Archive for May, 2010

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  Both National and Labour must improve their Nuclear-free Act - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Successive NZ Governments, under both National and Labour, have been ambivalent in their voting patterns at the United Nations on resolutions calling for a nuclear-free world. read more
  May 10, 2010 4:40 pm - 18 Comments
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  Vote on a Super City referendum - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  As I blogged last week a new community coalition, Our Auckland, has formed to oppose the creation of the Super City. Our Auckland believe that Aucklanders haven’t been given a fair chance to have a say on the government’s decisions in regard to Auckland. Because of this they’re giving people a chance to vote on [...] read more
  May 10, 2010 11:16 am - 3 Comments
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  This week’s CRACCUM article – mining and rugby - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Last weekend I marched with an estimated 50,000 other people up Queen St to help protect our treasured places from mining. As well as this strong environmental message, I also believe that at its core this march was an expression of concern on our economic vision. Whilst many placards on display communicated the protest simply, [...] read more
  May 10, 2010 9:16 am - 17 Comments
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  A Green victory in the UK against all the undemocratic odds - by frog

  
  
  
  Despite the undemocratic First Past the Post electoral system in the United Kingdom, we have something to celebrate. Caroline Lucas has become the first Green MP elected to the UK Parliament – even under the flimsy excuse for democracy that is  designed, like the US electoral system, to keep the Tweedledums and Tweedledees of unsustainable [...] read more
  May 7, 2010 10:05 pm - 30 Comments
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  Job creation and welfare policies are failing - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Most people spend less than a year on a benefit and use that time to rebuild their lives and education. The few who abuse the system pale into insignificance against losses from failed investment companies, tax evaders and corporate fraudsters. read more
  May 7, 2010 12:13 pm - 27 Comments
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  Cuba’s health care system - by frog

  
  
  
  Here is something interesting to think about – a press release from the Cuban Embassy about their Health System. What Cuba Can Teach Us About Health Care Just a morning’s boat ride from the tip of Florida is a place where medical costs are low and doctors plentiful. It’s Cuba – and Stanford University physician Paul [...] read more
  May 7, 2010 10:33 am - 51 Comments
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  A day to remember as Waikato River Settlement Bill passes into law - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Things must have been fairly quiet in parts of the Waikato yesterday (May 6th).  That’s because an awful lot of ‘the locals’ were in Wellington, filling the galleries and the Grand Hall at Parliament, to witness up close and personal the passing of the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill. It was a remarkable [...] read more
  May 7, 2010 10:32 am - 5 Comments
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  General debate, May 7, 2010 - by frog

  
  
  
  50 Years of Selling America Oil, is a historical comment on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill featured by TreeHugger. Not surprisingly, Big Oil Fought Rules Requiring Equipment To Prevent Blowouts, says HuffPo. From NewScientist, this might help when the fresh water runs out: Cactus gum could make clean water cheap for millions And this [...] read more
  May 7, 2010 6:36 am - 31 Comments
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  Why ignore an 11,000 strong petition for commuter rail? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  As the Campaign for Better Transport reports, last week the National Party members on the Transport and Industrial Relations select committee where I sit, voted to not even consider the petition for a commuter rail service between Hamilton and Auckland. Putting aside the fact that in most countries you might expect to find a commuter [...] read more
  May 6, 2010 2:54 pm - 62 Comments
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  Water and democracy - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Every New Zealander should be worried about Rodney Hide’s latest bill on local government — which will allow our water supplies [DOC] to be controlled and managed by private companies for 35 years, and will force Councils to focus only on ill-defined ‘core business’ [DOC] (which excludes, amongst other things, the environment).’ Multinational corporations are [...] read more
  May 5, 2010 6:40 pm - 18 Comments
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  Paula, Peter and Peter: a perplexing predicament - by frog

  
  
  
  Today in the House, Catherine Delahunty posed a perplexing problem to Paula Bennett. Which Peter was she talking about? Last week, Catherine hit Paula up about the Welfare Working Group and the obvious bias of the people she had appointed. When asked about Peter Saunders’ statement that there is a link between “low average intelligence [...] read more
  May 5, 2010 5:56 pm - 34 Comments
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  Greens seek a halt to tenure review immediately - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  The Green Party is calling for a halt to the tenure review process immediately as critically threatened plants and ecosystems are ploughed into pasturelands and lifestyle blocks. The process must be opened up to allow public scrutiny of the land deals before they go through. Without a clear national vision of how to protect these [...] read more
  May 5, 2010 4:23 pm - 2 Comments
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  A Legal Alternative to a Crippling Compromise on Whales - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  As momentum builds in the campaign to protect our whales, interesting revelations about Labour’s policy have come to light. read more
  May 5, 2010 3:34 pm - 12 Comments
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  Will the Supercity include ‘corporate sustainability’? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Caught up on an interesting discussion on Celsias about the likelihood of ‘corporate sustainability’ positions being included or not at our wonderful (?) new Supercity.   It would be a real shame for all concerned if they are foolish enough to not employ a good team of people who can drive both the new organisation’s ‘in house’ [...] read more
  May 5, 2010 10:10 am - 2 Comments
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  Climate scepticism, Auckland transport and online piracy - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Unless you are a student at Auckland University, you may not be aware that along with Sir Roger Douglas, I write a weekly column for their magazine Craccum. Over the course of 2010 I’ve delved into a number of issues, recent highlights being addressing climate change scepticism and Auckland transport issues. read more
  May 4, 2010 4:46 pm - 14 Comments
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  Stink Jobs: Podcast - by frog

  
  
  
  How does being hypnotised in a brewery or training to be a fleecer prepare you for a life of public service as a Green MP? This week’s podcast is a celebration of work and all the hard jobs people find themselves doing to get by. I asked several Green MPs to describe the toughest jobs [...] read more
  May 3, 2010 3:27 pm - 20 Comments
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  Photo – Poroporo - by frog

  
  
  
  Flower of poroporo Solanum aviculare following a shower of rain. Refreshing! read more
  May 3, 2010 2:12 pm - 2 Comments
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  My speech at Blackball 2010 - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  Each year on Mayday, locals from the small West Coast town of Blackball organise a day of commemoration and celebration of the town’s past, and of political dialogue. For those of you who don’t know, the special importance of Blackball was that in 1908 miners from the town went out on strike to secure “crib [...] read more
  May 3, 2010 12:32 pm - 9 Comments
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  Stop The Mining March, May 1st - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The march against mining Schedule 4 in Auckland was an unqualified success! They say “mine” we say “ours”! read more
  May 3, 2010 10:07 am - 25 Comments
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  Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – link collection - by frog

  
  
  
  A major environmental and economic catastrophe has been unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico for about a week. No one knows how much oil is being leaked or for how long it will leak. It’s Sunday evening so I’m just going to brain-dump the links I’ve been reading this evening and come back to it [...] read more
  May 2, 2010 10:03 pm - 39 Comments