Archive for October, 2009

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  When is ownership not privatisation? - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  The Cabinet made some Key decisions on Monday about ownership of public water supplies but has decided to Hide them. read more
  October 31, 2009 4:59 pm - 36 Comments
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  World Teachers’ Day and a Great Local School - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Yesterday I went with other MPs to ask the Minister of Education not to close a school. She couldn’t comment as the legal review process constrains her but I do hope she was listening. On World Teachers’ Day I want to celebrate the teachers at Aorangi School in Christchurch because they are fighting for the [...] read more
  October 30, 2009 5:45 pm - 3 Comments
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  My Contribution to Movember - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  “Decorating a boiled egg” for men’s health… read more
  October 30, 2009 2:55 pm - 10 Comments
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  Stop bullying Parliament’s workers - by frog

  
  
  
  Parliamentary Service has been trying to force the hard working, poorly paid support staff of Parliament to take cuts to their pay package. These are not the ‘political’ staff – they are the people who do things like security, messenger services, and building maintenance at Parliament. As is only fair, the staff have been resisting [...] read more
  October 30, 2009 1:06 pm - 5 Comments
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  Sue Bradford says goodbye - by frog

  
  
  
  There is so much I could say and and want to say, but Wednesday was Sue Bradford’s day for a last word. Here is her valedictory speech. Kia kaha Sue! read more
  October 30, 2009 10:32 am - 93 Comments
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  Govt takes Green advice on saving Kauri - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  Following my call last week, today the Government has announced it will act to prevent the spread of kauri rot, the didymo of the forest that affects the native kauri tree. The kauri is an evolutionary dinosaur, first appearing in the Jurassic period 195-130 million years ago. It’s a taonga to all New Zealanders. The [...] read more
  October 29, 2009 3:29 pm - 21 Comments
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  A host of cycle signs! - by frog

  
  
  
  The Central Connector is an excellent project that has improved Symonds Street for buses and cyclists alike. City Councils need more funding for projects like these. read more
  October 29, 2009 3:21 pm - 2 Comments
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  Green Oral Question for today - by frog

  
  
  
  In Parliament today, the Green Party’s Questions for Oral Answer (number 3) is from Russel Norman to the Minister of Finance, Bill English: Does he stand by his statement that “water assets will not be privatised as a result of the restructuring” of local government; and if so, how does he reconcile it with Cabinet’s [...] read more
  October 29, 2009 11:42 am - 30 Comments
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  General Debate, October 29, 2009 - by frog

  
  
  
  For those who missed it live, Sue Bradford’s Valedictory speech will be posted later today. In the meantime… read more
  October 29, 2009 11:13 am - 76 Comments
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  Government no better on inequality today - by frog

  
  
  
  After yesterday’s woeful performance by Attorney-General Chris Finlayson on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Green MPs thought they would ask the Government more about New Zealand’s poor  inequality ranking in the UNDP’s Human Development Report 2009. This time Metiria asked Social Development and Employment Minister Paula Bennet what her response to the [...] read more
  October 28, 2009 5:37 pm - 52 Comments
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  Take a break, Kate - by frog

  
  
  
  The Minister of Labour needs to take a break. But instead, she blunders on with a rushed and poorly considered Bill to take away employees’ breaks. This is legislation at its worst – both in process and in substance. read more
  October 28, 2009 3:49 pm - 4 Comments
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  TVNZ plan plainly all wrong - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Obscene is the only word that springs to mind when contemplating the $830,000 salary of the Chief Executive of TVNZ Rick Ellis.   Perhaps it could be justified in some purely commercial enterprise.  But TVNZ is supposed to be a public service broadcaster, which puts the public interest ahead of commercial profiteering. How can New [...] read more
  October 28, 2009 2:12 pm - 17 Comments
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  Love Wild Rivers? Give them your support - by frog

  
  
  
  Cool. Today a new campaign has been launched for one of New Zealand’s most iconic features – our Wild Rivers. It’s great to see diverse groups – tree-huggers, deer-stalkers, bird-watchers, knobbly-kneed trampers, sharp-edged climbers, risky rafters, kool-kat kayakers, and angelic anglers – representing “over 100,000 New Zealanders” and united in seeking to protect wild rivers [...] read more
  October 28, 2009 12:37 pm - 3 Comments
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  Gutting ACC – There is hope! - by frog

  
  
  
  There is hope! Just today, ACC Minister Nick Smith partially backed down on ACC’s proposals for sexual abuse victims to have to be diagnosed by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist as being mentally ill before they can get cover. That has to be great news for everyone else affected by Dr Zachary Nick Smith’s planned [...] read more
  October 27, 2009 7:38 pm - 7 Comments
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  Don’t mention the ‘I’ word - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  The Government showed itself embarrassingly insecure about socio-economic inequality in New Zealand today by refusing leave in the House to table graphs from a recent book called The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better by British researchers Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. Green MP Kennedy Graham asked the Prime Minister if he [...] read more
  October 27, 2009 5:03 pm - 9 Comments
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  How CoOL is that? - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  How cool would it be to know where our fresh food comes from? Green MP Sue Kedgley thinks it makes sense. For years, she’s been pushing Country of Origin labelling (CoOL). She’s just completed a week of action and tells why more and more kiwis are backing this cool idea. Click to play (12:17 mins) [...] read more
  October 27, 2009 4:56 pm - 21 Comments
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  Government asleep at the wheel on inequality - by frog

  
  
  
  Green MP Kennedy Graham just questioned the Government in the House about the fact that the UNDP’s latest Human Development Report ranks New Zealand as the sixth most unequal country among countries with very high human development. He asked whether: the Cabinet had discussed the findings of British researchers Wilkinson and Pickett that “almost every [...] read more
  October 27, 2009 2:57 pm - 13 Comments
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  Chalking Nick in Nelson - by frog

  
  
  
  Chalking the opinion of many on the streets of Nelson this morning and challenging Nick Smith, who welcomed Schedule 4 thus: “This Bill at long last puts some pegs in the sand in some very significant areas of New Zealand and says to the mining industries of New Zealand: “These are no-go areas.”…” read more
  October 27, 2009 2:31 pm - 7 Comments
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  Selected photos from last saturday - by frog

  
  
  
  There is an amazing flood of photos being uploaded onto http://www.flickr.com/photos/350org, from thousands of 350 events all over the world. Here are some of them And from further afield… A truly global movement! See more at http://www.flickr.com/photos/350org read more
  October 24, 2009 10:20 pm - 17 Comments
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  Gutting ACC – National flies true colours - by frog

  
  
  
  National has now openly revealed its plans to privatise ACC – clearly, the Government has been softening the public up for this for a while. read more
  October 23, 2009 2:26 pm - 9 Comments