Archive for December, 2008

  • frog

    Belated Holiday Greetings - by frog



    Greetings from my holiday lillypad. While I spend the next couple of weeks hopping around the beautiful Marlborough Sounds, I may be out of touch for days on end. As it is, I am hanging on from a very precarious Vodem connection. I would like to wish all those who celebrate the real reason for [...] read more
    December 27, 2008 11:21 pm - 247 Comments
  • frog

    Is business the only stakeholder that matters? - by frog



    Agriculture Minister David Carter has admitted that he intentionally left environmentalists, the water rights trust and recreational users off the invite list of a major water users meeting in Canterbury. In the same breath he promised that their concerns would not be ignored. George Orwell and his Ministry of Truth would be proud. Purposefully keeping [...] read more
    December 22, 2008 11:54 am - 65 Comments
  • frog

    More Circular Uncertainty from National - by frog



    Following the circular uncertainty created by John Key and his National government regarding the Emissions Trading Scheme, we now have another round of circular uncertainty, this time created by officialdom, no doubt because there is no clear leadership from the top. To start with, we have the utterly confused and ambiguous signals to business regarding [...] read more
    December 21, 2008 12:19 pm - 82 Comments
  • frog

    Scientist’s Warning to Humanity - by frog



    In 1992, not long after the Rio Summit, the Union of Concerned Scientists published a warning to all of humanity. Unfortunately, little, if any, of their recommendations have been heeded. Instead, we continue along the unsustainable growth trajectory that they so deplored. Almost 1700 scientists signed the declaration, including 104 Nobel Prize winners. Here is [...] read more
    December 20, 2008 4:27 pm - 49 Comments
  • Catherine Delahunty

    Question Time at Gormenghast - by Catherine Delahunty



    There’s a gothic fantasy book by Mervyn Peake, called “Gormenghast”. It’s about a medieval castle inhabited by weird individuals and arcane patriarchal rituals. There is an atmosphere of ruination, insanity and borderline behaviour. Such was my impression of my first question time at Parliament. There was howling, snarling, backslapping and ritual clapping but nothing you [...] read more
    December 19, 2008 10:20 am - 31 Comments
  • frog

    Good Wood Guide - by frog



    Greenpeace has done it again, bless their socks, and updated the Good Wood Guide just in time for your summer/Christmas shopping spree. Want to know what the most sustainable wood products are? Start here. Want to know which species are which? Start here. Want to know which sustainable timber certifications are for real? Start here. [...] read more
    December 19, 2008 10:14 am - 3 Comments
  • frog

    Kevin Hague’s maiden speech - by frog



    Welcome Kevin!   read more
    December 18, 2008 12:21 pm - 7 Comments
  • frog

    Kennedy Graham’s maiden speech - by frog



    Welcome Kennedy!   read more
    December 18, 2008 12:18 pm - 2 Comments
  • frog

    Strange Bedfellows - by frog



    Politics is a funny business, and can produce some very strange bedfellows. The Rob Gilchrist spying affair has highlighted a significant lack of oversight regarding police covert activities, and frankly, some very poor judgement. I have been asked a few times by commenters why I haven’t waded into the scandal. The  reason is that I [...] read more
    December 18, 2008 12:09 pm - 84 Comments
  • Jeanette Fitzsimons

    Putting the ETS “on hold”? - by Jeanette Fitzsimons



    Question time yesterday gleaned a little more information about the Government’s plans for the ETS – and showed the full extent of their ignorance of how the scheme works.Many people have been wondering what John Key meant when he said he would “put the ETS on hold” while it was reviewed. We now know it [...] read more
    December 17, 2008 9:08 pm - 77 Comments
  • Sue Bradford

    New domestic violence bill kept secret from public - by Sue Bradford



    The Green Party has just received a copy of yet another bill which the new National Government is pushing through under urgency – the Domestic Violence (Enhancing Safety) Bill. We don’t think most members of the public or interested organisations have had a chance to see it yet so here it is. We only got [...] read more
    December 17, 2008 12:40 pm - 33 Comments
  • Metiria Turei

    Legislation National is keeping secret – again - by Metiria Turei



    As the Greens had to do last week, we are making the bills that National is putting through the urgency motion, but keeping secret from the public, on our blog. Keeping legislation secret like this in the first week might have been excused by some serious slackness. But two weeks in a row demonstrates an [...] read more
    December 17, 2008 11:02 am - 95 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Water storage - by Russel Norman



    Federated Farmers has been talking about water storage. Now it’s true that there is a key role for water storage schemes to assist agricultural production. But there are downsides to water storage too. Water storage schemes can block access for fish and eels up and down rivers. The storage can destroy habitat that goes underwater. [...] read more
    December 16, 2008 10:04 pm - 29 Comments
  • Catherine Delahunty

    Endosulfan Tip of the Toxic Iceberg - by Catherine Delahunty



    It is a great day for worms, tomatoes and humans. The toxic pesticide endosulfan has finally been banned. This seriously toxic chemical was banned in 55 countries but 18 Councils around Aotearoa have been using it regularly on sports fields to kill worms that made bumps in the turf. Tomato and citrus growers have been [...] read more
    December 16, 2008 5:46 pm - 16 Comments
  • frog

    Michael Pollan on Food, Energy and Health - by frog



    Hat tip to O’Reilly Radar for leading me to this video of Michael Pollan speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit last month. Pollan tells it like it is – that agriculture is the key to tackling climate change and many other modern ills. Food is the shadow problem if they [the politicians] hope to deal [...] read more
    December 16, 2008 4:39 pm - 11 Comments
  • frog

    Sue Bradford on the “Fire at Will” Bill - by frog



    Sue speaks in the House about the ambiguity in the new 90 day fire at will bill that may prevent fired workers from accessing the dole, despite National’s assurances that this was not their intent: It is this sort of ambiguity that would have been picked up and corrected at a select committee. Ramming this [...] read more
    December 15, 2008 12:03 pm - 74 Comments
  • Jeanette Fitzsimons

    John Key’s Uncertainty Principle - by Jeanette Fitzsimons



    Does John Key understand the uncertainty his wild statements have created for business? Is there any thinking or policy intent behind the statement that the ETS will be “put on hold” or was it just post-election rhetoric? The key thing is that the businesses most affected don’t know. About a week after the election, reassured [...] read more
    December 15, 2008 11:34 am - 23 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Whangarei Harbour protest - by Russel Norman



    I went to a great protest in Whangarei on Friday about the state of the Whangarei Harbour. There were 400 people at the protest according to the Northern Advocate report by Imran Ali. This is a pretty impressive turnout for Whangarei. The demonstration was specifically focused on a consent application by the Whangarei District Council [...] read more
    December 14, 2008 12:33 pm - 27 Comments
  • frog

    Green’s Address in Reply II - by frog



    Yesterday I published Jeanette’s half of the Green’s Address in Reply, the speech where parties formally reply to the “Queen’s” speech from the throne when parliament is reconvened after an election. Here is Russel’s half of the speech: read more
    December 14, 2008 8:49 am - No Comments
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