Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The back of a bloody envelope

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  • Kyle Matthews,

    It's very concerning to see conservation schedules... screwed over like this. It seems to defy the very nature of putting something in schedule 4, to then agree that we can mine it. It either needs protecting or it doesn't, and if it does need protecting, it can't need protecting until we find out that there's gold in them their hills.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    A metronym, surely.

    Touché.

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    Has anyone modelled tourism and trade impacts yet?

    Not of this specific proposal. But IIRC there's ben some work on environemtnal sensitivity of tourism revenue, and it tuns out to be quite high.

    DoC has done some assessment on the value of national parks, here. (PDF)

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason,

    New National Party mantra:

    "It's MINE!"

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    "It's MINE!"

    To cross-post from Twitter:

    Revealed! Gerry Brownlee's behind-the-scenes policy advisors.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    Both gold and coal mining produce mountains of toxic waste full of heavy metals

    That's putting it mildly. For those who don't know, gold tends to be at very low concentratiosn - to get an ounce of gold (they're pre-metric), you have to dig up a ton or two of rock, crush it, and pour cyanaide all over it.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    The worry for me is, will anyone actually remember what National has done this year when it comes time for us to vote again?

    This is the National government, it has always been like this and as far as I can see always will be like this, driven by business interests and essentially willing to piss on long term interests of the country for short term profits for their mates. Not all of the party is like that but enough to make a National government quite predictable.

    And yet many of the same folks who are horrified today voted for National last election and you know what my bet is they will vote for National again when the time comes because they will have forgotten this year.

    ------

    As for the idea of mining conservation lands ... did anyone watch "last chance to see" on Sunday ... you don't get to mine conservation lands AND protect the Kakapo and Kiwi ... it's an either/or equation no matter how much the fat man in the suit might bluster ... send the mining trucks in and the wildlife dies.

    Personally, I'll take a slightly lower standard of living rather than lose those lands.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason,

    pour cyanaide over it

    Hang on...wasn't that used in some other massacre that included Kool Aid

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    From Twitter:

    @KevinHague: Key just said he could rule out open pit mining in sched 4 land. That will be a neat trick. World 1st underground mining ...

    The phrase "just making it up" comes to mind.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    So, like no one at the Herald is going to fix Fran's reference to Green Party co-leader "Norman Russell"?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Gold Cads...

    pour cyanaide all over it.

    I'm guessing this cyan aide is a mixture of liquefied National Party assistants - also known as the incredibly toxic Blue Rinse!
    ;- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    Forest and Bird, bless 'em, have got an e-card campaign available on their home page. Go to it.
    Update: be warned, you will get an instant response from the offices of John Key, Gerry Brownlee, Kate Wilkinson and Nick Smith.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    And yet many of the same folks who are horrified today voted for National last election

    I suspect many of them thought National had changed. Others just thought Labour had gotten a little too comfortable. Hopefully, many of them are now regretting that decision.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    @ Josh

    Yes, sorry, 'Wellington' in both senses of the word is a noun. My mistake.

    And first I've heard of metonym. Just wiki'ed it. Thanks.

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    And I'm lovin' the new edgy-ness to Forest & Bird's website banners - one could say National's been soooo good for them.

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Talked to a member of the Young Nats the other day. He's the product of a liberal school which encourages critical thinking and being comfortable with who you are. He told me he joined National because they support business and he has a small business (when he's not at university). I asked him whether he supported mining on conservation land and he earnestly told me that there are new techniques that don't scar, New Zealand needed the money (the royalties would be valuable even if all the profits went offshore), and he was sure that once we knew 'all the facts' it would have widespread support. Not surprisingly he was a huge Key fan and believed every word he said. He's a Backbenchers fan, and we agreed that it was good young people are interested enough in politics to be activists. I wonder, though, whether anything will ever shake his faith.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock,

    be warned, you will get an instant response from the offices of John Key, Gerry Brownlee, Kate Wilkinson and Nick Smith.

    Sounds like one of those fun euphemisms the US military is fond of, like 'terminated with extreme prejudice', or 'collateral damage'.

    "We received a complaint from your sister about the national park mining, ma'am. Our instant response unfortunately led to her becoming collateral damage after we terminated her ability to complain with extreme prejudice."

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    Hang on, cyanide is organic

    Actually it's inorganic but I know what you mean.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Motion Without Notice. :) Excellent catching Nats on the back foot. Good TV today,(now).

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Luke Williamson,

    The Nats are moving so fast now that it's hard to know what to be irate about without spreading my ire to thinly. Super Auckland, mining conservation land, nabbing blue fin tuna and today John and Paula have announced a new open season on dole bludgers. I've only heard a few details but it sounds like another battle field for any with liberal tendencies.

    Warkworth • Since Oct 2007 • 297 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    Hang on, cyanide is organic

    Actually it's inorganic but I know what you mean.

    But Copper is "organic"

    And Agent Orange isn't.

    And Cyanide is a carbon based compound so it is organic too, except when it isn't.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    Bart, can we agree that although cyanide (CN-) contains a carbon atom, it behaves as an inorganic ligand except when it's a nitrile functional group? You probably know as well as I do that in the context of mining we're dealing with inorganic chemistry.

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I suspect many of them thought National had changed. Others just thought Labour had gotten a little too comfortable. Hopefully, many of them are now regretting that decision.

    I actually thought both of those things were plausible, but it still wasn't enough to get me to vote for them.

    And I do think things have changed - these ideas may be coming thick and fast, but I still get the impression that National could furiously backpedal away from any that prove unpopular enough. That's improvement.

    I'd just as soon actually be debating good ideas instead, but at least we're debating the bad ideas instead of just sucking on them. For now.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    cyanide (CN-) contains a carbon atom, it behaves as an inorganic ligand

    Carol I was just teasing. I know cyanide is considered inorganic. But I do remember it being "difficult" since there are times when it is organic, sort of.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Stewart,

    Sweet as, Bart. The chance to discuss chemistry doesn't come along very often at PA, so I jumped at it!

    Wellington • Since Jul 2008 • 830 posts Report Reply

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