Russel Norman Archive

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  Paying to rebuild – cuts vs levy - by frog

  
  
  
  John Key’s Government is now openly talking about cuts to Working for Families to pay for the cost of earthquake rebuilding. As Russel pointed out yesterday, we think a small, temporary earthquake levy would be a much better and fairer way of funding the rebuilding. Depending on how you set it, it would raise between [...] read more
  March 4, 2011 4:42 pm - 23 Comments
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  Paying to rebuild Christchurch: A small temporary earthquake levy - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  While the horror of Christchurch’s second earthquake continues to unfold, those of us not immediately involved in the recovery can begin to plan for the rebuilding of a city and the livelihoods of those who live there. The question that immediately comes to mind is how are we going to pay for the recovery and [...] read more
  February 25, 2011 9:45 am - 76 Comments
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  Something stinks in iconic Southland lagoon - by frog

  
  
  
  Recent monitoring of the Waituna Lagoon in Southland has revealed high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in sediments, largely attributed to dairy farming in the region. Environment Southland Chairwoman Ali Timms said it was at high risk of irreversible damage because of intensification of land use in the surrounding catchment, and that steps might be [...] read more
  February 16, 2011 12:36 pm - 2 Comments
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  Nats use EPA to de-protect Horokiri Stream to build a motorway on it - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  OK, how bad can it get. Currently Horokiri, Ration and Pauatahanui Streams near Porirua are strongly protected under the Wellington Regional Freshwater Plan. And for good reason – they are the home of a lot of endangered New Zealand fish.  But these streams and their gullies are also the proposed route for Transmission Gully motorway from Porirua to Kapiti.  So [...] read more
  February 13, 2011 5:51 pm - 7 Comments
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  A straight line is godless – the Ruamahanga River - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  On Friday (11-2-11) I rafted down the Ruamahanga River with a group of locals from the Wairarapa as part of my Dirty Rivers Rafting Tour. We had people there from Rangitane o Wairarapa, Forest and Bird, the Greens, Fish and Game, Wai Not Go Green local enviro group, and other locals. The Ruamahanga starts in the [...] read more
  February 13, 2011 11:22 am - 6 Comments
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  Blue Greens addition to Lake Ellesmere Te Waihora - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  One of the initiatives of National’s Blue Greens was to extend the length of time that one farmer could continue to graze the edges of Lake Ellesmere Te Waihora near Christchurch. This is what they are adding to the lake: Yep, that’s a lot of cow pats next to the lake (photo from 2005) - faeces just waiting [...] read more
  February 8, 2011 10:02 pm - 4 Comments
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  The Taniwha of the Tarawera - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Yesterday (3-2-11) I rafted down the Tarawera River in the Bay of Plenty. As we came around a bend on the river we came across a series of large steel beams sticking out of the water - ”The Taniwha of the Tarawera” muttered Tipene Marr stting next to me on the raft. These steel posts anchor the discharge pipes for the Kawerau pulp [...] read more
  February 4, 2011 1:31 pm - 26 Comments
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  State of the Planet speech 2011 - by frog

  
  
  
  Last Sunday Russel gave the annual State of the Planet speech to a packed and excited crowd at Te Mahurehure Marae in Auckland. It was a great and powerful speech that clearly defined the Green vision for Aotearoa. Russel also attacked National and Labour for bludging off our grandchildren and pulling the ladder of opportunity [...] read more
  February 3, 2011 9:22 am - 11 Comments
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  It’s Green Campaign Conference weekend - by frog

  
  
  
  Blogging might be a bit slow here this weekend, as the Green Party’s Campaign Conference is underway. This is the start of the democratic process under which aspiring and current Green MPs get to present their credentials to the Party membership. After the Conference there will be an initial vote by STV ballot from electorate [...] read more
  January 28, 2011 7:12 pm - 32 Comments
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  The fair Wairoa needs some cleaning up - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  On a rainy Sunday I embarked on stage 3 of my Rivers Tour, on the Wairoa River in Clevedon (just east of Auckland). The Wairoa is threatened by agricultural runoff and poorly maintained septic tanks. Around three quarters of tests on the Wairoa show faecal contamination above safe levels for swimming or contact recreation. Disturbingly, [...] read more
  January 25, 2011 12:03 am - 3 Comments
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  Something stinks here, and it’s not just Lake Ellesmere - by frog

