by frog
The big one – March Against Mining – Lower Queen Street
Plus May Day March and J-Day Rally – All happening in Auckland today!
Published in Environment & Resource Management by frog on Sat, May 1st, 2010
Tags: general debate
General debate, May 1, 2010
Published: May 1, 2010
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
I know I’m being lazy, but could someone explain to me where the Liberal Democrats would slot into the Kiwi political spectrum.
My thoughts go out to the foreshore and seabed of Louisiana and Florida. That oil breech looks horrific.
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which sam? the australian ones or the US?(or the English?)
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Poms
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Anchor me!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/3646480/Riverton-gig-one-of-the-best
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“I know I’m being lazy, but could someone explain to me where the Liberal Democrats would slot into the Kiwi political spectrum.”
Taking a look at the Political Compass website and comparing the two charts showing UK Election 2010 and NZ Election 2008, they place the Liberal Democrats a tad to the right of the New Zealand Labour Party.
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According to the Political Compass website, the LibDems are almost exactly where Labour was in 2008.
http://www.politicalcompass.org/nz2008
http://www.politicalcompass.org/ukparties2010
The other thing I find interesting is how UK parties are skewed so much more towards the authoritarian end of the scale. Compare Labour and Labour, or National and Conservative, not to mention the large number of parties on the authoritarian left as well.
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Well there should obviously be an annual Riverton Festival from the looks – it could be nzed’s Stonehenge/Woodstock!!!
Three months of Music, Peace, Love – I can do my man-on-fire act
Which part of the audience were you Fly? – the boisterous or the appreciative (no Law against being both is there?)
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I was amongst those who were appreciative of the boisterousness and boistreous in our appreciation. It was amazing how many of us knew the words and could also hold a tune.
There’ve been festivals here on many occassions, the most famous being ‘Saltwaters’ way back, but the best is yet to come (it’s on the drawing board right now). Midwinter (this coming one) is marked down for a fiery spectacular, featuring a big burn on the delta, with boats (something in the style of a Viking pyre perhaps)
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“This Government have LIED about the valuation of the minerals, they have LIED about the size of land to be mined and they have LIED to us about how much we will actually get from this mining. NO mining in schedule 4 conservation land – it’s as simple as that you stupid, stupid Prime Minister. See you at the protest.”
That Bomber doesn’t mince his words!
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young iwi fella round last nite reckoned he’d studied ‘Woodstock’ at school – somewhat surprising to me – but I pointed out how the ‘Great New Zealand Festival’ was steeped in finery and tradition….three months is a wee bit long..a week’d be ok…have a viking boat – unavailable for burning i’m afraid…still whoaar eh?
Midwinter in the Deep South….Do you get snow?
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Reports are that 50,000 turned out to March Against Mining!
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why did parent’s take their little children along – they’d not know what was happening, get bored and cold and children at a protest never makes anyone think differently – seemed bad parenting…
one silly farmer talked about his illegal practices and one sneeky protester was dragged off by the police at the heed of Mr Parker
the govt also announced new regulations for water use which will be very useful to all except for ACT- 98% regulation of farms water supplies through measuring metres to be sited on their properties, they’ll pay for the privilege of being regulated costing a total of 40 mill and about $3-5000 starter costs with an extra 4-800 a year in the means to provide that .
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Mark,
If someone said to me that they studied ‘Woodstock’ in school I would be thinking that they, like myself, spent their days consuming the bourbon and cola variety.
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Ahem – well -I never considered that….
No fool like an old one – though I’ve seen both ends of
the boozing scale – and it’s no lifestyle boast imo.
No, he’s done it as social study – included the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix etc.
Legitimate in the social sense of first-time, cross-cultural interests.
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“The other thing I find interesting is how UK parties are skewed so much more towards the authoritarian end of the scale.”
Valis, I wouldn’t be surprised – let us not forget that Labour in the UK is in favour of carry on with the identity card scheme, and that would just be one example of social authoritarianism. While I might be a social authoritarian myself, I am not that extreme.
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Looking at the way the UK political landscape has changed is whats most instrutive here.
Back in the 70s the Labour party were left, and Conservatives were right, and the liberals were somewhere near the middle, almost the definition of a centre party. Now both Labour and Conserative parties are both rightish parties, and rather than the more extreme positions of some decades ago, the parties are broadly similar in outlook.
Much the same is true of New Zealand; National and Labour are more similar than different. And if the Political Compass is to be believed, the Greens are ranting socialists
My position on this is that when the parties align as they have done so, they tend to form a new centerist position, that offends both left and right wingers equally. A party like this can stay in government forever, until they screw up and annoy the people sufficiently that they have to go. Happened to Helen, looks like it’ll hapen to Gordon.
