Featured Archive

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  The NZ Government on Syria: “not helpful to go into detail; rather wider than I would care to go…” - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Syria is approaching the climax point. The armed forces continue to attack Homs in the name of suppressing the Free Syria Army but, in reality, killing citizens through widespread collateral, if not targeted, damage.  The UN Security Council is rendered ineffectual, again, through use of the veto.  The Arab League’s plan for a controlled and [...] read more
  February 9, 2012 8:27 am - 8 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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  Govt asking the wrong questions on child abuse - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  The Green Paper for Vulnerable Children should be focused on how to address the root causes of child abuse and neglect – poverty and inequality. read more
  January 26, 2012 11:29 am - 60 Comments
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  Good news for landlords, not for renters - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  Hey guys, guess what? GOOD NEWS! TradeMe Property has analysed house rental listings for the last three months and determined that tenant demand is up. The number of enquiries from potential tenants about rental properties in the December quarter was up 13 percent since the same time in 2010. Great news right? If you’re a landlord. read more
  January 18, 2012 12:17 pm - 32 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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  Mojo And Steffan lead Green response to Food Bill - by Mojo Mathers

  
  
  
  In the new Parliament I will be stepping into the size 12 gumboots of Sue Kedgley and working hard on the food portfolio. In the last Parliament Sue Kedgley met with the Minister of Food Safety Kate Wilkinson and sought to exempt small growers, people who sell food directly to consumers, and those who barter [...] read more
  December 21, 2011 11:11 am - 53 Comments
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  Garth George on “Dangerous Greens” - by frog

  
  
  
  The moustachio’d poster boy for knee-jerk conservativism , Garth George, had this wonderfully acerbic opinion piece published in today’s Herald. Now the content doesn’t worry us too much — he’s Garth George: he’s not supposed to make sense, just infuriate. What is worrying however are the striking similarities between Garth’s column and this press release [...] read more
  December 15, 2011 5:31 pm - 79 Comments
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  The Global Affairs Portfolio: Setting the Foreign Policy Agenda - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Following the Greens’ new caucus retreat this week, the list of MP portfolios was announced.  I have relinquished the Musterer’s role and the Justice and Energy portfolios and taken on, inter alia, the new Global Affairs portfolio. This is a new development that builds upon, and refines, the previous foreign affairs portfolio.  It focuses on [...] read more
  December 15, 2011 9:08 am - 19 Comments
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  Workers’ rights in Fiji - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  When the Fijian military rule decided to deport New Zealand Council of Trade Unions President Helen Kelly and her Australian union counterparts yesterday they gave a clear signal that the reports of abuse of workers’ rights and the physical attacks on Fijian trade unionists are probably accurate. Ms Kelly was part of an Australian and New [...] read more
  December 14, 2011 4:15 pm - 12 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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  Thanks for voting Green! - by frog

  
  
  
  It was amazing to watch the votes coming in from around the country on Election Day. We received 10.62% of the vote, which means that we can bring at least 13 Green MPs into Parliament. So a big welcome to Eugenie Sage, Jan Logie, Steffan Browning, Denise Roche, Holly Walker, and Julie Anne Genter. There [...] read more
  November 28, 2011 11:35 am - 76 Comments
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  Make history tomorrow: vote Green - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  It is election day eve and the Green Party has been polling at record highs over the past few weeks. We need your help to turn those polls into seats in Parliament. You can make history tomorrow and get more Green MPs than ever before. A vote for the Greens is a vote for a [...] read more
  November 25, 2011 6:00 pm - 11 Comments
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  World Economic Forum calls for government leadership on green job creation - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The World Economic Forum, a group consisting of the world’s leading corporate citizens, is calling on governments to take the lead in green job creation through the retrofitting of commercial buildings to make them more energy efficient. The report, entitled A Profitable & Resource Efficient Future: Catalysing Retrofit Finance & Investing in Commercial Real Estate, [...] read more
  November 1, 2011 3:00 pm - 7 Comments
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  Europe recognises deep sea oil risk - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  When we asked the Government last year how they would cope with a catastrophic oil leak from deep sea drilling, they proudly touted 400 Maritime NZ responders (over and over). Post the Rena, it is clear that we don’t have the capacity to respond, and yet they still aren’t worried. The Prime Minister thinks a [...] read more
  October 28, 2011 11:08 am - 13 Comments
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  Pictures from Tauranga - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Over the past week Metiria and I have been up in Tauranga. Here are some of the pictures we’ve taken. I was lucky enough to go on a helicopter flight this morning and see the Rena up close. Earlier in the week Metiria was on Motiti Island and got these pictures. read more
  October 21, 2011 11:19 am - 16 Comments
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  Kaimoana, Motiti, and the oil - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Yesterday I was on Motiti Island, where the hapu have borne the brunt of the oil and debris from the grounded Rena. You can clearly see the Rena really from the coast. The hapu are extremely well organised with clean-up crews. They have all the protective gear and they are sending teams out every day. [...] read more
  October 19, 2011 1:31 pm - 14 Comments
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  Rena Oil Spill Day 12 - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Midday at Papamoa Beach Surf Club and the free sausage sizzle is competing with the donated cakes stall. A motley group of citizens is broken up into ten people clusters and decked out in the white overalls and blue rubber gloves. With spades and rakes we are packed off down the beach to start cleaning [...] read more
  October 17, 2011 11:17 am - 8 Comments
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  Rena Oil Spill — Day Six - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Early morning at Mount Maunganui, Mauao wrapped in sea flog. It doesn’t take long to find the stained sands and scattered particles of the oil spill black against the pale sands. People are standing and looking or scraping oil particles into buckets. The Maritime New Zealand call to register as a volunteer has been tried [...] read more
  October 12, 2011 2:27 pm - 80 Comments
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  Mental Health Awareness Week - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  This week is Mental Health Awareness week. The culture around mental health in New Zealand has come leaps and bounds from where it was even five years ago. I congratulate everyone who has helped bring about this culture change and raise awareness about mental health issues, and I thank them for doing so. However, this [...] read more
  October 12, 2011 1:44 pm - 6 Comments
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  Joyce caught lying about Rena - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Last night Steven Joyce was caught out lying about whether the Green Party had requested a briefing from him about the status of the reefed ship Rena and the environmental situation in Tauranga. On Close Up last night, Joyce vehemently denied that any opposition party had approached his office asking for a briefing. Here is [...] read more
  October 11, 2011 11:44 am - 33 Comments