  
  
  
  In March last year, as part of his Dirty Rivers Tour, Russel Norman visited his first dirty lake – Lake Ellesmere, or Te Waihora. He found signs by the boatramp that said not to touch the water, as it’s a health hazard due to toxic algae. The Department of Conservation, along with Ngāi Tahu and [...] read more
  January 24, 2011 1:45 pm - 9 Comments
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  Gollum, and friends, save the Nevis, for now - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Yes, strange but true, the Gollum Galaxiid, is saving the Nevis River from being dammed. I rafted the Nevis River near Queenstown on stage two of my summer rivers tour on Tuesday. There is a species of Gollum, known as smeagol, that lives only in a series of tributaries of the Nevis River. And it [...] read more
  January 20, 2011 12:19 am - 25 Comments
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  Climate change, hottest years, floods and coal - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  So it turns out that 2010 was the hottest year on record, equal with 2005. The year 2010 has tied 2005 as the Earth’s warmest on record, according to an assessment by U.S. government scientists. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that the combined global land and ocean annual surface temperature for [...] read more
  January 13, 2011 12:33 pm - 153 Comments
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  Cellphone towers, health and democracy - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Hataitai I went to a hastily organised public meeting up the hill from my house last night about a proposed cellphone tower in Hataitai, Wellington. Vodafone want to put a cellphone tower on top of a street light pole among a bunch of houses near the school. Vodafone only notified two local residents, and they in [...] read more
  December 14, 2010 8:47 pm - 126 Comments
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  Tim Groser is far fetched on TPP - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  At his post cabinet press conference about 8 days ago Key was asked about investor state dispute mechanisms. Investor state dispute mechanisms are the clauses in trade deals that allow overseas investors to sue governments at World Bank tribunals if governments do things that cost overseas investors money. For example the Canadians passed a law [...] read more
  November 23, 2010 9:34 pm - 125 Comments
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  Podcast: Green Spirituality, Russel Norman - by frog

  
  
  
  Green Party Co-leader, Russel Norman, discusses what’s sacred to him in this, the second of an occasional series where I talk to a Green MPs about their spirituality. Click the arrow thing to listen… Click to play If you’re having problems with our Flash player, try this alternative site. This podcast series is now available [...] read more
  November 23, 2010 8:08 am - 1 Comment
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  Parliamentary scrutiny compromised by Nats use of urgency - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  A while ago, I posted about this government’s use of urgency to force legislation through parliament. The problem with urgency is that it often means that laws don’t receive the kind of scrutiny they should. So it means you get laws with mistakes and laws that do bad things without ever giving the people a chance [...] read more
  November 14, 2010 10:09 pm - 5 Comments
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  Coleman reads wrong speech - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The Govt introduced a new bill tonight — Taxation (International Investment & Remedial Matters) Bill. Unfortunately, Jonathan Coleman, as the Minister introducing the bill, was given the speech notes for a different tax bill – the Taxation (International Taxation and Life Assurance and Remedial Matters) Bill. He gave this speech from 2008. Now we all make [...] read more
  November 9, 2010 9:13 pm - 19 Comments
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  Flight tax vs oil price - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  I have posted earlier about the PM’s short sightedness when it comes to considering the potential impacts of oil price increases on tourism, versus his loud complaining about the potential impacts of flight taxes being imposed by the UK govt. But I wondered if it was possible to quantify the comparison between the departure tax [...] read more
  November 9, 2010 7:29 pm - 41 Comments
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  Neo-Muldoonism with a smile - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  I’ve posted before about the way this government is turning increasingly Muldoonist. The ECAN Act, the billion dollar infrastructure projects without any cost benefit analysis (Holiday Highway), the unlawful failure to answer OIA requests in time, the extensive use of urgency and so on. But now we have a new level of Muldoonism with this story. The [...] read more
  November 4, 2010 5:57 pm - 88 Comments