Posts by Sue Kedgley

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  Protest photo punishment too harsh? - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  What was the Speaker thinking about when he came down so heavily on the NZ Herald, just before the election, for publishing a photo on its website of a highly unusual event in Parliament. I wonder whether he had thought through the implications for democracy of preventing one of the major newspapers in New Zealand [...] read more
  October 10, 2011 11:16 am - 6 Comments
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  PM averse to public service radio - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  The Prime Minister is becoming increasingly picky about who he will speak to in the media. While happily fronting a weekly slot on TVNZ’s Breakfast programme, and on Radio Sports, and a one hour special on Radio Live, he has refused virtually all requests for interviews on Radio New Zealand. He has declined 174 requests [...] read more
  October 5, 2011 2:14 pm - 22 Comments
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  Food Bill update from Sue Kedgley - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  So many people have contacted us with their concerns about the Food Bill that I requested a further meeting with officials to discuss these concerns read more
  September 13, 2011 1:13 pm - 56 Comments
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  NZ’ers want proper food labelling - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Survey results released today showing that nearly two thirds of New Zealanders can’t understand food labels and want better food labelling come as no surprise. Our food labels are pathetic and extremely poor by international standards. They are full of information we don’t need, but don’t contain information we do need –such as where food [...] read more
  September 1, 2011 10:42 am - 6 Comments
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  An end to Seed Exchanges? - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  I have had many queries about the Food Bill, with some suggesting it is a ghastly plot to make seed saving and seed exchange programmes illegal, and even activities such as the Willing Workers on Organic Farm systems (WWOOFing). These concerns, unfortunately, were never raised during the submission stage of the bill, when they can [...] read more
  August 5, 2011 12:43 pm - 21 Comments
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  Lobbyist breaches ramparts of NZ Broadcasting - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Barrie Saunders of lobbyists Saunders and Unsworth has assured the Government his firm will forgo other media clients after being appointed to TVNZ’s board of directors for three years. read more
  July 1, 2011 3:37 pm - 2 Comments
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  “Business attire” - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Intrigued by the Speaker’s ruling today that all women MPs should wear “business attire”, I sought guidance from Google. It appears that directing women to wear “business attire” is code for telling women to dress like men. So what I have deduced from the Speaker’s ruling is it is okay for women MPs to wear [...] read more
  June 7, 2011 5:42 pm - 31 Comments
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  Congratulations to Carl for cagey protest - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Carl has been cooped up in a cage for 31 days outside Mainland Poultry in Waikouaiti (just North of Dunedin). Today Carl has flown his self-imposed ungilded cage for hopefully a hot shower and a chance to stretch his legs read more
  April 29, 2011 2:44 pm - 2 Comments
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  Milk ’Investigation’ a creamwash - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  The MAF review of the domestic milk market in New Zealand is a creamwash – which is to say that if it isn’t a complete whitewash it certainly comes close. It fails to address the central issue of the lack of competition in the domestic market. In fact it admits it hasn’t even investigated this [...] read more
  March 15, 2011 12:21 pm - 25 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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  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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  Govt too chicken to help hens - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  The government quietly released the Hen Code of Animal Welfare today (two years late) –probably hoping that no one would notice it amidst all the fuss about Hone and the opening of Parliament. read more
  February 8, 2011 4:44 pm - 25 Comments
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  Food: Community gardens are a great idea - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  I had a wonderful evening last night, speaking about food security and the local food movement at a meeting at New Brighton in East Christchurch. read more
  December 9, 2010 4:57 pm - 15 Comments
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  43 Genetically modified foods in our food supply - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  I have just come across the latest Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) report. The report casually mentions that six new Genetically Engineered foods were approved last year. read more
  November 26, 2010 3:59 pm - 8 Comments
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  Food: UK Govt gets multi-nationals to write policy - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  It’s hard to believe, but this is true. Food corporations no longer have to spend millions lobbying for favourable government policy in the United Kingdom. Instead, they have been invited by the new Conservative government to actually write the policy! read more
  November 24, 2010 4:52 pm - 34 Comments
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  Animal donation comes at right time - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  You would think that the government would also work this out, too, and instead of defending the pork industry board, and the vested interests that want to keep animals in cages, they would take a lead in getting rid of animal cruelty. read more
  November 8, 2010 5:20 pm - 5 Comments
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  Aged Care report launch promotes debate - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  There was a great turn out to the launch of our Aged Care report on Friday, including many in the sector such as the Nurses Organisation, Aged Concern, and the Service and Food worker’s Union, who welcomed the report and its recommendations. read more
  October 18, 2010 3:12 pm - 2 Comments
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  Wellington local body cliff-hanger - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  I could hardly believe it, when the Returning Officer read out the figures—Celia Wade Brown was only 40 votes behind incumbent Mayor Kerry Prendergast! Kerry looked mortified, Celia looked stunned, and the crowd that had gathered in the Wellington Council foyer looked amazed—because there had been no hint, in the media, that the election was [...] read more
  October 11, 2010 4:31 pm - 21 Comments
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  MPs get to experience horror of sow crate - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  It was great to attend a fantastic rally in Parliament yesterday, organised by James Barber and some local animal welfare activists, to protest the continuing use of sow crates in New Zealand. read more
  September 23, 2010 11:24 am - 26 Comments
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  Only a few more votes needed to free the pigs - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  My Animal Welfare (Treatment of Animals) amendment bill was launched today, with the support of all the key animal welfare amendment groups in New Zealand–the SPCA, SAFE and WSPA, as well as the Managing Director of Freedom farms, Gregor Fyfe, and Mike King. My bill will strengthen the Animal Welfare act, and require that practices [...] read more
  September 14, 2010 5:25 pm - 25 Comments