David Clendon Archive

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  Invest in sustainability or uddermine our future? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Some straight talking from Michael Coote in an NBR (July 1st) article about the Indian economy. Noting the government’s enthusiasm for a free trade agreement with India,  Coote writes that : “The D-word – dairy – cited by Mr Key in in linking together the wonders of free trade with China and India should give [...] read more
  July 11, 2011 9:00 am - 7 Comments
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  Donald Brash, racism, and political advantage - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I almost feel sorry for ordinary members and supporters of the Act party.  Most of them base their support on a shared belief in laissez faire free market capitalism; a preference for a small, ‘non-interventionist’ state; and a form of social liberalism that gives primacy to the rights of the individual. That’s not a worldview [...] read more
  July 9, 2011 8:45 am - 56 Comments
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  ‘Green Growth’ – making it real. - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I’m looking forward to seeing what the Pure Advantage group come up with later today when they launch their campaign “to deliver world-leading improvements to our economy, our environmental performance and the living standards of all New Zealanders”.  I suspect it will be considerably more innovative and better informed than what we saw earlier this week from the government-appointed  [...] read more
  July 7, 2011 3:45 pm - 15 Comments
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  The real costs of Hide’s mismanagement of SuperCity - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Usually we are all a bit pleased if our predictions are proved in time to be right.  But in this instance I would have been happier to be wrong!  Last December I blogged about the train wreck that was already in progress within Auckland City’s staffing, as good skilled people the Council could ill-afford to [...] read more
  May 12, 2011 12:24 pm - 2 Comments
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  Freedom of expression at Auckland University? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  An extraordinary story has emerged from the usually genteel environment of a University graduation. Auckland University staff went to remarkable lengths, including physical restraint, to try to prevent a graduating student (who also happens to be a member of University staff and the national co-convenor of the Young Greens) from receiving his Master of Law degree [...] read more
  May 4, 2011 11:09 am - 1 Comment
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  Restoring the Kaipara Harbour - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I was really inspired when taking part in a hui at Puatahi Marae on Sunday, an open day for the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group.  The group’s title is a mouthful, but there is nothing complicated about the vision they share, which is to restore the Kaipara, its mauri, its quality and its ecosystems back to what [...] read more
  April 18, 2011 5:58 pm - 1 Comment
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  Risk management and deep water drilling - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  I had a bit of fun this week in the House, asking questions of the Acting Minister for Energy and Resources about some of the safety issues involved in offshore drilling in the Raukumara Basin off the East Coast. The fun came in watching the Minister try desperately to avoid giving a straight answer, which [...] read more
  April 15, 2011 10:39 am - 21 Comments
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  Productivity gains or party politics? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  This week the Productivity Commission has been given its first task.  The Commission came into being late one Saturday night last December, with the house under urgency, and the Greens the only party in opposition to it. In the first reading speech I said of the proposed Commission : “It could reinforce outmoded, destructive, and [...] read more
  April 1, 2011 12:27 pm - 15 Comments
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  Tertiary education cuts still not healing - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The Tertiary Education Union is concerned that NorthTec is looking to cut positions in trades training at a time when there is already a serious skills shortage.   We can expect the demand for trades people will only increase when the rebuilding of Christchurch begins in earnest, and the development of infrastructure in Auckland proceeds apace, among other things.  I’m [...] read more
  March 31, 2011 1:08 pm - 2 Comments
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  Leave oil before oil leaves us - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  ‘Auckland Unleashed’ is the catchy title of the draft discussion document that will inform the proposed Auckland Spatial plan.  In an earlier blog post I indicated the political battle looming between Auckland’s elected councillors and central Government, who have very different visions for the city’s future. Auckland City’s discussion document makes the case for a compact city, [...] read more
  March 28, 2011 2:34 pm - 29 Comments
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  Who will determine Auckland’s future? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The cabinet papers that Rodney Hide has released relating to Auckland’s Spatial Plan make for interesting reading. It is obvious that this government will attempt to call the tune on Auckland’s development, despite the substantial mandate that Auckland voters gave to their mayor and council just a few months ago. A  discussion document that will in part inform the Spatial [...] read more
  March 21, 2011 4:56 pm - 7 Comments
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  Māori statutory board needs funding to work - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  There have been some predictable howls of outrage about the operational funding approved for the Māori Statutory Board set up under the ‘Super City’ legislation rammed through Parliament by Rodney Hide last year. Apparently the Auckland Transition Agency estimated a budget of $400,000 for the Board’s operation, which has in fact been set at a [...] read more
  February 9, 2011 1:02 pm - 5 Comments
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  VSM: a very silly measure - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Last year Heather Roy’s (formally Roger Douglas’) Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill was drawn from the members bill ballot. The bill which was badly drafted when it entered the ballot biscuit tin emerged from select committee still in a shocking state. Tonight it comes back to the house for committee stages and we will [...] read more
  December 8, 2010 7:01 pm - 18 Comments
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  Green ravings = government policy, apparently. - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  My second favourite comic strip is Matthew Hooton’s weekly contribution to the National Business Review. The NBR is a useful read – its political perspective and analysis is generally different from mine, and they break some interesting stories. In the latest (December 3rd) issue, Mr Hooton reveals that, “…everyone from Mr [Trevor] Mallard to Mr [...] read more
  December 6, 2010 8:00 am - 18 Comments
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  How will/should Auckland grow? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The question of how Auckland should grow is one that you can expect to hear an increasing amount about over the next year as the Auckland Council develops their spatial plan. The government has already made their position pretty clear – both through the release of their new document “Building Competitive Cities” and through Steven Joyce’s [...] read more
  December 1, 2010 8:30 am - 46 Comments
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  Another charge from NZTA - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Just came across an interesting little example of this government’s ‘penny wise, pound foolish’ philosophy. Anyone thinking about buying a vehicle has up to now had a handy free service available through www.carjam.co.nz  The site apparently gets about 1.5 million hits a month, so is obviously providing a service that is very much in demand. [...] read more
  November 17, 2010 1:08 pm - 8 Comments
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  What are our MPs listening to? Latest podcast - by frog

  
  
  
  This podcast is inspired by a close encounter with John Key in the Parliamentary gym by one of our staffers, who observed the PM listening to headphones while pounding the treadmill. It got us thinking: what do our MPs listen to? What’s on their iPods? Do they even have iPods? And if not, where does [...] read more
  November 15, 2010 4:37 pm - No Comments
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  ‘Rethinking’ – solutions to mass imprisonment. - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Last night I spent Parliament’s dinner break at the launch of a new website, an initiative of the Robson Hanan Trust led by Kim Workman. To quote from the introduction on the site: “Rethinking Crime and Punishment” is a strategic initiative to increase public debate about the use of prison and alternative forms of punishment in [...] read more
  November 10, 2010 5:41 pm - 42 Comments
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  Who’s slowing Auckland down? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  The skirmish that has broken out between Mike Lee and Steven Joyce could well herald the opening of an all out war. Len Brown came into office on a platform (among other things) of advocating strongly for public transport investment, with a key project being the CDB rail loop to open up the ‘dead end’ that is Britomart, which will reduce the congestion in the inner city area that imposes significant cost on businesses as well as compromising the ability... read more
  November 10, 2010 3:23 pm - 33 Comments
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  Protecting the urban forest - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  On Sunday I made a brief presentation to the AGM of the Tree Council, appropriately in the very pleasant and leafy surroundings of the education centre at Cornwall Park, Auckland.  The council has a lot on its plate in the coming year, not least of all because general tree protection rules that were typically put [...] read more
  November 1, 2010 4:02 pm - 13 Comments