THE ISSUES Archive

Crackdown on overseas borrowers – a real life example - by Holly Walker

One of my pet bug-bears about the annual “crackdown” on student loan repayments that we’ve been experiencing for the past five years since National has been in Government is the implication that it’s lazy students that are being targeted. Student loan borrowers who are eligible to repay their loans are graduates – grown ups! – with complex responsibilities and situations. read more
May 18, 2013 2:51 pm - 3 Comments
How do we create a real golden age in the arts in NZ? - by Holly Walker

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson found himself fighting a losing battle on twitter last night as he tried to defend his hyperbolic claim that New Zealand was currently experiencing a “golden age” in the arts under his watch. So what would create a real golden age for the arts in NZ? read more
May 18, 2013 11:46 am - 3 Comments
Better transport planning needed in Christchurch - by Eugenie Sage

This week in Christchurch I attended a breakfast lecture by visiting planning consultant Todd Litman from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, British Colombia. He was advocating the benefits of “multi-modalism” transport planning – which basically means modern transport planning that spreads the focus over several forms of transport options – cars, public transport, cycleways, and [...] read more
May 17, 2013 1:44 pm - 2 Comments
Health Budget predictions and alternatives - by Kevin Hague

As I write this I am preparing to go into Parliament to hear the Budget, and no doubt to see Government Ministers crowing about “more money than ever before” spent on Health, and ‘brave new’ programmes for this and that. I only get the Budget documents once I’m actually in Parliament, and have to frantically [...] read more
May 16, 2013 1:09 pm - 3 Comments
Green vision for education or charter schools? - by Catherine Delahunty

The Bill that will facilitate charter schools went through the second reading last night. It relies on the Māori Party for support as no one else apart from National and ACT will vote for it. The Bill is a privatisation device to assist education franchises and groups who do not want to be accountable under [...] read more
May 16, 2013 10:38 am - 17 Comments
Hands across the sand opposing risky deep sea oil - by Gareth Hughes

With the Government’s announcement a couple of weeks ago that they are opening up 190,000 more square kilometres to oil drilling, there’s never been so much at stake in the movement to protect our waters, coasts and climate from deep sea oil. And Aotearoa is responding. Opposition to this risky extreme form of oil extraction [...] read more
May 15, 2013 4:30 pm - 59 Comments
Protection Orders - by Jan Logie

Protection Orders are in the media again, after another woman was killed by her ex-partner in breach of a protection order. Protection orders were created by the Domestic Violence Act and are one of the key tools in responding to Domestic Violence. They are issued by the Family Court. The police have also recently been [...] read more
May 15, 2013 4:03 pm - 1 Comment
David vs. Monsanto - by Steffan Browning

Monsanto’s busy lawyers Last Monday the US Supreme Court found in favour of Monsanto over yet another small farmer. Indiana soybean farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman bought some seeds from a grain company, where other farmers drop off their seed. He only wanted to sow cheap seed so bought what he called ‘junk grain’. It was [...] read more
May 15, 2013 3:59 pm - 7 Comments
Bill English – no solution to poverty - by Jan Logie

Yesterday, in reference to the budget Bill English noted “We don’t believe that there is a solution to poverty in general so I wouldn’t expect any large scale intervention”? Goodness. I guess all the work of the Expert Advisory Group on Child Poverty, consisting of much esteemed doctors, and professors and community workers, was for [...] read more
May 15, 2013 3:57 pm - 11 Comments
Power Struggles – by John Small - by Russel Norman

Pasted below is an article by John Small from Covec that was published in the Dom Post a couple of days ago. In it he argues that NZ Power should reduce prices and significantly improve retail competition, and new generation will still be fundable. He further states that there are some important details that need [...] read more
May 15, 2013 10:52 am - 38 Comments
Starfish clothing - by Jan Logie

I was very sad to hear that Starfish clothing is closing down. I’m sad for several reasons. They’re a very local company. They started in Wellington 20 years ago and have been part of Wellington life for all that time including being active in the anti-motorway protests. Laurie Foon is a genuinely lovely woman with [...] read more
May 14, 2013 2:05 pm - 17 Comments
A big week for students - by Holly Walker

This week marks graduation at Auckland and Victoria Universities, where thousands of students, along with their families, will get the chance to celebrate all they’ve achieved. This week is also Budget week, which has historically brought some pretty bad news for students. Last year’s Budget gifts from the Government included: removing access to student allowances [...] read more
May 14, 2013 10:32 am - 3 Comments
Black milestone in climate change reached - by Kennedy Graham

A black milestone in climate change history was reached over the weekend. Concentrations of carbon dioxide, the key ingredient in global warming, hit 400 parts per million of the air in our atmosphere, up from 280 ppm in the mid-18th century when the Industrial Revolution kicked in. Internationally, we are rushing headlong towards disaster – [...] read more
May 13, 2013 2:25 pm - 130 Comments
A motorway to save “dying” Wellington? - by Julie Anne Genter

