Frogblog

1February 20, 2013
First blind Scottish MP visits NZ

I had the privilege of meeting with Dennis Robertson, a Member of the Scottish Parliament who made waves by being...
2February 13, 2013
Benny Wenda’s Freedom Tour a great success

This week Benny Wenda from ‘Free West Papua’ and Jennifer Robinson of International lawyers for West Papua brought the “Freedom...
6February 7, 2013
Reflections on Waitangi Day

Waitangi this year had many highlights overlooked by the media. Metiria, Kennedy, Denise, David, myself and other young Greens and...

WHO study highlights dangerous chemicals - by Catherine Delahunty

Chemicals are the building blocks of life but synthetic chemicals in numerous combinations can be incredibly dangerous. A new study by the WHO has alarming news that over 800 chemicals are known or suspected to be EDCs (endocrine disrupting chemicals). Our endocrine system is our hormone system, which means that ECDs are capable of interfering [...] read more
February 26, 2013 5:55 pm - No Comments
John Banks: learn a little history? - by Metiria Turei

Charter schools are no joke. What’s funny, however, is John Banks’ referring to the opponents of charter schools as “Cassandras”, seemingly unaware that back in the day, poor old Cassandra was famous for her prophetic insight and the fact that her accurate warnings were ignored. John Banks probably didn’t intend to suggest the Green Party [...] read more
February 26, 2013 4:13 pm - 8 Comments
Protecting our tuna/eels – Tuna legend Bill Kerr - by Eugenie Sage

Bill Kerrison is a legend when it comes to tuna or eels and it was privilege to meet him during a recent Dirty Water tour in the Bay of Plenty. Over several decades he has transferred an estimated 25 million eels around Bay of Plenty dams such as the Matahina on the Rangitaiki River. New [...] read more
February 25, 2013 5:22 pm - 3 Comments
Ralph Hotere, making small holes in the silence - by Holly Walker

Although I didn’t study law, I spent a bit of time in the law building at Otago University during my five years there, either for LAWS 101 lectures and tutorials in my first year, debates and fixtures for the Otago University Debating Society, or visiting lawyer friends in their offices there later on. Every time [...] read more
February 25, 2013 10:22 am - No Comments
General debate, February 24, 2013 - by frog

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February 24, 2013 7:29 am - 79 Comments
Lignite coal to stay in the hole - by Gareth Hughes

I am celebrating today after the news that Solid Energy will be dropping its Lignite project in Southland. This is a win for the climate and our environment and for Southland. read more
February 22, 2013 3:50 pm - 20 Comments
Removing discrimination: one small step at a time - by Mojo Mathers

One of the biggest challenges that many disabled people face is negative attitudes towards them, and assumptions made by others that their lives are not worth living, which can lead to systematic discrimination . Antenatal screening programmes, such as the national screening programme for Down syndrome are controversial, because if they are not carried [...] read more
February 21, 2013 7:00 pm - 5 Comments
Wheeler on the death of manufacturing etc. etc. - by Russel Norman

It’s interesting to compare yesterday’s speech by Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler with Sir Paul Callaghan’s vision for a prosperous New Zealand. Wheeler describes New Zealand’s manufacturing sector as a sunset industry, in terminal decline due to globalisation, competition from low wage countries, and a shift to a service intensive economy. It’s the kind of [...] read more
February 21, 2013 5:27 pm - 26 Comments
Speculating on spectrum - by Gareth Hughes

Today Communications Minister Amy Adams announced the Government’s plans for allocating the 700MHz spectrum that has been freed up by the switchover to digital TV. It’s a big deal for New Zealand and I’m urging that the Government engage and consult with Māori and the public over the opportunities. The public should get a say. read more
February 21, 2013 4:12 pm - 21 Comments
Christchurch schools – proposals or promises? - by Catherine Delahunty

At the schools rally in Christchurch on Tuesday, Board Members and parents were talking about the promise broken by the Minister of Education. A number of schools such as Central New Brighton and Branston Intermediate had been clearly told they would have until the end of 2014 to prepare for merger or closure. The announcement [...] read more
February 21, 2013 12:12 pm - 16 Comments
Give postgrads a chance - by Holly Walker

The Otago Daily Times is today reporting figures from the Ministry of Education that show that, as a result of the Government’s cuts to student allowances, an extra 5140 student will be forced to borrow money through the student loan scheme for living costs – or be more reliant on borrowing than before. On average, [...] read more
February 21, 2013 10:57 am - 6 Comments
The Beneficiary Rabbit - by Jan Logie

