Posts by David Clendon

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  A precautionary tale - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Following is an extract from Hansard, recording an exchange I had with energy Minister Hekia Parata back in April.  The question was asked at a time when iwi, hapu, environmental groups and others were trying to persuade the government that issuing permits for deep water drilling is a bad idea. David Clendon: What is the [...] read more
  October 10, 2011 9:52 am - 9 Comments
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  Cycling for Habitat - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Last Saturday I went to Botany for what I thought would be a ‘routine’ event, speaking to members of the public and saying some nice things about Habitat for Humanity.  I’m always happy to support this group, who do great work helping people into decent affordable homes. They managed to build about 50 homes for [...] read more
  October 5, 2011 4:45 pm - No Comments
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  Frack No! Sign the Petition - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  A lot of New Zealanders  have not yet heard about hydraulic fracturing (fracking), but many of those who do know something about it are worried, and rightly so! The technique is used to extract ‘unconventional’ oil and gas – that’s industry speak for sources of hydrocarbons that until recently were deemed too expensive or difficult to [...] read more
  September 29, 2011 11:01 am - 16 Comments
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  Corrections fail to correct, justice perpetuates crime - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Two reminders today that this (and  previous) governments’ punitive approach to crime and punishment is failing dismally, at enormous economic and social cost, and it needs to change. The Herald highlights the massive cost of building new prisons, with the proposed Wiri project having cost us over $20 million before construction even begins.  The prison [...] read more
  September 13, 2011 10:01 am - 12 Comments
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  Fiddling about with e-Waste - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I’m  puzzled as to why the Minister for the Environment is so unwilling to use the provisions of the Waste Minimisation Act to deal much more effectively with the issue of e-Waste in New Zealand. Dr Smith has announced today that he is  “…asking businesses to come forward with innovative solutions on how we can [...] read more
  September 8, 2011 9:00 am - 2 Comments
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  Boom times for oil and gas? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  This morning’s  Dominion article about ‘boom times’ for the gas and oil exploration industry is an intriguing, even slightly funny, mix of boosterism, drum beating and dissimulation. The Chair of PEPANZ appears almost breathless with excitement as he seeks to fulfil the primary objective of his organisation, “to publicise, promote and advance the interests of [...] read more
  September 7, 2011 9:59 am - 6 Comments
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  Democracy, secrecy, and good process. - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  On Thursday, Keith Locke and I spent a good part of the day in the House going to bat against the government’s ‘secret squirrel’ bill to amend the Police Act that Frog blogged on earlier .  Our objections to the bill were matters both of process and substance.  I want to comment here just on the process, which was appalling, [...] read more
  August 19, 2011 12:24 pm - 5 Comments
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  Beware “the racial bogeyman!” - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The editorial in this week’s NBR puts an ill-informed boot into Maoridom in a manner that would bring joy to Don Brash – in fact for all I know he may have written it! Under the guise of assessing the membership of the recently appointed constitutional advisory panel, the extraordinary excursion into purple prose seeks [...] read more
  August 12, 2011 5:29 pm - 13 Comments
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  Justice Reinvestment – the high cost of prison - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I took an opportunity yesterday to speak in the Appropriations debate on the ‘moral and fiscal failure’ that is our prison system.  Vote Corrections for 2011/2012 is set at a little over $1.1 billion, about two and a half times what it was a decade ago. That is an enormous amount of money to spend [...] read more
  August 10, 2011 9:18 am - 29 Comments
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  Never mind the facts, give us an opinion! - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  It seems the Far-From-Sensible Sentencing Trust is getting set to launch into another round of tub-thumping about how we are all too soft on crime; let’s lock ‘em up and throw away the key before we’re all murdered in our beds; it’s a jungle out there; etc, etc. Apparently they commissioned some research in May “…on [...] read more
  July 13, 2011 9:18 am - 7 Comments
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  Invest in sustainability or uddermine our future? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Some straight talking from Michael Coote in an NBR (July 1st) article about the Indian economy. Noting the government’s enthusiasm for a free trade agreement with India,  Coote writes that : “The D-word – dairy – cited by Mr Key in in linking together the wonders of free trade with China and India should give [...] read more
  July 11, 2011 9:00 am - 7 Comments
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  Donald Brash, racism, and political advantage - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I almost feel sorry for ordinary members and supporters of the Act party.  Most of them base their support on a shared belief in laissez faire free market capitalism; a preference for a small, ‘non-interventionist’ state; and a form of social liberalism that gives primacy to the rights of the individual. That’s not a worldview [...] read more
  July 9, 2011 8:45 am - 56 Comments
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  ‘Green Growth’ – making it real. - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I’m looking forward to seeing what the Pure Advantage group come up with later today when they launch their campaign “to deliver world-leading improvements to our economy, our environmental performance and the living standards of all New Zealanders”.  I suspect it will be considerably more innovative and better informed than what we saw earlier this week from the government-appointed  [...] read more
  July 7, 2011 3:45 pm - 15 Comments
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  The real costs of Hide’s mismanagement of SuperCity - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Usually we are all a bit pleased if our predictions are proved in time to be right.  But in this instance I would have been happier to be wrong!  Last December I blogged about the train wreck that was already in progress within Auckland City’s staffing, as good skilled people the Council could ill-afford to [...] read more
  May 12, 2011 12:24 pm - 2 Comments
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  Submissions to Auckland Spatial Plan Discussion - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Calling all Jafas! – and all those others who care about the future shape and form of our Queen city.  I have run a couple of meetings this week to inform and encourage people to make a submission to Auckland Unleashed, the discussion document that will influence the Spatial Plan.  There is a lot in the document that [...] read more
  May 12, 2011 11:16 am - No Comments
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  Freedom of expression at Auckland University? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  An extraordinary story has emerged from the usually genteel environment of a University graduation. Auckland University staff went to remarkable lengths, including physical restraint, to try to prevent a graduating student (who also happens to be a member of University staff and the national co-convenor of the Young Greens) from receiving his Master of Law degree [...] read more
  May 4, 2011 11:09 am - 1 Comment
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  Restoring the Kaipara Harbour - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I was really inspired when taking part in a hui at Puatahi Marae on Sunday, an open day for the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group.  The group’s title is a mouthful, but there is nothing complicated about the vision they share, which is to restore the Kaipara, its mauri, its quality and its ecosystems back to what [...] read more
  April 18, 2011 5:58 pm - 1 Comment
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  Proxy voting for Hone Harawira - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The Green Party has agreed to cast proxy votes for Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira. A formal agreement takes effect from today, although we have served as Hone’s proxy on an ad-hoc basis in recent weeks. We are currently casting a proxy for Te Atatū MP Chris Carter as well and the rationale is [...] read more
  April 14, 2011 10:09 am - 5 Comments
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  Productivity gains or party politics? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  This week the Productivity Commission has been given its first task.  The Commission came into being late one Saturday night last December, with the house under urgency, and the Greens the only party in opposition to it. In the first reading speech I said of the proposed Commission : “It could reinforce outmoded, destructive, and [...] read more
  April 1, 2011 12:27 pm - 15 Comments
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  Tertiary education cuts still not healing - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The Tertiary Education Union is concerned that NorthTec is looking to cut positions in trades training at a time when there is already a serious skills shortage.   We can expect the demand for trades people will only increase when the rebuilding of Christchurch begins in earnest, and the development of infrastructure in Auckland proceeds apace, among other things.  I’m [...] read more
  March 31, 2011 1:08 pm - 2 Comments