Recently, to shrug off blame for the Wellington region’s contraction in employment per capita, the government has taken to blaming the city council’s opposition to roading. As I have mentioned before, National has big plans to spend billions (perhaps as much as $5 billion, if we include the $2.4 billion interest on the private loan [...] read more
May 12, 2013 11:55 pm - 72 Comments
General debate, May 12, 2013 - by frog

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May 12, 2013 9:55 am - 31 Comments
Precious kauri need committed action - by Steffan Browning

Kauri dieback disease (Phytopthorataxon Agathis or PTA) needs a solution but this Government isn’t providing it. The relentless killer of our iconic kauri is not waiting and the group tasked with tackling PTA, is lacking a $5 million government commitment to achieve a breakthrough. The famous giant kauri, Tāne Mahuta, and the kauri forests deserve [...] read more
May 10, 2013 4:34 pm - 2 Comments
Christchurch mental health initiative better than “all right” - by Kevin Hague

Seeing images of the extent of the devastation wrecked by the earthquakes on Christchurch was depressing. I couldn’t even imagine how life must be for the people who had to work and raise their families in such tough conditions. So it’s great to see bright splashes of colour with the positive message of caring and [...] read more
May 10, 2013 9:57 am - No Comments
Tui Mine – Healing the Maunga - by Catherine Delahunty

The Tui Mine was abandoned in the 1970s on the side of Mt Te Aroha. It was a small copper and gold mine which left an ugly legacy. The mine’s toxic waste dump was unstable and cracking and the water downstream of the underground mine workings were poisoned by the heavy metals leaching from the [...] read more
May 9, 2013 4:00 pm - 1 Comment
Police murder citizens preparing to protest in West Papua - by Catherine Delahunty

Last week West Papuans suffered more abuse and injustice from Indonesian Police personnel. The 1st of May marked 50 years of West Papua suffering under Indonesian rule. Citizens throughout Papua prepared to commemorate this day, however, events that occurred just prior to this date, typify and highlight the injustices that Papuans have suffered over the [...] read more
May 9, 2013 12:16 pm - No Comments
Pre-pay for recycling: it’s the way forward - by Denise Roche

Today the Government is crowing about their TV Takeback scheme. While I am grateful that TVs are being diverted from landfill, this solution is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. The programme collected 23,000 televisions in the Hawke’s Bay and the West Coast, which cost the taxpayer over half a million dollars. This [...] read more
May 8, 2013 6:01 pm - 10 Comments
Kudos to the Warehouse for pay move - by Denise Roche

It’s great news that the Warehouse is making it a policy to lift wages. This move is partly inspired by the Living Wage campaign. The Green Party has been actively supporting this campaign that would see big employers sign up to pay a living wage. This is the wage that would allow their employees to [...] read more
May 8, 2013 3:44 pm - 6 Comments
“What Does It Take” … to extract climate change action from this Government? - by Kennedy Graham

Yesterday the World Met. Organization released its annual ‘Statement on the Status of the Global Climate’. The report, which investigates the major climate & weather events of the past year, found 2012 to be the 27th consecutive year with above average global temperatures. Global average temperature in 2012 was 0.45⁰C warmer than the 1961-90 long-term [...] read more
May 6, 2013 4:57 pm - 130 Comments
General debate, May 5, 2013 - by frog

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May 5, 2013 7:31 am - 178 Comments
Green activist reportedly killed in Pakistan - by Kennedy Graham

In some parts of the world, the task of standing up for Green values can be dangerous. It was with the deepest sadness that I was advised about the tragic killing of a Green party activist in Pakistan. According to news reports from the Global Greens, a member of the Pakistan Green Party, Mr Shahnawaz [...] read more
May 3, 2013 9:27 am - 4 Comments
GE not our farming future - by Steffan Browning

The Government’s National Science Challenges include an arrogant intention to spend taxpayers’ money on swaying community opposition towards support for genetic engineering. While the jargon loaded Challenge documents are a struggle to read, the message by pro-GE scientists in the primary production section is clear. For the primary production challenge, first on the list under [...] read more
May 2, 2013 4:36 pm - 54 Comments
We need to address bee health - by Steffan Browning

The European Commission has just announced exciting plans to restrict the use of bee harming pesticides across Europe. We need to get the health of bees on the agenda of our Government so that we can protect these vital little insects. I wrote to the Chair of the Primary Production Select Committee yesterday to get [...] read more
May 2, 2013 3:58 pm - 9 Comments
Bad employers get May day bonus - by Denise Roche