SkyCity, the closure of Christchurch schools, leaving troops in Afghanistan – it was never going to be a particularly easy week for the government. But to their political, if not moral, credit, the government seems to have planned for this and introduced the Social Security (Fraud Measure and debt Recovery) Amendment Bill. It’s strange how [...] read more
February 20, 2013 8:23 pm - 37 Comments
First blind Scottish MP visits NZ - by Mojo Mathers

I had the privilege of meeting with Dennis Robertson, a Member of the Scottish Parliament who made waves by being the first blind person elected to that office. In common with myself and other elected representatives around the world with a significant sensory impairment, he needs appropriate support to be able to carry out his [...] read more
February 20, 2013 4:18 pm - 1 Comment
News South Wales Government acts on oil and gas concerns - by Gareth Hughes

The New South Wales government has announced a ban on all coal seam gas development within two kilometres of residential areas and industry clusters, such as horse breeders and wine producers, across the state. What can we learn from it in New Zealand? read more
February 20, 2013 1:23 pm - 45 Comments
Christchurch education rally - by Catherine Delahunty

Another hot afternoon and a stadium full of homemade banners. I saw the pride and hurt on the faces of schools facing closure for reasons they could not fathom. I stood for a few minutes with the man who runs the Community Centre at Phillipstown School. They have been marked for closure and with [...] read more
February 20, 2013 12:47 pm - 11 Comments
Tell Southland District Council to keep the coal in the hole - by Gareth Hughes

Southland District Council is calling for submissions on its proposed District Plan. This is your chance to tell the Southland District Council that you want a sustainable and prosperous future for Southland, and call on it to make new mining and drilling for lignite coal and coal seam gas a prohibited activity. read more
February 19, 2013 8:55 pm - No Comments
The heart has been ripped out of Christchurch school communities - by Metiria Turei

Schools can be the heart of their communities. In the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes, schools played a stabilising role not just for students, but for parents and staff as well. Now though, the Government has ripped the hearts out of some of the hardest hit communities. read more
February 19, 2013 3:18 pm - 57 Comments
Aggressive lotto marketing harms gamblers - by Denise Roche

The numbers of people presenting to problem gambling services who cite Lotto as the gambling method that causes harm is no surprise given the changes the Lotteries Commission has brought in over the last few years. Marketing for Lotto has become more aggressive – it’s everywhere – the jackpots are higher and Lotteries Commission gambling [...] read more
February 18, 2013 10:36 am - 5 Comments
General debate, February 17, 2013 - by frog

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February 17, 2013 8:39 am - 27 Comments
Workers moving back to 19th Century - by Denise Roche

Low wages weaken local economies and communities. As the adults in a family struggle working horrendously long hours and sometimes several jobs to make ends meet, our communities become poorer because those adults do not have any free time to volunteer. read more
February 15, 2013 3:14 pm - 157 Comments
National’s approach to local government is all over the place - by Eugenie Sage

As successive Ministers of Local Government, Nick Smith and David Carter loudly criticised councils for their debt level and said councils needed to focus on “core services “ without defining what these were. Last year National made major changes to the Local Government Act so that the purpose of local government was no longer the [...] read more
February 15, 2013 11:18 am - 5 Comments
You can’t live on a precarious wage. - by Denise Roche

At the symposium on Precarious Work and the Living Wage in our Communities at AUT today Guy Standing – the author of the 2011 book The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class – talked about the way our labour markets have changed over the last few decades and the impact on workers. The Precariat refers to [...] read more
February 15, 2013 9:44 am - 54 Comments
Where will cost of new property development fall? - by Eugenie Sage

The National Government continues to undermine local democracy and erode the autonomy of elected councillors with its plan to limit what local authorities can charge as development contributions. Councils can currently afford the infrastructure costs associated with new subdivisions and other land developments by charging what is called a “development contribution”. This helps pays for [...] read more
February 14, 2013 5:14 pm - 26 Comments
Richard Prosser’s attitude harmful to creating an inclusive society - by Jan Logie

The beliefs of New Zealand First MP Richard Prosser are anathema to a truly inclusive society. Despite his apology, he has a history of comments that strongly suggest that his widely-panned column represents his real view, regardless of any retraction he needed to make due to the uproar. The role of a Member of Parliament [...] read more
February 14, 2013 5:11 pm - 13 Comments
‘Do as I say, not as I do’ – Justice for all? - by David Clendon

The Corrections Amendment Bill has been back in the House this week – on Tuesday for its second reading, yesterday for the committee stages, and depending on progress in the House it may come back later today (Thursday) for its third and final reading. The Bill is a shabby piece of lawmaking, which among other [...] read more
February 14, 2013 12:55 pm - 13 Comments