Archive for March, 2009

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  Some questions to end Seaweek… - by frog

  
  
  
  To end our Seaweek coverage on Frogblog, here’s some Questions for Written Answer that Green Fisheries spokesmermaid Metiria Turei lodged this week to the Minister of Fisheries. No doubt the Ministry of Fisheries is in the gun for cost cutting, restructuring and major legislation review, but the Government isn’t saying much yet. Fairfax papers recently [...] read more
  March 6, 2009 4:40 pm - 1 Comment
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  Sue Bradford goes in search of National’s State Housing - by frog

  
  
  
  Green MP Sue Bradford  asks the Housing Minister: Does he see any opportunity to simultaneously deal with the job losses in the housing construction sector and assist the nearly 10 thousand people on the Housing New Zealand waiting list? The Minister manages to insult the former Minister, requiring an apology and withdrawal, then goes on [...] read more
  March 6, 2009 2:02 pm - 14 Comments
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  Sea Lion Action at Parliament - by frog

  
  
  
  Green MP Metiria Turei addresses the action in front of parliament, hosted by the Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society on Wednesday. As usual, the government has got it wrong about the fishing industry’s kill quota, and yet another threatened species edges closer to extinction. Former Minister Steve Chadwick tried to make out that Labour’s [...] read more
  March 6, 2009 1:49 pm - 2 Comments
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  Pay Parity Fax to Ryall: Do it Today! - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The HandMirror and others are running a campaign against the Governments decision to can the pay parity roll out through the state sector. Its a no-brainer: women are still getting paid less than men in equivalent roles with equivalent experience. Surely the state sector is the first place where women are treated equitably in thier [...] read more
  March 6, 2009 12:08 pm - 23 Comments
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  Of Pigs and Power Rangers - by frog

  
  
  
  Remember Snowball, Squeaker, Old Major, and Napoleon?  For those whose high school English class was some time ago, they’re the oinks on Animal Farm who said ‘All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others’.   There’s a whiff of Orwellian oinkerism in the Government’s Securities Disclosure and Financial Advisers Amendment Bill [...] read more
  March 5, 2009 3:09 pm - 20 Comments
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  Hope that the Foreshore Act will be repealed is real - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  I was at the announcement of the terms of reference of the Foreshore review yesterday. It was rather hard in some respects, seeing many people there who were such a major part of the campaign against the law and remembering what an awful campaign of hatred it was. I heard the Maori Party clearly state [...] read more
  March 5, 2009 10:37 am - 45 Comments
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  Government’s housing policy based on spam and WordArt - by frog

  
  
  
  As a frog, I’d never thought twice about deleting unsolicited e-mail from a group called Demographia. I fell off my lily pad when I read that the Housing Minister Phil Heatley was basing government policy on it. The Dominion Post reports: Mr Heatley announced the plans yesterday after the publication of the Demographia International Housing [...] read more
  March 4, 2009 6:41 pm - 56 Comments
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  Australian police do Japanese whalers’ bidding - by frog

  
  
  
  On another Seaweek related theme… Last week it emerged that it was a Japanese Government request that led to an Australian Federal Police (AFP) raid on the Sea Shepherd boat Steve Irwin as it docked in Hobart on February 20th after a turbulent and controversial summer campaign chasing the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern [...] read more
  March 4, 2009 10:42 am - 7 Comments
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  General Debate, March 4th - by frog

  
  
  
  There has been an awful lot of off-topic discussion lately, much of it good stuff. I thought I would make a space for it so it doesn’t get lost in the sands of time… read more
  March 4, 2009 10:00 am - 20 Comments
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  Lester Brown on melting ice and shrinking glaciers - by frog

  
  
  
  The following YouTube clip is Part 2 from a recent lecture Lester Brown gave on Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization and will take you into the heart of the Plan B message. The presentation was to the Chemical Society of Washington on May 8, 2008. Lester, who is President of the Earth Policy [...] read more
  March 4, 2009 8:00 am - 5 Comments
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  Cold Medicines- why not protect our children? - by frog

  
  
  
  Good on the UK authorities for ordering warning labels on cold medicines that have been linked to disastrous side effects. The warnings say that the medicines can’t be given to children under 6 and shouldn’t be given to under 12s. I think it’s really worrying that over here our Government is dithering and taking a wait [...] read more
  March 3, 2009 3:57 pm - 25 Comments
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  The Tale of Sheriff Garrett and his Judge Dreddful Law - by frog

  
  
  
  I reckon new ACT MP David Garrett has been inspired by the George Bush/Dick Cheney/Donald Rumsfeld school of lawmaking when he drafted his “three strikes and you’re out” law. When told that his bill may breach the Bill of Rights Mr Garrett apparently suggested the Bill of Rights should be amended not his law.This is [...] read more
  March 3, 2009 2:41 pm - 24 Comments
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  Continue fishing? Avoid killing seabirds - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Seaweek provides a chance to reflect on the precarious situation of sealife above the waves – our endangered seabirds. They still die in unacceptable numbers as fishing bycatch. In New Zealand waters, up to 10,000 albatross and petrels drown on tuna long lines each year. An inspiring story from South Africa last week pointed to an [...] read more
  March 3, 2009 11:52 am - 4 Comments
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  Lester Brown on the challenge to save civilization - by frog

  
  
  
  The following YouTube clip is Part 1 from a recent lecture Lester Brown gave on Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization and will take you into the heart of the Plan B message. The presentation was to the Chemical Society of Washington on May 8, 2008. Lester, who is President of the Earth Policy [...] read more
  March 3, 2009 8:00 am - 9 Comments
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  Three strikes bill gets two warnings, one more and it’s out? - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Chris Finalyson, Attorney General has released the Bill of Rights report on the Three strikes and you’re out (Sentencing and Parole) bill. It won’t surprise you that the Bill fails the vet. The NZ Herald reports that there is an “apparent inconsistency” with the section of the Bill of Rights protecting New Zealanders against cruel, degrading [...] read more
  March 2, 2009 2:46 pm - 41 Comments
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  No Minister! Sir Humphrey Can Recycle Too - by frog

  
  
  
  The Sir Humphreys of the Beehive need to do their bit for recycling *****Good investigative digging from the Herald on Sunday has unearthed the shocking news that the Environment Minister Nick Smith thinks it is a “horror story” that senior bureaucrats may be taught how to recycle their garbage! “I’ve heard horror stories of senior [...] read more
  March 2, 2009 12:46 pm - 8 Comments
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  Tourists welcome, but don’t breathe or drink! - by frog

  
  
  
  While the media have been awed by the novelty of besuited brainstorming at the Job Summit on Friday, there seems to be a lack of comprehension as to what some of the ideas might actually mean. To be fair, the Government is also going away to consider the ideas – they’re not constructed in carbon-intensive [...] read more
  March 2, 2009 10:58 am - No Comments
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  It’s Seaweek! - by frog

  
  
  
  This week is Seaweek – when we both celebrate our ocean diversity and, hopefully, get serious about the immense threats that persist. In the sub-Antarctic islands we have a large marine reserve with amazing endemic species like Campbell Island teal (the world’s rarest duck) and Hooker’s Sealions. Dozens if not hundreds of the latter are [...] read more
  March 2, 2009 9:46 am - No Comments