UK corporates want environment guidance
WorldChanging has this extremely interesting story. So the heads of the 12 biggest companies in the United Kingdom can figure out that climate change is a) not bullshit b) something worth worrying about and c) something definitely worth planning around and they’re calling on the Government to do something about it! I wonder if the UK Greens have picked their jaws off the ground yet?
This is the best quote, thier biggest concern is how they:
“as business leaders can help bridge the gap between today’s economy and the radically different low-carbon future that will be needed”
Now can you imagine our top 5, let alone top 12 corporates coming out with anything like that? No instead all we get is “carbon tax is bad for growth”. We like to think we’re a radical nation but sometimes we’re miles off the pace.
Fun in China
After the fun of last week and Rod being quoted as saying
“The Chinese Government needs to understand that they are in New Zealand, not Tiananmen Square,” Mr Donald said. “We’re a democracy, not a police state.”
Guyon Espiner has gone out of his way to prove Rod’s point about the Police State in China and has been having a bit of trouble in Tiananmen Square.
Xenophophic rantings
So today New Zealand First launched their immigration policy at the Orewa Grey Power this afternoon.
An executive summary of his speech is as follows:
Nationalism
Patriotism
Nationalism
Patriotism
FEAR
FEAR
FEAR
FEAR
FEAR
BIGOTRY
FEAR
FEAR
They don’t even speak ENGLISH!!
FEAR
FEAR
FEAR
“Now, whenever we raise this issue we get accused of being racist or xenophobic.
However, we raise it for one simple reason.
We actually have a choice about these demographic projections.”
“The first point is the need for a comprehensive population policy.”
“As an initial step we will set up a forensic team to protect the integrity of New Zealand citizenship.
This organisation will be known as the Immigration Inspectorate.”
“The Inspectorate will also act as an immigration “Flying Squad” “
“We will be looking for intelligence – investigative skills – determination – and yes – patriotism.”
“The first must be to create an “undesirables” category, to ensure those from dangerous and unethical regimes are red-flagged before they get here. “
“We will also introduce DNA testing where the nature and status of family relationships is not clear or where there is suspicion of fraud.
We are going to introduce fingerprinting and eye scanning – or in short use biometrics technology available abroad.”
“We will meet our UN obligation to refugees but we believe that our humanitarian benevolence has been massively abused by the family reunification policy.”
FEAR
FEAR
FEAR
HATE
HATE
FEAR
VOTE NEW ZEALAND FIRST :OD
Now I’m sorry but that’s got ot be one of the most offensive, nausea-inducing speeches I have ever heard. Winston Peters is a sick, depraved, dangerous man and his ideas are wrong. He is using EXACTLY the same arguments as Hitler. And his audience are the people who supposedly went to war to stop Hitler. I DON’T FUCKING GET IT!! GRRR
RIGHT All you non-stupid people out there who don’t give a fuck about elections, now is the time to pull your heads out of your bums and realise that every eligible vote that isn’t cast increases the influence of the people who swallow Winston’s shit up. Does that make you happy? Do you like the future direction of this nation decided by crazy redneck inbreds who will probably die soon?
Ooh, that was a bit of stereotyping wasn’t it? Will calm down now. Read Keith’s release for a more reasoned, calm response.
Hey y’all watch this seriously odd shit.
Free Tibet protest
Today the Greens held a silent protest to mark the arrival at Parliament of Mr Wu Bangguo, the chair of China’s Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Rod was on the forecourt holding a Tibetan flag in solidarity with the people of Tibet. The Chinese security tried to get the New Zealand Police to move him but they refused.
Rod’s comments here
Yay for freedom of expression!
Commentary on energy policy
So Forest and Bird like it. Business NZ don’t. Hardly any surprises there.
What’s most interesting is the silent response from the government. This can only be read as a good thing. Usually if a party puts out a policy, you get one of two responses.
1. Condemnation. This almost always follows National Party and Act policy releases and sometimes NZ First releases. There was also a rather scathing response to the Maori Party Foreshore and Seabed policy.
2. Silence (read: endorsement or fear). This follows policy announcements where the Government either can’t slag it off without looking like meanies (eg good tertiary policies would be likely to fall in this camp), or where the government likes it but probably couldn’t think of it themselves.
I would say the Green Party Energy Policy falls into the latter category. If I was Labour (*shudder*) I would be starting to get a bit concerned about energy. It’s a feckin HUGE issue and none of them have got the knowledge to deal with it. It’s just never been high on the agenda. There is only one person in Parliament with a solid knowledge of these issues and that’s Jeanette. What Jeanette doesn’t know about energy policy probably isn’t worth knowing.
Yesterday was a prime example.
Usually in a press conference, an MP goes on for about 10 minutes about the *big thing* and then opens it up to questions. Not yesterday. The journalists there were served an hour long lecture on the issues, powerpoint demo included and actually walked away with a deeper understanding of the issues.