It is ironic that the legislation re-introducing youth rates into New Zealand comes into play on a day normally associated internationally with workers celebrating their struggle for better conditions. From today mean spirited employers have an opportunity to push down rates for young workers. One such employer actively cheerleading the re-introduction of youth rates is [...] read more
May 1, 2013 2:08 pm - 24 Comments
Sports missing from Race Relations Commissioner criteria - by Catherine Delahunty

Just checked the Human Rights Act 1993 to see if being a celebrity sportsperson is a criterion for the Race Relations Commissioner, and you know what? It isn’t. The criteria in fact are high falutin requirements that the minister making the appointment needs to consider. They include that the person: a) Has an understanding of [...] read more
April 30, 2013 1:45 pm - 94 Comments
Fight for the living and mourn for the dead: Workers Memorial Day - by Denise Roche

Sunday 28th April was Workers Memorial Day and in Auckland I attended the event that was organised by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions to remember the people in the last year that went to work and never came back. This year’s event highlighted the appalling health and safety record of the forestry industry. [...] read more
April 29, 2013 6:26 pm - 4 Comments
New bill to reinstate postgraduate allowances - by Holly Walker

The Government’s decision in last year’s Budget to remove eligibility for student allowances from postgraduate students has to be one of its most short-sighted decisions ever. For that reason I’ve drafted a member’s bill that would reinstate eligibility for student allowances to postgraduate students. read more
April 29, 2013 1:17 pm - 16 Comments
Hawke’s Bay irrigation saga gets murkier - by Eugenie Sage

The inherent problems with one arm of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) promoting the mega Ruataniwha dam and irrigation scheme while another arm attempts to act like a regional council, came to the fore in a tangled council meeting last week. I attended a presentation by newly established Transparent Hawke’s Bay at the start [...] read more
April 28, 2013 11:53 am - 1 Comment
General debate, April 28, 2013 - by frog

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April 28, 2013 8:24 am - 112 Comments
Waste fund flowing offshore - by Denise Roche

On Wednesday, the government announced it will use the Waste Minimisation Fund to finance a programme to deal with a type of hazardous waste from material that was banned from use in New Zealand nearly 10 years ago. While we absolutely agree with cleaning up hazardous waste we do have some concerns about who does [...] read more
April 26, 2013 2:36 pm - 14 Comments
Toxic agenda bad for farmers - by Steffan Browning

I recently had an opinion piece published in the Straight Furrow newspaper. Here is what I wrote. (note: corrected from earlier post) Toxic agenda erodes green brand Our clean green brand is something we need to fiercely protect, but this Government is effectively eroding it instead. National has gutted the Emissions Trading Scheme and is [...] read more
April 26, 2013 2:23 pm - 2 Comments
Te Kotahitanga – a successful programme is cut - by Catherine Delahunty

For more than ten years a programme has been developed, implemented and monitored that has a proven ability to help teachers work effectively with all students. Te Kotahitanga was developed by Russel Bishop, Mere Berryman and a team at Waikato University to help teachers become culturally responsive and inclusive. More than 40 schools have used [...] read more
April 26, 2013 9:46 am - 2 Comments
Al Morrison’s replacement - by frog

You might have spotted that DOC Director General Al Morrison is moving on. After overseeing job cuts and setting DOC on the track to commercialisation, he is moving on to fill the newly created role Deputy Commissioner Corporate Centre at the State Services Commission. There he will be overseeing the Government’s Better Private Public Services, [...] read more
April 24, 2013 4:22 pm - 5 Comments
Open letter to McDonald’s - by Mojo Mathers

Last week McDonalds United Kingdom announced they are going to source 100 percent of their pork products from Freedom Food’s producers certified by the RSPCA, so I sent this letter to the Managing Director of McDonald’s New Zealand today. We are looking forward to McDonald’s New Zealand making similar commitment here and will keep you [...] read more
April 23, 2013 9:58 am - 13 Comments
Pacific Parliamentary Forum - by Jan Logie

Parliament has been blessed with the presence of political leaders from all around the Pacific for the last few days. We had some great debates and discussions. I just want to gloat about one – the motion to liberalise trade was voted down in favour of an amended motion in support of sustainable development. The [...] read more
April 22, 2013 12:23 pm - 2 Comments
Julian Savea and his rugby management - by Jan Logie

I’m not going to say much. I feel for Julian’s partner and don’t want to make this any more of a public event than what it is now. I do want to challenge his managers though. According to the story on Radio NZ this morning, his managers defended their decision to let Julian play by [...] read more
April 22, 2013 12:22 pm - 3 Comments
Blinkering the watchdogs - by Jan Logie

The Government’s decision to freeze funding for the Human Rights Commission (HRC) until 2020 has resulted in a proposal to cut 15% of staff at the Commission. New Zealand has very few checks on the power of Government and minimal tools to fight discrimination. By the response to the marriage equality bill and widespread public [...] read more
April 22, 2013 10:50 am - 6 Comments