politics Archive

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  Scientific Megalomania? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Education and Science Select Committee carries out financial reviews of Crown Research institutes which is a fascinating process, not so much the glossy balance sheets but reading between the lines. We also get to speak with the heads of these bodies and ask questions about the work. Yesterday we meet with Geological and Nuclear [...] read more
  May 1, 2009 9:40 am - 21 Comments
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  The Mother of All Mergers - by frog

  
  
  
  I am going to go out on a limb here. I am going to do something that I rarely ever do, and make a prediction about politics. I predict that in the same way that Ruth Richardson’s Mother of All Budgets was the death knell for Jim Bolger, Rodney Hide’s Mother of All Mergers in [...] read more
  April 29, 2009 4:56 pm - 28 Comments
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  Earth Day Message - by frog

  
  
  
  The Parliamentary team of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand wants everybody to celebrate Earth Day, not just brood about all the things that are going wrong. Here are some personal messages from each of the MPs, talking about some of things, big and small, that are going well and that bode well for [...] read more
  April 22, 2009 11:40 am - 12 Comments
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  Govt misses big picture for the Kyoto trees - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  The revised “net position” of New Zealand’s Kyoto liability shows why forest sinks should never have been tradable against emissions from burning fossil fuels. This was a central argument at Kyoto in 1997 as the world struggled to set rules for reducing emissions internationally. The EU, and environmentalists, for different reasons, argued that forest sinks [...] read more
  April 20, 2009 8:33 am - 44 Comments
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  Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops - by frog

  
  
  
  As usual, the title says it all: GE crops are no where near to delivering on their promises: Failure to Yield is the first report to closely evaluate the overall effect genetic engineering has had on crop yields in relation to other agricultural technologies. For years the biotechnology industry has trumpeted that it will feed [...] read more
  April 18, 2009 8:21 am - 8 Comments
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  Greens sign MoU with National - by frog

  
  
  
  I confess it makes an interesting headline, that! nevertheless, here is a video of the press conference, for your viewing pleasure: Despite what a few on frogblog have been saying, this MoU is exactly what we said we would do before, during and after the election – that is – work constructively with National on [...] read more
  April 9, 2009 11:20 am - 76 Comments
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  Privatise My Public School (Unfortunately Not a Futuristic Nightmare) - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Welcome to Pepsi Cola High School, your local state educational institutional. Make sure your parents have got their “donations” ready and can also pay towards your trip to Paris and Mexico and to school camp down the road as well. Make sure you can afford a new uniform or at least a recycled one that [...] read more
  April 8, 2009 3:47 pm - 48 Comments
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  Maori seats for Auckland: A good model for others? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Auckland Super city debate has raised the important issue of Maori seats to provide manawhenua representation in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland.  National are considering this option of creating two seats to represent Ngati Whatua and Tainui iwi. What about the rest of the country? At present the Bay of Plenty have two Maori seats on their [...] read more
  April 6, 2009 11:46 am - 20 Comments
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  Sex Bomb, Sex bomb - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  Just in case anyone thinks the Greens were letting some hard core sex offenders run riot by voting against yesterday’s sex offender law amendment, here are the facts: The key amendment in the bill was not “just implementing the intention of the original legislation”, as the government claimed . The Attorney-General’s Report on Parole (Extended [...] read more
  April 3, 2009 2:32 pm - 40 Comments
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  Mapua – Paradise Recontaminated - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The coast at the top of Te Wai Pounamu is truly a haven of loveliness surrounded by a view of staunch mountains and sparking ocean. The road winds through orchards and farms with glimpses of sheltered beaches and toxic sites. Did I really say that? How dare I actually say that about godzone? Last week [...] read more
  March 26, 2009 1:41 pm - 15 Comments
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  Jeanette questions the wisdom of the Genesis board - by frog

  
  
  
  Jeanette asked the Minister for State Owned Enterprises in the House yesterday whether he has confidence in the board of Genesis Energy. Genesis is proceeding with a consent application for a gas fired power station for which it admits it has no gas and is not economically viable “in a real-world, commercial sense”. The Rodney [...] read more
  March 25, 2009 4:08 pm - 19 Comments
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  Reasons not to believe in John Key’s leadership - by frog

