Kennedy Graham Archive

• 

  Visions for Christchurch - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  On Sunday, I convened the 2nd of my series of Vision Christchurch public forums.  Their aim is to engage the public in the challenge of rebuilding greater Christchurch.  This one was held in New Brighton and concentrated on Christchurch East.  What a difference a day makes. Within 20 hours of finishing our meeting in which [...] read more
  June 16, 2011 10:07 am - 16 Comments
• 

  Another hard day in shake city - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  As you will know by now we were hit once again in Christchurch with two more earthquakes. We were fortunate that no one was killed – for that we can be thankful. On behalf of the Green Party, our thoughts go out to the people hurt yesterday and those whose houses, businesses and lives suffered [...] read more
  June 14, 2011 10:46 am - 3 Comments
• 

  Congratulations Canadian Green Party - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  It is great to see that Elizabeth May has won the Canadian Green Party’s first seat in the Canadian Parliament. The NZ Greens offer her our heartfelt congratulations on such an extraordinary accomplishment.  We wish her the best in holding the Conservative Party to account. I lived in Canada (Ottawa) for three years a while [...] read more
  May 4, 2011 1:19 pm - 5 Comments
• 

  Visions of Christchurch: My Public Forum Series - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  For the first few weeks, it was shovelling.  Then it was door-knocking.  Then it was fund-raising to buy food and deliver it to welfare centres, attending memorial services, participating in MP briefings, and travelling into the suburbs and Lyttelton for meetings with Green members and others. Now it is time to refocus and plan for [...] read more
  April 29, 2011 3:57 pm - 3 Comments
• 

  Courts and Criminal Matters - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The aim of the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill is to enhance the courts’ powers and processes for the collection of fines and other monetary penalties, and civil debt. There is more and more evidence that we are an increasingly unequal society and that inequality negatively affects everyone. We support a fair and robust system [...] read more
  April 7, 2011 10:06 am - 2 Comments
• 

  At Last, the Tears - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  First it was the shock. Then it was the shovelling, then the door-knocking, then the food delivery and ‘informal’ counselling.  We have tried, in our myriad ways, to help.  Adrenalin relentlessly drove us through the early climactic days.  The sheer intensity of physical effort successfully kept the emotions at bay. That can never last, nor [...] read more
  March 15, 2011 9:32 am - 1 Comment
• 

  Heroes (Heroines) I Have (Recently) Known - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  A hero(ine) is defined as a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for one’s brave deeds and noble qualities.  I know, now, who they are and why. Let me count the ways. We have become, in Christchurch, a tale of two cities. Out west, we are relatively unaffected and seek to help.  In the [...] read more
  March 6, 2011 10:58 am - 2 Comments
• 

  The purgatorial delights of liquefaction - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  From middle distance it looks ugly – alien and threatening. Something from another planet, menacing to humans. Actually, from Middle Earth. At shovel distance, it starts to attain a character you can come to terms with. If that is a metaphor for this stricken city, then not all is lost. This morning I volunteer to [...] read more
  February 26, 2011 5:59 pm - 1 Comment
• 

  Day two in Hell - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Thursday night I convene a meeting of Green members in my house. Twelve turn up, one from the eastern suburbs. He is not sure if he can get back or, if not, where he will stay. He has student friends, so he is not worried. He is young, so he is not worried. We exchange [...] read more
  February 26, 2011 9:25 am - 1 Comment
• 

  Prime Minister Gillard very welcome - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The visit by Australian PM, Julia Gillard, to New Zealand this week has caused some interest and intrigue.  Prime Minister John Key has cited opposition to her speaking in Parliament – and identified the Green Party as opposing. The background to this is the following. Her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, was visiting last year and had [...] read more
  February 14, 2011 5:33 pm - 50 Comments
• 

  A view from the inside: anti-nuclear diplomacy in a cold cold world - by frog

  
  
  
  Former diplomat and Green MP Kennedy Graham describes the mid-1980s as some of the best years of his life. New Zealand, under David Lange’s leadership, had just become nuclear free, making, in Kennedy’s words, the most fearless, independent, and moral foreign policy choice since nationhood. I asked Kennedy to describe that time of his life [...] read more
  February 14, 2011 1:53 pm - 7 Comments
• 

  Suzuki’s keynote speech - by frog

  
  
  
  Last week Dr David Suzuki presented the keynote speech at our Sustainable Economics Conference. For those who couldn’t make it, here is Suzuki’s speech. There will also be an MP3 of his speech available here in the near future. Also note that the quality might not be so great on parts three and four because [...] read more
  November 18, 2010 5:42 pm - 16 Comments
• 

  Judges pecuniary interests bill gets an early debut - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  My third member’s bill – the Register of Pecuniary Interest of Judges Bill – got an unexpected early debut yesterday. An Urgent Debate requested by Labour was granted on the resignation of Judge Bill Wilson which took effect last Friday.  Labour had always concentrated its fire on the alleged shortcomings of Attorney-General Chris Finlayson, and [...] read more
  November 10, 2010 12:46 pm - 5 Comments
• 

  Time for a pecuniary interest register for judiciary - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The announced resignation of Justice Wilson has highlighted the need for a register of the financial interests of the judiciary. Such a register would stop financial conflict of interests or perceived conflicts of interests from occurring in the future. While the case against Justice Wilson has been dropped, the perception of a conflict has led [...] read more
  October 22, 2010 3:47 pm - 3 Comments
• 

  Victory for Parliamentary democracy–Greens can be proud - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  This week has seen parliamentary democracy in New Zealand at its best. Most of the time, the House reverberates with two forms of adversarial action: Question Time when the trick is (usually) to score a ministerial goal – and for the ministerial goalie to defend; Debates over legislation in which supporting parties rationalise a draft [...] read more
  July 3, 2010 3:12 pm - 4 Comments
• 

  An MMP moment in the House - by frog

  
  
  
  In a moment straight out of Hollywood and a demonstration of an MMP Parliament working as it should, the Minister walks into the Chamber with a handwritten amendment to the Bill… Minister Simon Power was persuaded by the debate in the House to amend the legislation under discussion. The right of the accused person to [...] read more
  July 2, 2010 4:32 pm - 4 Comments
• 

  “Whatever You Do, Keep Your Head Down”: The Non-Key to Non-Aggression - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The NZ Government under John Key has displayed its pusillanimity on the question of international law and security – once more. In answer to a question in the House yesterday, the Foreign Minister (actually the Attorney-General in his absence, which guaranteed an articulate exchange) stated that New Zealand will not ratify, over the next seven [...] read more
  June 24, 2010 5:36 pm - 5 Comments
• 

  Thousands protest against the ECan coup - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s great to see the people of Canterbury fighting back in their thousands, and to see Green MPs Russel Norman and Kennedy Graham supporting them, to return to democratic regional governance. read more
  June 13, 2010 7:47 pm - 9 Comments
• 

  Kennedy Graham on democracy under attack in Canterbury - by frog

  
  
  
  “…the Creech report is a shoddy piece of work and fails rudimentary tests of professional standards. First, the report lacks intellectual integrity. It criticises Environment Canterbury for being science-driven and not science-informed. The Creech report is politically-driven and not politically-informed.” read more
  March 27, 2010 8:31 am - 19 Comments
• 

  Move over John Key - by frog

  
  
  
  Move over John Key, you may have come out on top as sexiest politician in a Durex survey earlier in the year but you’ve got some hot—oh, it’s not just the climate that is heating up—competition coming off the Green Party benches. Salient, the student magazine of Victoria University, has rated our own Dr Kennedy [...] read more
  March 23, 2010 4:09 pm - 20 Comments