by frog
I thought I’d reproduce Russel’s press release in response to the news that US President Barack Obama is going to Copenhagen next month.
The more time goes by, the more John Key is sticking out like a sore thumb with his refusal to attend.
Jeanette and Kennedy will be there for the NZ Greens – and as Russel cheekily suggested, they’re happy to help John Key find accommodation if he’s stuck at such late notice!
Of course, I think the real reason he’s not going must be that he’s ashamed to have to defend the fact that New Zealand has just weakened its response to climate change at a time when the rest of the world is stepping up to the challenge.
With the news this morning that US President Barack Obama will briefly attend the Copenhagen Climate talks next month, there really is no excuse for John Key’s continued refusal to join other world leaders there, Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said today.
“Our Green MPs Jeanette Fitzsimons and Kennedy Graham will be attending the talks, and I urge John Key to join them,” Dr Norman said.
“Obviously it’s pretty late notice. I’m sure Jeanette and Kennedy can help him find a couch to doss down on if he’s stuck for accommodation.”
Dr Norman said it would be embarrassing for New Zealand not to throw the weight of our highest office behind the talks like the US is doing.
“Of course the real reason Mr Key is still refusing to attend might be that he’ll have to defend the incredibly weak, watered down ETS that his Government rammed through the House in urgency yesterday.
“New Zealand’s record on climate change has been criticised in the international media recently, and it will only get worse if Mr Key doesn’t follow President Obama’s lead and front up at Copenhagen,” Dr Norman said.
Published in Environment & Resource Management | Media | Parliament by frog on Thu, November 26th, 2009
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/us/politics/26climate.html?_r=1&ref= global-home
I always thought “20 by 20″ and “50 by 50″ had a tantalising advertiser’s ring to it – but, no matter how clunky, 83 by ‘50 sure sounds much better!!
Like or Dislike:
4 
0 (+4)
John Key will shrivel with envy!
Like or Dislike:
7 
3 (+4)
Wonderfull, wonderfull Copenhagen will be all booked out with it’s posh hotel accomodation so Mr. Key had better make up his mind or he could miss out!!
But Failing that there is still hope before dossing down with the Greens, there should plenty of accommodation at a few of Copenhagens caravan parks!!!!
Like or Dislike:
3 
2 (+1)
The USA actually promises a 2% cut (on 1990 levels) by 2020 and increase it to 17& by starting from 2005.
Maybe we should offer a 50% cut by 2020 – based on factoring out a 25% population increase over the period 25 + 25 = 50 …
Like or Dislike:
2 
1 (+1)
China has unveiled its first ever firm target for limiting greenhouse gas emissions, two weeks before a global summit on climate change in Copenhagen.
Beijing said it will aim to reduce its “carbon intensity” by 40-45% by the year 2020, compared with 2005 levels.
Carbon intensity, a measurement unique to China, is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each unit of GDP.
But experts say it will not necessarily mean an overall emissions cut as China’s economy is growing so rapidly.
The BBC’s Quentin Sommerville in Beijing says this is a commitment to make Chinese factories and power plants use fuel more efficiently and get better results, producing fewer greenhouse gases.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8380106.stm
Like or Dislike:
1 
1 (0)
Carbonhagen
That’s funny. Wish I’d thought of it!
Like or Dislike:
2 
1 (+1)
I think Geoff Keey also presents another piece to the puzzle.
Geoff, I think, might be crediting Key with too much brains in suggestion that Key is mimicking the US signal-sending strategy by depending on who it is that turns up: if it were Key, the New Zealand has something to offer, but since its the underlings, New Zealand is there to make demands.
Yep. And just as likely is that “Brand Key”, the PR confection that is our Prime Minister, is quite likely to end up looking like the gormless goober that he is. Far better he snuggle up to QEII and get his tickle under the ear for perpetuating the colonialist “our betters” class system.
We shouldn’t be surprised, of course. John Key told us he had no intention of doing anything about the environment for at least the next ten years.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0 (+1)
Blip: ‘Key told us that he had no intention of doing anything about the environment for the next ten years’.
Was that statement made before or after the last election?
Like or Dislike:
2 
0 (+2)
Copenhagen, Key, dork!
Like or Dislike:
2 
2 (0)
What a great shame and huge embarrassment it is that we have to pressure our Prime Minister to attend the Copenhagen meeting and even more embarrassing that the Prime Minister of the time is the gormless John Key! What a cruel twist of fate that it’s someone like him leading our country at the time that this important moment came around.