The media worked out a while ago how Jeanette is in these areas. And so have Labour. At the beginning of this year when the cabinet shuffle was announced, there was a whole article in the business section dedicated to analysing what Mallard’s appointment to the energy portfolio meant in relation to Jeanette (basically he’s a seat warmer until after the election…).
As much as Helen appears to loathe Jeanette, I think she realises that if the election results meant having to have a Labour Green coalition and giving the Greens a cabinet portfolio, Energy would be the one to give. Certainly more preferable than giving Trade to Rod!
Green Party Energy Policy launch
I went to the launch of the Green Party energy launch today. You can read a summary of it here.
Got some damn smart stuff in it, especially the commitment to developing the solar industry with a view towards half a million solar panels for homes across Aotearoa. frogblog was obviously there too, and has a brief analysis of the media response, which we wont see until 6pm and tomorrow morning of course.
Good to see an election policy launch that thinks beyond the next 12 months, let alone the next election cycle.
Good stuff.
Here’s a photo of Jeanette gettin down wit’ energy efficiency!
IT moment
The Denizen has a good analysis on the Telecon hack. If you don’t understand who the bad guys are in this situation, read it. If you still don’t get it, maybe try reading the entire back catalogue of 2600 As an aside, the latest issue is pretty good, I now know more than I ever needed to know about magnetic strip readers…
And the finalysts have been anounced for the Computerworld Excellence Awards 2005. Interesting lineup, I know about a number of the finalists and there are some stonking projects up for awards. Good to see that we have some creative people out there, yay for them! Now how to get an invite to the awards…
Oh and note to IT spokespeople for political parties. There is a technological invention called EMAIL. If you READ IT you may find out some INTERESTING THINGS. You may also like to encourage your SECRETARIES to learn this VALUABLE SKILL.
Thanks
Yay for rich white chicks!
So this year is the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Woman. This time 30 years ago women from all over New Zealand converged on Wellington for the national Women’s Convention. So this year another convention is being held to celebrate and evaluate the gains made for women since then and look at what needs women in New Zealand have in a contemporary context and where we need to go from here.
Sounds like all good stuff.
But.
The conference is a pretty elitist affair. For a start the registration fee is $200, sure there is a fund to help low income women attend but what kind of message is this giving to women?
I have spoken to a number of feminist activists who can’t go because of the money. And these are amazing young hardworking activists. The sorts of women I would expect to see at the front of this conference.
Then there’s the programme itself. This seems to be a big series of ‘big-skirts’ telling the conference what the issues are and what they’ve done to fix them. Don’t get me wrong, this is important, but not I believe, what the focus should be. I was really dissapointed to see that there is a young women’s caucus, but it clashes with the only other special workshop sessions scheduled for the conference. And those workshops cover the areas where most young women activists I know are actually working ie environmental activism and non-violence/peace activism.
*sigh*
I’m not going to be in Wellington that weekend, but if I was I think I’d rather be protesting outside.
Save the whales!
It was out of it last week, I was out on the street helping with the Trans-Tasman Green campaign to lobby the Japanese to pull their heads in over their push to increase their ‘scientific’ whaling take. And all these people told me that ‘Save The Whales’ was such an old slogan and we should find a new one.
Excuse me?
THE WHALES STILL NEED SAVING! THEY’RE STILL HANGING OUT ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST, DUH!
So I asked some of these people if they would prefer ‘stop the barbaric large-scale, mass, butchering of large marine mammals’ and while some of them agreed that it didn’t quite have the same ring to it, most looked blank.
*sigh*
Anyway, for those of you who care, the NZ and Australian Greens launched a lobbying campaign last week. You too can join in by writing to the Japanese Ambassador. More information here.
Still recovering
OK so on Friday night I went to the Green Room 004: Hope CD release party at Indigo. It was amazing!
The presales sold out the morning before so there were people lining up outside the venue an hour before the doors opened. And once the door sales went there was still a line of 50 or so people waiting outside for ages trying to get in. I heard at least one person who turned up with a ticket managed to sell it to someone in line for $50. That’s ridiculous!
But so worth it.
The gig was magical.
I have not felt so many warm fuzzys in ages. And the gig was tremendous. Holy wowed us all with her amazing vocal range and soul. Kora rocked I thought the speaker stand I was leaning against would fall over. They started with Burning, their track off the album and they couldn’t have planned that any better, the crowd response was awesome. The highlight was of course their performance of Politician, and they made it pretty clear to the audience that politicians weren’t the only target of their message “are you going to make the right decision?”.
But the biggest highlight of the night for me was seeing Dallas from Trinity Roots, Kora and Hollie having a big jam together. Everyone in the audience knew they were witnessing something pretty damn special and probably something never to be seen again.
Big ups to all the people who made the night possible.
La la la, I’m going to be floating on this one for at least two weeks…