But its definitely a case of “Meet the new Boss, the same as the old Boss“
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Don’t hide behind your children at meetings or protests of any kind.
Did the Celts, Vandals, Frisians or Goths turn up for battle with bairns strapped to their chests and backs? No. Don’t do it. Step up, go to the front. Eye-ball the enemy. Talk straight. You will win.
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Tell that to Islam Blowfly, they hide behind Children and Women
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Two thumbs up for the protesters, wish I could have been there!
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@Valis 12:33
I was there, and I would say the 50,000 figure is pretty accurate. As a veteran of the two big Springbok Tour marches in Auckland in 1981 (reported as being between 30,00 and 40,000)and the GE march in 2002 that Russel played a key role in organising, I’d say this was much bigger than any of those.
Beware Gerry! The people are organising to defend our land.
Lots of Green and Labour MPs in attendance, but strangely, none from the Maori Party.
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That was something to see!
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Wow what a turnout!
I guess my cunning plan to level Mt Ruapehu, Ngaruruhoe & Tongariro, to fill up lake Taupo and develop condominiums might have to take a step back.
Hate it when that happens.
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“Beware Gerry! The people are organising to defend our land.”
The question I would like the answer to though is how many of the people opposed to mining actually voted for National in the last election? It is all good and well having these massive protests, but if they are jam packed full of Labour and Green voters, then the government isn’t going to care.
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“It is all good and well having these massive protests”
Yes.
It is.
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I have a new favourite movie!!!
A V A T A R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Hone Harawira’s next on Q+A
(then it’s off for a walk in the wetland, keeping a wary eye out for duck hunters).
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That was a very cheeky remark Paul!
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I like Hone’s response to the question “Why not the same apporach to alcohol as tobacco?”
“Because all you rich guys drink!”
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Panel’s fired-up about the Declaration – Holmes had to cut them short, just as they were starting to hit their straps.
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i agree..sprout..
..that was laugh-out-loud-funny..
..and stopped holmes in his tracks..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
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My family has discovered a new way to express anger and frustration; hissing!
(works most effectively with blue face paint)
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‘because all you rich guys ..’
Hone won’t be short of a dollar himself, will he?
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Interesting that over on Kiwiblog the anti mining protest is being dismissed as a whole bunch of people that didn’t know why they were there or what they were doing.
I thought all the placards and speeches would have given some hint but hey, guess not.
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Fly-True, but Hone doesn’t drink himself and he knows that those who influence decision making won’t want to pay more for their single malts or Pinot.
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Even if the protesters were mainly non-National voters, they may influence those watching and those reading the news who are National voers, so it was worth it.
Trevor.
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That’s true Trevor – and I think National will be acutely aware that there are in fact quite a number of people on these demonstrations who voted National at the last election but who are not dyed in the wool supporters. At the Nelson march last week I saw quite a number of people who I know to have been National voters. In fact in the middle of Nick Smith’s field of vision when he was on stage speaking to the crowd was someone who has been one of his biggest supporters over the years. make no mistake, National’s miscalculation here is hurting them and they know it. What they will now be seeking is a fallback position to which they can retreat while minimising their loss of face.
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Worse than that Kevin, National are handing ammunition to their opposition which will be lobbed at them when election time comes around – the mining, the whaling, the GST lies, Ecan, Auckland, Pita’s Declaration, Nanny-banning of cell phones, cigarettes, votes for prisoners etc.etc. The list has grown very, very long in just a short time. When added up and shown to voters, it ain’t gonna look pretty (15% GST anyone?).
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Yes Greenfly, then we can go back to the red version doing it to us all again.
I am not filled with a lot of hope for the future any more (seriously I’m not)
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Shunda – you’re right in recognising that the red and the blue are one as bad as the other.
Go Green
(you know you want to).
As for the future, it’s up to you (it is!)
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Coastal policy ‘disturbing’
The Government’s views on coastal protection and development are “deeply disappointing” and yet another attack on the environment, a leading green group says.
Environmental Defence Society (EDS) chairman Gary Taylor said Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson’s dismissal of a proposed coastal commission and the time she was taking to publicly release a revised national coastal policy were “disturbing”.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/3648903/Coastal-policy-disturbing
.
pity the Green Party hogs the limelight when the real green groups work so hard.
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Look at this shocking story Frog – can it be true?
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/apr2010/mili-a28.shtml
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Key’s ‘secret’ trip to Afghanistan farsical – Tracy Watkins.
Three people from each of two television channels, Key’s press secretary, journalists from Newstalk ZB and the New Zealand Press Association and a request from a National Party insider with a weekly radio slot and column to ride along in the light armoured vehicle.
What a dick.
These guys say it better.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1005/S00018.htm
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If you’ve not already found it …
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2010/05/more-industrial-dairying-in-mackenzie.html
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makes for bizarre tours with guns – always a bad business.
