Category: Politics
Like Helen Clark, Jacinda Ardern is using global warming to create a political platform on the international stage - and perhaps a career path at the United Nations. But her game plan - to lead the world through zero carbon legislation - will come at a significant economic cost to New Zealand.
Much has been written recently about the misrepresentation of the effectiveness of methane as a Greenhouse Gas (GHG). Our paper published in The Journal, the official publication of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management in September concludes that methane is irrelevant as a GHG and so is nitrous oxide.
The political media love controversy. There’s been an abundance of that ever since Donald Trump was elected US President - but over recent weeks, there’s been plenty here as well. Here’s how the Jamie-Lee Ross saga unfolded.
It would be a huge mistake to believe that most Americans are obsessed with President Donald Trump and the ongoing drama in the nation's capital. Most Americans get on with life and are usually more interested in local matters.
Ill-advised comments by senior Judges can have a profound and long-lasting impact. We saw this in the 1987 Lands Case between the New Zealand Maori Council - represented by Sian Elias - and the Attorney-General, when the President of the Court of Appeal, Sir Robin Cooke, used the word ‘partnership’.
"I swear that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Her heirs and successors, according to law, in the office of Judge and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of New Zealand, without fear or favour, affection or ill will. So help me God." This is the Oath of Office taken by all Judges.
Last month Parliament debated a Private Members’ bill to entrench the Maori seats. The bill would make it more difficult to abolish Parliament’s Maori seats by ensuring that a vote of 75 percent of MPs would be needed to get rid of them.
The seven Maori seats in Parliament should be scrapped. The need for them has long passed. The seats have become redundant; other than a political crutch for Labour, they serve no purpose and rather than entrenching them, Parliament should be doing away with them.
The cost of living is on the rise due largely to the record prices that New Zealanders are now paying at the petrol pump. Petrol hit $2.40 and more for the first-time last week, but over the weekend, the “no new taxes” Labour Government imposed a new petrol excise tax adding another 3.5 cents per litre – plus GST - onto the cost of fuel.
Ever since Meremere power station was commissioned in the 1950s, New Zealand has relied on coal-fired power stations supplemented by gas and oil to provide the 10% of annual energy needed in a 1:20 dry year to replace the shortfall in hydropower generation. To make up for the shortfall we need to have an energy store that can be converted into electricity over a four month dry period.
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