Busy day for a Parliamentary frog
It’s a big day at Parliament today - not only is the House in sitting again after the summer break, but two protests of interest to the Greens will take place on its steps.
At lunchtime, MPs have been invited to meet a very special visitor - a Great Spotted Kiwi - whose habitat is being threatened by Solid Energy’s plans to mine Happy Valley. As an amphibian, feathered friends don’t usually float my boat, but this time I’m prepared to make an exception, as there aren’t many of these guys left. This one is with the Save Happy Valley Coalition, and Metiria and some other Green MPs are going to meet him at 12 noon.
I’ve mentioned the Save Happy Valley campaign before - protestors are still occupying the site, and their occupation blog makes for fascinating reading.
Then later this evening, the Wellington leg of the SuperSizeMyPay campaign descends on Parliament after rallies in Auckland and Christchurch in the last couple of days. Sue B has been speaking at all of them, and she will meet the Wellington march from Manners Mall at 5pm. Her Private Members’ Bill to abolish the youth minimum wage is gaining traction as this campaign continues, and will be debated in Parliament next week.
What a busy day to be a frog hopping about the place!
February 14th, 2006 at 10:44 am
I do hope that the Youth Pay Rates issue receives favourable progress in Parliament. For me it is about fairness and equity. If a job requires that a teenager will work a similar shift to the adult on the same team then the pay opportunity should be equal.
I do believe that if there is a clearly set out and genuine apprenticeship scheme then different rates will apply. Joy
February 17th, 2006 at 2:19 pm
So, I guess you were all so busy hugging Kiwis that you didn’t have time to stick up for the rights of humans then? Or was it simple cowardice?
http://julianpistorius.com/journal/?postid=123
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I tried to reach Sue Bradford, or any other representative of the Greens. Like the Libz, they supported the Prostitution Reform Act, with Sue Bradford being a particularly strong promoter. The Greens based their support on the principle of harm minimisation - that criminalising prostitution causes more harm than legalising it - which is true.
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When I got in touch with the Greens, they had already been contacted by the NZPC. Though Sue Bradford was very sympathetic, nobody from the Northland Greens wanted anything to do with this hot potato.
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