Another scar on global democracy appeared recently, this time in Germany.It seems that the number of soldiers on duty with extremist political leanings has become a concern to the military leadership in that country. Soldiers were found openly possessing Nazi memorabilia. Germany’s defence minister and the Chief of its Defence Forces ordered an investigation, vowing […]
The Buggles song ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ probably isn’t the best comparison but National’s anti-public broadcasting ideology is slowing starving our only public broadcaster, RNZ. As it once again demonstrated over the recent earthquakes, it’s a national treasure that deserves better than nine years of real-term funding cuts. Yesterday I spoke at a Fund […]
Last month I was in Senegal representing the NZ branch of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA). The conference focused on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has had its tribulations since its birth 15 years ago, but it still represents a major step forward in the long human drama of securing global peace and […]
Prime Minister John Key is in Fiji this week, in the first visit by a New Zealand PM since the coup led by Frank Bainimarama in 2006. Bainimarama was subsequently elected as Prime Minister in 2014 – the first election to take place in 8 years.
The National Government’s Resource Legislation Bill has been described as making the most fundamental changes to the RMA since it was passed in 1991. It’s a complicated and technical bill which makes 40 changes to six different Acts, including the RMA. Sir Geoffrey Palmer, the original architect of the RMA has identified, “at least three […]
As an MP, it’s generally expected that I keep abreast of current affairs and breaking news in order to be able to make informed comment on political topics of the day or in my portfolios. However, this poses significant challenges for me because, like thousands of other deaf or hard of hearing New Zealanders, I […]
Having been a long-term renter, I’ve lived in quite a few different communities in New Zealand and each one has had a very different feel. That’s something I love, something I suspect everyone would want. Local and regional government are in large part responsible for helping to create these distinct communities. They’re in charge of […]
In June this year, Prime Minister John Key stated that “New Zealand is never going to sign up to the TPP unless it is in New Zealand’s best interests”. As the TPPA negotiations enter their final stages in Hawaii, these increasingly seem like hollow words. The little information that we have about the draft agreement […]
The Christchurch City Council (CCC) should be promoting wide and genuine public consultation on its draft ten year budget and plan given the serious implications for the city’s future of its proposed asset sales, outlined in the plan. Instead, it is being unduly restrictive by limiting submissions on the Long Term Plan to the traditional […]
I am so proud to stand alongside my caucus colleagues and Green Party Christchurch candidates to announce our Greener Christchurch policy for this election. We held the launch at the beautiful new Visitor’s Centre at the Botanic Gardens, where we announced our commitment to smart transport solutions, a greener rebuild, a return of local democracy and […]