.
60. Ban crown agency investments in any entity that is involved in environmentally damaging oil extraction or gold mining – This isn’t a ban on anyone doing anything. It is a policy about how organs of the State invest.
61. Ban non UN sanctioned military involvement (so China and Russia gets to veto all NZ engagements) – This isn’t a ban on anyone doing anything either, but a policy about how the State conducts its international relations.
62. Ban NZ from military treaties which are based on the right to self defence – Another policy about how the State conducts its international affairs, that doesn’t ban anyone from doing anything.
63. Ban NZers from serving as mercenaries – This one is a ban, and one that I’m proud of – there is no place for mercenaries in a civilised world.
64. Ban new casinos – This is supporting an existing moratorium.
65. Allow existing casinos to be banned – Misrepresents the policy, which is to support the right of communities within the territorial authority area in which the casino venue is located to vote in a binding referendum on the future of the casino.
66. Ban promotion of Internet gambling – Yep, a good ban in the interests of social responsibility.
67. Ban advertising of unhealthy food to children – The policy is to restrict the flood of ads for unhealthy foods being targeted to children by confining them to after 8.30pm. A regulation, rather than a ban.
68. Ban cellphone towers within 300 metres of homes – Precautionary principle applies here.
69. Ban new buildings that do not confirm to sustainable building principles – This is not a ban but the application of a standard.
70. Ban migrants who do not undertake Treaty of Waitangi education programmes – This is not a ban but part of a requirement that new migrants undergo an orientation programme to familiarise them with New Zealand society.
71. Ban new prisons – This is a moratorium rather than an outright ban, and does permit the replacement of existing substandard correctional facilities.
72. Ban semi-automatic weapons – It is a ban, but not as widespread as this suggests – the policy is to make private ownership of fully functional semi-automatic weapons illegal.
73. Ban genetic mixing between species – Misrepresents the policy – the prohibition is restricted to use of transgenic technology for this purpose, not hybridisation.
74. Ban ocean mineral extractions within the EEZ – This one is a lie. The policy permits this if and environmental impact assessment has been undertaken and approval is granted for such activities based on that assessment.
75. Ban limited liability companies by making owners responsible for liability of products – This one is just plain silly.
76. Ban funding of PTEs that compete with public tertiary institutes – This is not a ban but a prioritisation of public funding going to public institutions.
77. Ban the importation of goods and services that do not meet quality and environmental certification standards in production, lifecycle analysis, and eco-labelling – Yep, fair enough. Why should people be allowed to import unsafe or poor quality products or those with inadequate information provided about them?
78. Ban goods that do not meet quality and sustainability standards for goods which are produced and/or sold in Aotearoa/New Zealand – As above, this is imposing a standard, rather than a ban.
79. Ban new urban highways or motorways – It is not a ban but a moratorium on building major new urban highways or motorways to use the money saved from this to fund investment in developing and upgrading more sustainable transport systems.
80. Ban private toll roads – The policy says the Greens oppose them. It does not say they would ban them.
81. Ban import of vehicles more than seven years old unless they meet emission standards – Ah, this is the full version of the point above that was wrong. This one is correct.
82. Ban imported goods that do not meet standards for durability and ease of recycling – The policy is to restrict or ban – not an outright ban.
83. Ban landfills – This is not a ban but a policy to progressively phase them out as we move to greater re-use and recycling.
84. Ban new houses without water saving measures – Misrepresents the policy. This is actually about imposing energy efficiency standards – nothing to do with water.
85. Ban programmes on TVNZ with gratuitous violence – Wrong, they could be shown after 10.00pm.