  
  
  
  The Energy [R]evolution is Greenpeace’s plan to save the planet from catastrophic climate change. Susan Sarandon narrates the first of three ‘Reasons to Believe’. This one explains why energy efficiency is so important and also so easily achieved, just by small changes such as a switch from traditional lightbulbs to more energy efficient ones. In [...] read more
  March 24, 2009 3:41 pm - 22 Comments
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  Government seriously out of step on climate change - by frog

  
  
  
  The poll released today by the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development shows that our National-led government is seriously out of step with ordinary kiwis. Yuck. That sounded like a press release. Too bad it’s true. Let’s start with the message for the deniers: “There’s a group of about 10% who think climate change [...] read more
  March 23, 2009 12:39 pm - 37 Comments
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  First impressions of Q+A - by frog

  
  
  
  My first impression of TVNZ’s new political show, Q+A, is very likely to be my last. I’ll go for the written transcript if my job or my interest requires it. It is visually and aurally obnoxious. In a word: garish. To begin with, the lion’s share of interview/talk time is given over to Paul Holmes. [...] read more
  March 22, 2009 12:15 pm - 37 Comments
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  CNBC gives financial advice - by frog

  
  
  
  CNBC’s Rick Santelli is angry that those loser homeowners are going to get bailed out. .cc_box a:hover .cc_home{background:url(‘http://www.comedycentral.com/comedycentral/video/assets/syndicated-logo-over.png’) !important;}.cc_links a{color:#b9b9b9;text-decoration:none;}.cc_show a{color:#707070;text-decoration:none;}.cc_title a{color:#868686;text-decoration:none;}.cc_links a:hover{color:#67bee2;text-decoration:underline;} The Daily Show With Jon StewartM – Th 11p / 10c CNBC Gives Financial Advice Daily Show Full EpisodesImportant Things w/ Demetri Martin Political HumorJim Cramer read more
  March 19, 2009 8:00 am - 5 Comments
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  Bullying the Anti Bully - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Minister of Education Anne Tolley is quoted in the “Dominion” today attacking the Children’s Commissioner, Cindy Kiro, for releasing a report on the high level of bullying in our schools the day before the schools Summit on violence. Anne Tolley said the timing of the report was wrong because it would dominate the conference. [...] read more
  March 18, 2009 9:35 am - 24 Comments
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  NZAID: The trade aiding and abetting agency - by frog

  
  
  
  It seems that NZAid has come clean on it’s new rebranded website: The Government created NZAID in July 2002 to give a distinctive profile and new focus to New Zealand’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Programme. At the agency’s inception, eliminating poverty was central to NZAID’s mission. Let’s be honest, that’s crazy talk. We are running [...] read more
  March 17, 2009 9:42 am - 2 Comments
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  Kevin Hague questions the Minister of Agriculture - by frog

  
  
  
  Green Party MP Kevin Hague asks the Minister of Agriculture: Has the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord achieved its aim of “clean, healthy water including streams, rivers, lakes, groundwater, and wetlands in dairying areas”; or, does he agree with National MP Nick Smith’s statement of October 2008 that there has been a “deterioration in water [...] read more
  March 16, 2009 4:57 pm - 21 Comments
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  Will entry of energy sector to ETS be delayed? - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  It now seems almost certain that electricity, stationary energy and industrial emissions will not come into the Emissions Trading Scheme on Jan 1 next year as provided for in the legislation.The Act provides for detailed allocation plans to be developed and brought to Parliament for each sector that is trade exposed and so qualifies for [...] read more
  March 14, 2009 9:47 am - 16 Comments
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  Kennedy Graham on International Climate Change Negotiations - by frog

  
  
  
  In this week’s message from parliament, Green MP Kennedy Graham urges everyone to put pressure on the government to negotiate real and binding emissions reductions in the lead up to Copenhagen this December. While the government is busy hacking every budget under the sun, we are being distracted from one of the most important international [...] read more
  March 13, 2009 8:00 am - 8 Comments