We are also playing Cricket with Afghanistan in the Westies…
at war with them too?
someone is borrowing my credulity.
One can hardly study History without noting the breathtaking cruelty of world events – too much money changes hands – it’s become Big Business, guess, it always was.
No – should look for more nz sites perhaps…..but the International News is a pretty fascinating assembly, depending on which services you subscribe to.
what, eventually dissembled jh? communism?
Reds, Under the
Bed!
Har – Green my dear fellow – quite Green (where do I get an umbrella?)
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The blog should be a lot faster now, especially the home page.
Please let me know if anything is not functioning how you’re used to.
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Very satisfying Frog.
This is interesting… (lifted from Fartblog)
# Will de Cleene (390) Says:
May 4th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Why on earth would a forestry/ wood products company feel the need to give the Progressive Party (aka Jim Anderton) fifteen grand??
Bryce, I was reading your post on the matter when a large penny dropped. I had been bugged by something Anderton said a couple of week’s ago on NatRad, that Customs aren’t clamping down on cannabis seed imports enough. Anderton was arguing that these seeds of doom were a biosecurity risk to forestry interests, blah blah blah. More worrying for forestry would be getting stuck with the long term planning required for wood production (20 – 30 year grow phase) compared with hemp, if ever that got established in NZ. As potent as smoking pine needles, this annular crop would be devastating to many wood pulp investors.
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Funny!
http://werewolf.co.nz/2010/05/from-the-hood-faster-liberals-kill-kill/
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Good work featuring in this one Gareth!
http://werewolf.co.nz/2010/05/closing-the-books-on-libraries/
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Front Page Stuff
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/3657642/New-farms-destroying-native-NZ
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Greenfly,
The first line of the story kills it stone dead
Unless pre European Maori kept a record of all native that they destroyed, land research cannot know how much has been destroyed by intensive farming since european colonisation.
Poorly written piece full of more holes, it is a typical repeaters frothy latte of nothingness.
Mind you we should keep a track of shellfish to see how much of that is wiped from the sea by the Asian colonisation happining after the European colonisation period.
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Nick Smith:
Wrong! Smith is lying. The Greens were never part of those Governments. The Greens were on the sidelines loudly criticising Labour for its inaction on biodiversity loss. Nick Smith was also on the sidelines then, but we didn’t hear much from him on the issue.
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Gerrit – “Analysis…confirms that agricultural intensification over the past 10 years has led to the highest rate of native vegetation loss since European colonisation’, the Crown research institute’s report says.”
The report has it wrong Gerrit? It’s been ‘killed stone dead”?
The past 10 years haven’t been the worst?
On what do you base your claim?
You might like to comment also, on Federated Farmers dairy chairman Lachlan McKenzies’ comment that,
“It’s been happening since we climbed down out of the trees”.
I know I’m keen.
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That’s right Toad, Smith is lying and not just on that point.
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Since Adam was a cowboy then Greenfly.
Mankind has been destroying the vegatation (bleeding vegans) since they first stood on two legs.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Seeing mankind was not around, I wonder if the “scientists” worked out how many plant species the dinosours (sp?) wiped out.
And the linkage to European colonisation was just a blame game statement.
In other words a feebble fluff piece of drivel.
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Gerrit – semantics, my favourite play-thing!
The point being made, amidst the careless use of words, is that the present ‘agribusiness intensive farming rush’, a great deal of biodiversity is being lost and the rate at which that is happening is of great concern. You say ‘feebble (sic) fluff piece of drivel’, I say,
cause for great concern. Landcare Research feel that they’ve identified a problem – do you believe they haven’t?
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Yes they have seen a problem but the whole point of their pointing out the problem (and possible answers) is lost in the feebble (sp! – no just extra emphasis on the bbbb in feebbbble) fluff of playing the “blame” game by the jounalist repeater.
Marketing and selling the problem plus answers is not a strong point of Landcare Research.
And I note they dont have an answer, thus the use of the blame game to fluff out the piece.
What I was looking for was forthright statement to say that we should not be turning these grasslands into dairy farms.
But instead we get a fluff piece that says nothing.
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“Landcare ecologist Bill Lee said the moves to intensive farming practices during the past decade had “dramatically” wiped out native plants and animals. He said biodiversity losses included shrubs, herbs, lizards and large invertebrates. Fish species had suffered from pollution and loss of habitat through water extraction.”
They don’t ‘have an answer’ Gerrit?
What makes you say that? Is it because none is cited in the article?
I’m very surprised that you get ‘nothing’ from this report. Nothing.
I see plenty.
Curiously enough, it was the major front page story for the Southland Times.
Farming ‘wiping out’ NZ plants
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