Archive for February, 2009

• S92A Blackout 9 am until noon - by Rick Leckinger

  
  
  
  Please, no comments or discussion. read more
  February 20, 2009 9:20 am - No Comments
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  Kangaroo Court under the LabNats - by frog

  
  
  
  I have to laugh out loud when i think that this is the sort of justice that both National and Labour (and others) voted for last year. Well, next week, unless the Nats eat crow as awkwardly as Labour tried to do today in the House, this humourous little video from MohawkMedia, a.k.a. the g33k [...] read more
  February 19, 2009 9:52 pm - 5 Comments
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  The Best Place For Rental Shake-Up is Toi- let - by frog

  
  
  
  I and many other frogs out there am renting so I’m pretty concerned about National’s shake up of rental laws led by Housing Minister Phil Heatley. The reason given for the shake-up seems to be that the scales have swung too far towards the tenants. If so this will be news to a lot of [...] read more
  February 19, 2009 5:37 pm - 59 Comments
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  The End of KiwiRail? - by frog

  
  
  
  I recently attended an ISCR seminar on the future of rail. According to the speaker, Dave Heatley, there’s basically no future for rail. Rail is unfixable in its present form, he argued, without making some “heroic assumptions” about how we measure externalities and the opportunity cost of keeping rail. Heatley’s damning report (available soon on the [...] read more
  February 19, 2009 4:49 pm - 106 Comments
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  Labour needs to front up on S92A - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Labour’s Clare Curran sought leave in the House today to introduce her members bill that would clarify the policy that ISP’s need to produce under the controversial section 92A of the Copyright Act.  The explanation to the bill says: We considered a variety of measures including delaying the enactment of the clause, however it is [...] read more
  February 19, 2009 3:55 pm - 1 Comment
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  Can you join the S92A protest march? - by frog

  
  
  
  From CFF: The Creative Freedom Foundation announced that at 12 Noon on Thursday 19 February 2009 (today), a public demonstration will be held on Parliament grounds in Wellington in support of MPs against Guilt Upon Accusation laws in New Zealand  specifically the controversial Section 92A of the Copyright Amendment Act, due to come into effect [...] read more
  February 19, 2009 10:46 am - 5 Comments
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  Co-leader’s Parliamentary update - by frog

  
  
  
  Jeanette and Russel talk about insulation, energy efficiency, the Electoral Finance Act and their meeting with the Nats. read more
  February 19, 2009 8:27 am - 1 Comment
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  No Refuge for Labour’s Record On Jailing Refugees - by frog

  
  
  
  It is great news to me that an Iranian Christian convert -  after much suffering in New Zealand has finally been given refuge.  Ali Panah, a man so concerned at being sent back to Iran after he converted from Islam to Christianity, starved for seven weeks in 2007 to bring attention to his and other Iranians’ [...] read more
  February 18, 2009 2:16 pm - 57 Comments
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  Copyright Song: Remix Challenge - by frog

  
  
  
  CFF has teamed up with Mike Corb and Luke Rowell/Disasteradio to produce the Guilt Upon Accusation anthem: The Copywrong Song. (Lyrics/chords here.) Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to REMIX this puppy into the ultimate copyright song. All the competition details are here. Of course, all this takes place under a Creative [...] read more
  February 18, 2009 11:25 am - No Comments
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  Dalai Lama in support of Green Party and enviro-schools - by frog

  
  
  
  During a lecture at the University of Michigan last year, (full story and video), the Dalai Lama said: If you have a Green Party, I want to join. I think that’s very important. As I mentioned earlier, I think from kindergarten, [the] new generation, I think the concept of dialogue, the concept of the sense [...] read more
  February 18, 2009 10:53 am - 3 Comments
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  Lake Taupo Protection Trust cuts innovative deal to cut nitrogen - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s nice to have something good to blog about in the environmental arena for a change. The Lake Taupo Protection Trust was set up with the goal of protecting the taonga that is Taupo, with a primary goal reducing nitrogen inflows by 20% in 15 years. This has since involved purchasing properties to end the [...] read more
  February 18, 2009 8:28 am - 2 Comments
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  Internet blackout gathers steam - by frog

  
  
  
  The Creative Freedom Foundation‘s internet blackout campaign is gathering steam, and very rightly seeks to pressure Cabinet into killing off the new s92a of the Copyright Act, due to come into force next week.   These are just some of the excellent banners that are going up all over the place in support of the [...] read more
  February 17, 2009 5:19 pm - 46 Comments
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  Government’s Maori education plans contradictory - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  As a novice in the Parliamentary world trying to surf the learning curve, I am becoming rapidly fascinated by the new Government’s balancing act. This menage a trois {plus Peter Dunne} is going to take some management but also some careful analysis in terms of what they can deliver. The education portfolio is a good [...] read more
  February 17, 2009 1:57 pm - 47 Comments
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  It’s the elephant, not the money - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The media kerfuffle over Meridian’s secret ‘hush-money’ paid to DOC to supposedly silence its concerns with the Project Hayes wind farm is a little off the mark. While “following the money” is often a good maxim, in this case the elephant in the room is actually Government policy. Back in 2004, when the Labour Government began [...] read more
  February 17, 2009 1:32 pm - 3 Comments
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  Green co-leaders spell out the priorities - by frog

  
  
  
  In this video, the Green Party co-leaders Jeanette Fitzsimons and Russel Norman do a brief round up on our priorities as we start the new parliamentary season. read more
  February 17, 2009 9:36 am - 4 Comments
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  Brownlee’s EFA Bungle Says It All - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s something symbolic about Gerry Brownlee’s procedural mistakes holding up the EFA repeal reading last week. There was a bungled urgency motion followed by a fumbled adjournment motion and a reversal by the Speaker. The end result is that, after an objection by the Greens, the EFA’s second reading was delayed until today. Where to [...] read more
  February 17, 2009 7:37 am - 37 Comments
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  Nice day for a lynching - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Three Strikes Lobbyists Should Be Struck Out Any legislation the current government is thinking of introducing that has the backing of the Sensible Sentencing Trust (SST) needs to be looked at twice and then most likely thrown out. The SST are the organisation supposedly committed to the rights of victims of crime. But their spokesperson [...] read more
  February 16, 2009 4:01 pm - 63 Comments
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  Shock Announcement: Normal maintenance to proceed under National - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  We look forward to more announcements from this very busy government that schools will buy chalk this year, trains will refuel, nurses worn out uniforms will be replaced and the harbour bridge repainted. The press secretaries will be working overtime. It is, of course, entirely a good thing that Transpower will do essential maintenance on [...] read more
  February 13, 2009 11:32 am - 41 Comments
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  Catherine Delahunty’s maiden speech - by frog

  
  
  
  Welcome Catherine! read more
  February 12, 2009 11:43 am - 202 Comments
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  Obama: the days of building sprawl forever are over - by frog

  
  
  
  President Obama summed up the Green party position on transport pretty well during a press conference in Florida yesterday. (at minute 55) I would like for us to invest in mass transit because potentially that’s energy efficient. And I think people are a lot more open now to thinking regionally… The days where we’re just [...] read more
  February 12, 2009 10:24 am - 72 Comments