Archive for March, 2011

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  General debate, March 13, 2011 - by frog

  
  
  
  I’m sure all our thoughts are with the people in Japan at the moment. Let’s hope the already horrendous loss of life and destruction is not compounded by meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. read more
  March 13, 2011 6:18 am - 107 Comments
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  The Welfare Working Group and benefit cuts by stealth - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The Welfare Working Group wants to force beneficiaries to work, but proposes to pay them less if they do so. At page 107 of the Welfare Working Group’s report (PDF) the Group proposes changes to benefit abatement – i.e. the way benefits are reduced in response to income earned by the beneficiary. Currently there are [...] read more
  March 12, 2011 7:45 am - 30 Comments
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  International Year of the Forests - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Last night I went to an event at Parliament to acknowledge the International Year of the Forests. It was attended by forestry interests with diverse agendas, from preservation of the indigenous ecosystem, to selling logs to China. I was heartened by the unanimity in calling for the Minister to ban the import of illegal and [...] read more
  March 10, 2011 3:10 pm - 2 Comments
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  Europe moves to tax all financial transactions - by frog

  
  
  
  The European Parliament is backing a tax on financial transactions — a ‘Robin Hood’ style Tobin tax that could raise as much as $200 billion euros a year from banks for addressing world poverty. The move was one of several to ensure banks take their share of responsibility for the global financial crisis. The decision [...] read more
  March 10, 2011 2:58 pm - 53 Comments
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  The Welfare Working Group and faith-based job creation - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Buried at page 53 of the Welfare Working Group’s report is this extraordinary statement: “…the total number of jobs will expand to equal the number of people who are available and actively seeking work.” read more
  March 10, 2011 11:05 am - 134 Comments
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  Where’s the plan? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Today the UK Government released its draft Carbon Plan containing some 130 actions and targets to reduce emissions. With petrol prices nearing record highs, UK Energy Secretary, Chris Huhne, said Britain had no option but to speed up efforts to move away from oil. “Getting off the oil hook is made all the more urgent [...] read more
  March 9, 2011 6:12 pm - 13 Comments
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  US pressures NZ to tailor legislation for trade access - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  According to a report from Radio NZ, a (nameless) United States congressman was happy to tell delegates that if New Zealand wanted to get anywhere with the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement then we may need to alter our intellectual property laws. read more
  March 9, 2011 5:00 pm - 6 Comments
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  The Government’s generosity to private broadcasters - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Interesting to see that the Cabinet Minister most closely aligned with Media Works, Stephen Joyce, has apparently approved a generous deferral of payments worth $43 million to Media Works to enable it to renew its license fee for the next twenty years. Mr Joyce was the founder and owner for 18 years of Radio Works [...] read more
  March 9, 2011 11:18 am - 35 Comments
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  Issues facing the internet – online videos - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  A couple of weeks ago InternetNZ interviewed me as a part of their Net Talk series.  In the videos below, I’m speaking with Vikram Kumar, the CEO of InternetNZ, on issues facing the Information Technology sector. In the first video, we discuss social media and politicians, the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill and international [...] read more
  March 9, 2011 11:18 am - 3 Comments
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  Wider motorway or marine reserve? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Last weekend I visited the Motu Manawa Marine Reserve as part of Sea Week. I was there to help Forest and Bird and Friends of the Whau with a boat based clean up of the marine reserve. As you can see from the photo below we collected a lot of rubbish – especially given that [...] read more
  March 9, 2011 9:52 am - 8 Comments
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  Michael Moore – ‘America Is NOT Broke’ - by frog

  
  
  
  “Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you’ll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It’s just that it’s not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich.” read more
  March 9, 2011 9:45 am - 30 Comments
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  General debate, March 9, 2011 - by frog

  
  
  
  read more
  March 9, 2011 8:28 am - 88 Comments
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  Good on Maersk for greening shipping - by frog

  
  
  
  Props to Danish shipping giant Maersk, who has taken another step towards increasing the sustainability of their business by introducing low-sulphur fuel in New Zealand (and world-wide). This is a great step that will cut sulphur oxides and particulate matter from their ships. Maersk has also taken significant steps to reduce carbon emissions by slowing [...] read more
  March 8, 2011 5:52 pm - 18 Comments
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  New G-G welcome, but selection process questionable - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  From my experience Jerry Mateparae is a decent fair-minded chap. It is hard to judge how he will go as the new Governor-General because I have heard him speak only in his recent role as Chief of Defence Force. He’s tended to steer away from anything particularly controversial. I’m not sure his official speeches are [...] read more
  March 8, 2011 5:35 pm - 9 Comments
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  International (Working) Women’s Day - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Today is the day we salute the efforts of women everywhere for equity and justice for our gender and as workers. This year, our hearts and thoughts start and finish with women in Christchurch. I spent the weekend door-knocking on the streets of Aranui, Wainoni and New Brighton which are all low-income areas hit hard [...] read more
  March 8, 2011 2:56 pm - 7 Comments
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  The Welfare Working Group and the injection - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  As reported on Morning Report yesterday, the Welfare Working Group report makes a startling – indeed deeply frightening – recommendation to link contraception to sole parent benefit receipt. The report says on page 15: We have heard a concern among some people that setting a work expectation for parents when their youngest child reaches three [...] read more
  March 8, 2011 9:23 am - 29 Comments
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  Supermarkets explain cheap booze at hearings - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Foodstuffs New Zealand, New Zealand’s largest supermarket chain, admitted to a select committee hearing this morning, that it puts a mark-up of between 1 and 10% on alcohol that it sells in its supermarkets. This is in sharp contrast to the 100%-500% mark-up that supermarkets put on fresh fruit and vegetables, according to a Green [...] read more
  March 7, 2011 4:59 pm - 51 Comments
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  Door To Door in Christchurch - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  A woman is standing alone watching her neighbours packing mattresses into a trailer. She tells her children to hug the neighbour’s children. They’re moving permanently to Rotorua. The woman starts to cry as she tries to tell us how frightened she is at night in the dark street and now her neighbours have gone. I [...] read more
  March 7, 2011 10:27 am - 71 Comments
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  Heroes (Heroines) I Have (Recently) Known - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  A hero(ine) is defined as a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for one’s brave deeds and noble qualities.  I know, now, who they are and why. Let me count the ways. We have become, in Christchurch, a tale of two cities. Out west, we are relatively unaffected and seek to help.  In the [...] read more
  March 6, 2011 10:58 am - 2 Comments
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  Lows and Highs in Christchurch - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  Last week I spent some time in Christchurch, with family and friends, and went door-to-door distributing food and advice with the Green team in the hard-hit suburb of Aranui. Everyone is suffering trauma of one sort or another. My friend, who was in the Cathedral Café when the rocks came down. My relations with badly [...] read more
  March 5, 2011 5:09 pm - 5 Comments