Posts by David Clendon

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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
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  Leave oil before oil leaves us - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  ‘Auckland Unleashed’ is the catchy title of the draft discussion document that will inform the proposed Auckland Spatial plan.  In an earlier blog post I indicated the political battle looming between Auckland’s elected councillors and central Government, who have very different visions for the city’s future. Auckland City’s discussion document makes the case for a compact city, [...] read more
  March 28, 2011 2:34 pm - 29 Comments
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  Who will determine Auckland’s future? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The cabinet papers that Rodney Hide has released relating to Auckland’s Spatial Plan make for interesting reading. It is obvious that this government will attempt to call the tune on Auckland’s development, despite the substantial mandate that Auckland voters gave to their mayor and council just a few months ago. A  discussion document that will in part inform the Spatial [...] read more
  March 21, 2011 4:56 pm - 7 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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  TEC worried about funding cuts - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  There seems to be a disconnect between the expectations and assumptions of the Tertiary Education Commission and what is actually happening in the sector, when it comes to the so-called ‘performance based’ component of tertiary institutions’ funding . We heard from the Commission in select committee today, and were reassured (?) that the threat of [...] read more
  February 16, 2011 2:08 pm - 6 Comments
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  Māori statutory board needs funding to work - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  There have been some predictable howls of outrage about the operational funding approved for the Māori Statutory Board set up under the ‘Super City’ legislation rammed through Parliament by Rodney Hide last year. Apparently the Auckland Transition Agency estimated a budget of $400,000 for the Board’s operation, which has in fact been set at a [...] read more
  February 9, 2011 1:02 pm - 5 Comments
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  Auckland Council staffing strife - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  There has been some trumpeting recently of the ‘success’ of the transition agency that led the amalgamation of eight councils into the one Auckland Council.  It’s is now very obvious that they got it very wrong in managing staff and employment issues during the transition phase, and the remedy for that is going to be [...] read more
  December 17, 2010 9:31 am - 1 Comment
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  Sprawling housing not really cheaper - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  As promised, some further thoughts  about the way Auckland should or could grow. One of Auckland’s biggest problems is housing affordability and any plan to grow the city must address this.  While housing affordability is a serious issue for all NZers, it’s particularly bad in Auckland. Recently I asked the Parliamentary library to do some research which [...] read more
  December 15, 2010 12:08 pm - 20 Comments
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  VSM: a very silly measure - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Last year Heather Roy’s (formally Roger Douglas’) Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill was drawn from the members bill ballot. The bill which was badly drafted when it entered the ballot biscuit tin emerged from select committee still in a shocking state. Tonight it comes back to the house for committee stages and we will [...] read more
  December 8, 2010 7:01 pm - 18 Comments
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  Green ravings = government policy, apparently. - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  My second favourite comic strip is Matthew Hooton’s weekly contribution to the National Business Review. The NBR is a useful read – its political perspective and analysis is generally different from mine, and they break some interesting stories. In the latest (December 3rd) issue, Mr Hooton reveals that, “…everyone from Mr [Trevor] Mallard to Mr [...] read more
  December 6, 2010 8:00 am - 18 Comments
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  No time to take in the view on Waterview - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Things are not looking good for the Environmental Protection Authority. We supported the bill that will properly create the agency but with considerable reservations, and already it is clear that community groups wanting to participate in EPA processes are being hamstrung by the impossibly short time frames allowed to submitters. Here’s a bit of a [...] read more
  December 3, 2010 1:46 pm - 1 Comment
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  How will/should Auckland grow? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The question of how Auckland should grow is one that you can expect to hear an increasing amount about over the next year as the Auckland Council develops their spatial plan. The government has already made their position pretty clear – both through the release of their new document “Building Competitive Cities” and through Steven Joyce’s [...] read more
  December 1, 2010 8:30 am - 46 Comments