Archive for July, 2010

  • Keith Locke

    Refugees won’t be booking cruise liners to NZ - by Keith Locke



    John Key made millions by trading currencies, but he doesn’t seem to have a good grasp of business principles when it comes to the economics of boat people coming to New Zealand. read more
    July 16, 2010 11:49 am - 19 Comments
  • frog

    Second strike for private prison corporation - by frog



    There have now been two damning reports on G4s running of prisons and detention centres in the last couple of weeks.   G4S is a multinational private prison corporation that is in the bidding to run Mt Eden– Auckland Central remand prison.  This week – the British Chief Inspector of Prisons found that the G4S run Gatwick [...] read more
    July 16, 2010 10:43 am - 5 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Win-win option for Wairarapa water - by Russel Norman



    I spent Wednesday in the sunny Wairarapa checking out a plan for a cool-sounding irrigation scheme. Masterton District Council (MDC) is due to make a decision next month about how it will upgrade its wastewater facilities. At the moment, 100 percent of the town’s sewage is pumped (after treatment) into the Ruamahanga River, which pleases [...] read more
    July 16, 2010 10:36 am - 1 Comment
  • Catherine Delahunty

    Underground Mining – Yeah Right - by Catherine Delahunty



    Yesterday I went up on a beautiful mountain, Te Aroha, which forms the stern of the Hauraki waka. High on this mountain is a “small” abandoned mine site which is in fact a series of visible scars overhanging the small town of Te Aroha on the plain below. read more
    July 16, 2010 6:57 am - 8 Comments
  • frog

    Google Earth – climate change edition! - by frog



    The UK government has made a simple Google Earth overlay which shows the effects of a 4 degrees rise in temperature. It shows which areas will increase in temperature the most, and highlights areas where particular issues will be most prevalent. read more
    July 16, 2010 5:11 am - 2 Comments
  • frog

    National reveals its anti-worker colours - by frog



    John Key’s Government has won a lot of plaudits for being “Labour-lite”, and that has probably helped sustain its consistently high opinion poll ratings. But today the Government revealed its true colours. No more “Labour-lite” – this National-led government has now revealed itself as hard right wing and anti-worker. read more
    July 15, 2010 7:41 pm - 61 Comments
  • frog

    Oil spill deja vu - by frog



    Rachel Maddow has done a superlative job of pointing out the eerie deja vu that is this year’s Gulf of Mexico and Alaskan oil spills. read more
    July 15, 2010 2:25 pm - 11 Comments
  • frog

    Fix the election date - by frog



    Last week two pronouncements on election dates were made: Nick Clegg announced the date of the next general election in the UK, saying the Prime Minister had given up the right to declare when a general election is held. Andrew Geddis of Otago University, commenting on his submission to the Electoral Legislation Select Committee, challenging John Key to come clean on general election dates read more
    July 15, 2010 2:09 pm - 4 Comments
  • Catherine Delahunty

    Cuts to Afforestation Scheme a bad signal - by Catherine Delahunty



    The Afforestation Grants Scheme (AGS), which was first announced in 2007, was created to encourage carbon capture by small forests planted by farmers and other landowners whose entry into the Emissions Trading Scheme can not be guaranteed. Now it has been cut back just when we need more trees planted. Under this scheme the Government [...] read more
    July 15, 2010 9:19 am - 2 Comments
  • frog

    Photo – octopus - by frog



    There’s been alot of attention focussed on the activities of a certain octopus lately – even the plant world has been affected! read more
    July 13, 2010 12:36 pm - 5 Comments
  • frog

    Podcast: Youth Storm Parliament - by frog



    Parliament was overrun last week with young people, not to protest, but here to take part in the 2010 Youth Parliament. They’re impeccably dressed, exceptionally well spoken, and a few of them harbour huge political ambitions. Click this thing to hear from them… Click to play If you’re having problems with our Flash player, try [...] read more
    July 13, 2010 11:35 am - 3 Comments
  • David Clendon

    Behind the scenes at Kiwirail - by David Clendon



    It has been a busy and interesting ‘day one’ of my week’s secondment to Kiwirail, organised by the NZ Business and Parliament Trust.  The idea of the Trust is to give MPs an up close appreciation of the workings of a selected business, and for the business people to get better acquainted not only with [...] read more
    July 12, 2010 5:06 pm - 4 Comments
  • frog

    China’s competitive edge - by frog



    I was bemused by John Key’s statements on China’s ‘competitive edge’ yesterday, during an interview with Guyon Espiner on Q+A. read more
    July 12, 2010 11:25 am - 55 Comments
  • frog

    How often does oil get spilled? - by frog



    Everyone is watching the gulf of Mexico with horror after the Deepwater Horizon spill, a spill that started in April and just keeps on giving. Meanwhile, we keep hearing platitudes about how rare this sort of thing is and how safe oil drilling really is. But is it? read more
    July 12, 2010 11:18 am - 13 Comments
  • frog

    General debate, July 12, 2010 - by frog



    read more
    July 12, 2010 6:12 am - 60 Comments
  • frog

    The Rainbow Warrior sinking – 25 years ago today - by frog



    July 10 1985: the French Government sinks the Greenpeace vessel, the Rainbow Warrior, in Auckland Harbour. That’s 25 years ago.  Today,  spare a thought for Fernando Pereira, killed when the boat sank. A cover of Anchor Me was made for the 20th anniversary. It’s a great song and a worthy tribute still. read more
    July 10, 2010 5:19 am - 19 Comments
  • frog

    CTU spot on with submission - by frog



    Submissions to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee about the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill closed last week. Out of the 427 submissions, one of the most interesting and well done was put forward by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions. The submission outlines the problems with defining core services, the emphasis on investing and undertaking [...] read more
    July 9, 2010 10:51 am - 9 Comments
  • frog

    The death knell for ClimateGate - by frog



    Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls (again) for ClimateGate. The Independent Climate Chage Email Review, the third such body to look into East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit (CRU), has released its report stating that their rigour and honesty as scientists are not in doubt. read more
    July 8, 2010 3:38 pm - 29 Comments
  • frog

    The Volunteer Economy – Podcast - by frog



    Check out the latest podcast from Parliament. It’s a goodie. Green Party MP and serial volunteer Catherine Delahunty recounts one of the most entertaining and impressive experiences of a coordinated volunteer programme.  It took a village of volunteers to support a community court case against a mine in the Coromandel, sustained over several months. It’s [...] read more
    July 8, 2010 2:53 pm - 15 Comments
  • David Clendon

    Has Brownlee broken the law? - by David Clendon



    Who owns the oil in our Exclusive Economic Zone? What is at stake is quite significant. Crown Minerals testified to the Waitangi Tribunal in April that the Minister had failed to investigate Te Aupouri’s claim and also confirmed that this might be a violation of international law and the Treaty of Waitangi. read more
    July 8, 2010 2:31 pm - 35 Comments
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