Posts by Gareth Hughes

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  Can’t or won’t? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  On Tuesday, Steven Joyce, Minister of Economic Development and Science and innovation, wrote about the ‘you cant’s’ of our country, in an opinion piece in the NZ Herald. Feeling that perhaps I am one of those people he criticises as ‘people who in the one breath chant “more jobs, more jobs” and then in the next breath say “but don’t do that, or that, or that”, I thought I would ask Mr Joyce a few questions about why he and... read more
  February 10, 2012 2:11 pm - 12 Comments
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  The best way to oil independence is to provide alternatives and use less - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Ministry of Economic Development’s Briefing to the incoming Energy Minister predicts New Zealand could become a net exporter of petroleum by 2030 if new oil fields are developed. It’s a laudable goal to reduce our expensive dependence on foreign oil but it would be a lot smarter to invest in alternatives like better public transport, renewable electricity and sustainable alternative fuels. read more
  February 3, 2012 10:14 am - 30 Comments
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  Energy Strategy to worsen Energy Outlook - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Ministry of Economic Development have released their Energy Outlook for New Zealand and it should be a wake-up call for the Government. The report projects New Zealand’s future energy supply, demand, prices and greenhouse gas emissions but the major challenges identified in it are at odds with the Governments ‘drill it, mine’ fossil-fuel-focused Energy Strategy. read more
  January 30, 2012 12:34 pm - 45 Comments
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  Easy to to have your say on EEZ Bill - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Submissions for the Government’s new bill regulating the Exclusive Economic Zone close this Friday and we need as many as possible to help improve this law. read more
  January 25, 2012 2:14 pm - 1 Comment
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  Labour should join call for immediate moratorium on fracking - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Today Labour renewed its call for an investigation into hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’, and its implications for New Zealand. Considering Labour’s concerns, they should commit to backing the call for an immediate moratorium, the only way we can safeguard our rights to clean water and air and a safe environment read more
  January 25, 2012 11:40 am - 13 Comments
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  SOPA: Web victory or strategic withdrawal? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  It was incredibly inspiring to see the Internet mobilise to oppose the two draconian online copyright bills going through the US House and Senate. Whilst it was a victory it’s still too early to see if it will be enduring read more
  January 24, 2012 2:39 pm - 5 Comments
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  Trans Pacific Partnership to impact Kiwi books - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  According to a leaked draft of the proposed intellectual property chapter, the TPP would require countries (such as Canada, Japan and New Zealand) that meet the international copyright term (standard of life of the author plus 50 years) to add an additional 20 years to the term of protection. read more
  January 24, 2012 11:34 am - 21 Comments
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  Internet goes on strike (why this blog is black) - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Green Party is blacking out their website for an hour today to protest the Stop Internet Piracy (SOPA) and PROTECT IP (PIPA) Acts currently debated in the US because of its impacts on New Zealanders access to a free and open Internet and online businesses. read more
  January 18, 2012 10:40 am - 18 Comments
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  Southern Ocean whaling, send in the navy! - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I’ve been calling on the Government to send an offshore patrol vessel for a while now to monitor the whale hunt, to ensure the safety of all vessels down there and to ‘bear witness’ to this environmental crime but the Government has consistently refused to act. read more
  January 16, 2012 3:17 pm - 19 Comments
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  Save our amazing sea lions - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  These are amazing animals that deserve our protection not bad regulations that push them closer to extinction. read more
  January 16, 2012 2:18 pm - 2 Comments
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  Jung Woo 2 and Sparta have no place in the Last Ocean - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Jung Woo 2 is now the third ship to come to grief in the Ross Sea in little over a year and should serve as a wakeup call for the Government to close off the Ross Sea as a Marine Protected Area. read more
  January 12, 2012 10:16 am - 2 Comments
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  More problems with Skynet - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  It is becoming more apparent every day that providing legal alternatives to file-sharing would have been more effective, easier and cheaper than the cumbersome, complex and ultimately futile Skynet Law. read more
  January 10, 2012 2:40 pm - 11 Comments
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  Keep the Coal in the Hole Summer Festival - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The main target is lignite coal mining in Southland an issue the Greens have been strong in opposing. Lignite is bad for the environment and our economy instead we should be pursuing modern renewable energy solutions, not 19th Century coal. read more
  January 9, 2012 12:15 pm - 7 Comments
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  Protect our critically endangered New Zealand sea lion - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I was fortunate to see some sea lions in the wild yesterday on the Otago Peninsular as I launched our push to protect these critically endangered animals. Along with sea lion expert Dr Bruce Robertson and Sea Lion Trust Chairman Stephen Broni, I launched an online submission that people can send to the Government urging [...] read more
  December 19, 2011 5:39 pm - 7 Comments
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  Patents, Pacific Partnerships, and (com)puters - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Have a read of this interesting opinion piece on NBR about the ramifications the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) will have for software patents in New Zealand. I think the most interesting part that Paul Matthews hits on is that by signing the TPPA, New Zealand law could be overridden. New Zealand recently completed a [...] read more
  December 14, 2011 4:11 pm - 3 Comments
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  Survey shows we can turn around low voter turnout - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The final election results were released over the weekend bringing with them some good news and some bad news. The good news: the Greens achieved a record result, including our bonus 14th MP Mojo Mathers. The bad news: official voter turnout was only 74.21%, the lowest in over 100 years. This record low voter turnout [...] read more
  December 12, 2011 5:37 pm - 16 Comments
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  New report on ‘New Media’ - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Law Commission have today called for submissions on their latest issue paper The News Media Meets ‘New Media’. The paper is a thorough look at the state of how media, blogs, social media, and such are currently regulated, what the loopholes are, and it gives suggestions for where the Government may want to change [...] read more
  December 12, 2011 12:38 pm - 2 Comments
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  Minister should come clean on uneconomic motorways - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  What does the Minister have to hide on his expensive motorways? read more
  December 7, 2011 2:07 pm - 2 Comments
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  Swiss copyright report on time - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Swiss Government has just completed a new copyright report where the overall conclusion is that the current copyright law, under which downloading copyrighted material for personal use is permitted, doesn’t have to change. As Cory Doctorow points out “It’s a rare victory for evidence-based policy in a world dominated by shrill assertions of lost [...] read more
  December 6, 2011 9:52 am - 7 Comments
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  Bringing Parliament to the people - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Thanks to social media, it’s much easier for people in the community to engage with their politicians. Instead of holding their hands up in long town hall meetings, they can just log in to Facebook or Twitter and tap a few keys. This is why we at the Green Party take social media seriously. It’s [...] read more
  November 25, 2011 12:46 pm - 4 Comments