Like or Dislike:
2 
1 (+1)
Jim gets something right.
Hon Jim Anderton
Member of Parliament for Wigram
Progressive Leader
30 November 2009
Media Statement
Key weak on Copenhagen
John Key’s is being weak and indecisive over whether to go to Copenhagen for a global conference on climate change, Progressive Wigram MP Jim Anderton says.
“The prime minister is displaying an absence of leadership. He is saying he will only go if the conference is going to be a success. He is therefore accepting his presence is incapable of making any difference to whether it is a success or not.
“This is a failure of leadership. He should accept his share of responsibility for helping to make a difference.
“Instead, the prime minister is making an art form out of not doing anything.
“If he does flip-flop and decide to go, it will only be to make a photo opportunity out of associating himself with a success he has had nothing to do with.
“But his big subsidies for big polluters make him irrelevant anyway.”
Like or Dislike:
3 
1 (+2)
Correct. New Zealand does not matter.
Like or Dislike:
0 
7 (-7)
Correct. His presence is incapable of making any difference. A good Prime Minister would make a difference.
Like or Dislike:
4 
0 (+4)
Key is lame. A bag of dither.
Like or Dislike:
2 
1 (+1)
NZ makes no difference. To think that the world would be led by us is ridiculous.
We are as influential as Kentucky. Actually, less so, because we’re located at the bottom of the world and they are better connected.
Puerto Rico, perhaps. When were you last led by Puerto Rico?
Like or Dislike:
1 
8 (-7)
actually, the idea of the world being led by New Zealand on this issue is a fiction promoted by Labour and National (Labour arguing for it, National against) to distract attention from the fact that we’re not even doing our bit.
Like or Dislike:
5 
1 (+4)
It doesn’t matter what we do, the ETS is a crock. It’s a paper shuffling exercise and the fact we’re playing any part in it just shows how led (down the garden path) we are.
Good for a photo op. Nothing more. Pointless.
Like or Dislike:
1 
9 (-8)
‘little keys’, those who hold the same short-sighted views that ‘big key’ holds, are similarly bags of dither.
Their wishy-washy, defeatist dithering invites sharper thinkers, who would exploit any vagueness, to give our economy a good rolfing.
Like or Dislike:
1 
1 (0)
The government do what the people want. Most of the people don’t want to pay for green-ness, which is why the Greens float between 4-7%. .
You haven’t convinced people.
BTW: I see there is no more talk about Greens “punching above their weight”. Yet, ACT and the Maori Party are.
It’s just an MMP thing, huh
Like or Dislike:
0 
6 (-6)
BP
A competent LEADER leads people even when they are not necessarily his or her people. Key is a smiling assassin. He prefers NOT to be recognized as such.
The real reason he won’t go to Copenhagen is that he’d almost certainly get this treatment.
http://www.bitstorm.org/gates/
…from someone who knows him for what he is (which would be just about anyone in the environmental movement anywhere on the planet)
The thing is that what he does (or has done by others) and what he says are different. To a degree that is more pronounced than is usual, even for a politician.
respectfully
BJ
Like or Dislike:
1 
0 (+1)
Cream Pie!
Why does that seem to suit Key’s dopey, grinning visage so well???
Like or Dislike:
2 
1 (+1)
No politician in NZ will commit political suicide.
Went to a client presentation at Gareth Morgan Investments last night. Morgan recalled a working group report he made to Cullen.
Cullen agreed that it was excellent.
Morgan, rather taken aback, said “so, are you going to implement it?”.
“Of course not”, replied Cullen, “that would be political suicide!”.
“But isn’t that your job?” replied Morgan. “To do what is best for the country?”
“My job is to give the people what they want”, replied Cullen.
Morgan replied “But this is advanced economics, the people don’t understand it”
“That”, replied Cullen with a grin “…is your job”.
That’s about the size of it….
Like or Dislike:
2 
3 (-1)
I’d expect such childishness from the green movement. They can’t win the argument with *the people*. Remember them? They voted for Key because they thought he could manage the economy. Seems to be doing an ok job in that respect.
They didn’t vote for you because – quite rightly – they know you can’t.
Like or Dislike:
0 
4 (-4)
“That”, replied Greenfly with a grin “…is our job”.
Like or Dislike:
2 
0 (+2)
The torpid Key.
We’ll snooze our way through it.
He’s relaxed, we’re relaxed.
Damn the torpedoes.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
The Stan Laurel grin, that’s the cream-pie attracting factor!
Like or Dislike:
2 
0 (+2)