Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: In The Green Room

jh

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 10:35:53 +1200

In 2008
Anti-immigration feeling has no place in the Green party Immigration and Population policies released today, Green MP Keith Locke says.
"Our policy is the opposite of Winston Peters'," the Party's Immigration Spokesperson Keith Locke says.
https://home.greens.org.nz/press-releases/greens-counter-peters-welcoming-immigration-policy
In 2011 the Governments own Savings Working Group said:
On other government…

Ian Dalziel

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 09:30:13 +1200

Have you considered the effect of the next earthquke on the alpine fault
Surely they will have updated theEQC system to encompass this event – they wouldn't dare miss the opportunity to base the process in realities rather than hopes – as they did back in 2008 – by not…

jh

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 09:26:47 +1200

Exactly. And there’s an argument that by growing sustainably and taking a reasonable number of immigrants, we are easing the burden on more populous and strained ecosystems, like Europe and China

Blinded by enthusiasm for social change? "Progressives of the internationalist tradition"? Not true to label? Wolf in sheeps clothing?…

jh

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 09:20:02 +1200

I think you’ll find the New Zealand situation fairly unique in our potential for massive growth in renewable energy, at least compared to Europe.

Have you considered the effect of the next earthquke on the alpine fault (sitting at the top of the probability curve about now)?
With an expected…

Sacha

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:54:04 +1200

I blogged about last night including some useful supporting links. Scroll to the bottom to watch the 15m clip of Hager’s masterful speech the previous day, even if you ignore the rest.

Russell Brown

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 22:05:31 +1200

Nice work, Russell, I think you did a good job challenging M&R :)

Cheers. And thanks for the question!

Mikaere Curtis

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 20:40:30 +1200

I thought the concept worked well, albeit a few extant technical issues. The contrast between Cunliffe/Key soundbites and Metiria/Russel expansive policy points was telling.

Nice work, Russell, I think you did a good job challenging M&R :)

Mikaere Curtis

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 10:07:45 +1200

I am a Green Party member and activist, and have stood for election several times (but not this election).

Here's my question:

The stability of a multi-party government can rest on the stability of the minor parties (e.g. Labour/Alliance). Assuming you achieve roles in Cabinet, and are therefore subject to…

chris

Wed, 27 Aug 2014 22:26:26 +1200

@Oh, God

"The Green Party supports an inclusive education system. When families have to opt out of religious education it risks a child feeling excluded and their values or beliefs undermined. Education about religions is legitimate but not as “instruction”. A first step should be families who want RI to…

Sacha

Wed, 27 Aug 2014 19:33:36 +1200

Q: How will the Greens better involve patients and consumer organisations in developing and implementing health policy and services?

I've accepted an invitation to attend, so will see you all there/online.

HORansome

Wed, 27 Aug 2014 18:51:57 +1200

Two related questions for the Greens (which I'm asking on behalf of a family member):

1. What is the Party's preferred party vote threshold?

2. Would the Green's support moving to STV for electorate votes?

Bart Janssen

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 07:54:20 +1200

Anecdotally (ie, the company I work for), the tax breaks are what make it worth keeping operations in Australia.

And that is the reason I don't think it's a terrible policy, particularly given the proximity and ease of shifting operations to Australia.

Just adopting parity with Aus on R&D tax breaks…

81stcolumn

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 23:19:33 +1200

Okay some questions on education.

Depending on how you see it, the Student Green card is a nod or bribe to the student vote. However it is no substitute for a teritiary policy. The value of the graduate premium is going down, the individual debt burden for students is going…

Sacha

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 20:20:06 +1200

Have The Greens actually committed to any "clean politics" policies and actions?

They've been publically calling for a clean-up every few months for years. Haven't checked their policies but I'd be surprised if it isn't in there somewhere.

They also lodged immediate complaints to the relevant authorities as soon as…

tussock

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 18:05:34 +1200

You can stop the whole OIA guessing-game and leaks system by pro-actively publishing everything that can normally be requested. Just make it part of briefing Ministers and such that a properly redacted copy is put on the public server.

There's still data compilation stuff that could be requested, but if…

Moz

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 17:07:43 +1200

Have The Greens actually committed to any "clean politics" policies and actions? I recall No Right Turn asking them to declare all donations over the threshold they want, and promptly, then complaining that they didn't want to. Have they decided to do that yet? And ideally, to restrict political donations…

Moz

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 17:04:31 +1200

there is no real evidence that shows that direct stimulus to business investment (i.e. tax breaks) does much to increase business R&D

Anecdotally (ie, the company I work for), the tax breaks are what make it worth keeping operations in Australia. We have a small assembly and shipping operation, and…

Bart Janssen

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 16:09:33 +1200

How will these tax breaks for research and development bring prosperity to people

It's not an entirely bad policy. One of the big problems we have in the NZ R&D investment balance is an almost complete lack of investment in R&D by business.

The main problem is that companies big enough to…

Rich of Observationz

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 12:45:34 +1200

fairly unique in our potential for massive growth in renewable energy

Exactly. And there's an argument that by growing sustainably and taking a reasonable number of immigrants, we are easing the burden on more populous and strained ecosystems, like Europe and China.

James Littlewood*

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 12:22:54 +1200

It looks on the shallow end like a subsidy for established business’s

What about the numerous passages devoted to encouraging start ups?

James Littlewood*

Sun, 24 Aug 2014 12:20:22 +1200

Really? I see it as neither freaky or National friendly.

More direct subsidy, more RD tax subsidy, more integrated business environment, more graduates in innovation disciplines. Wrapped up in context that innovation is the business of adding value.

I'd like to know more about sharing equity with the government funder.…

Myles Thomas

Sat, 23 Aug 2014 22:36:09 +1200

I think you’ll find that quotas are not allowed under the GATS free trade agreement. Helen Clark talked about it and was quietly told its impossible without cancelling out of GATS. TPPA has content quota restrictions too as they are seen as anti competitive to international trade! Australia has quotas…

tussock

Sat, 23 Aug 2014 17:36:29 +1200

the dairy "industry"

If it walks like a Ponzi scheme, and it quacks like a Ponzi scheme, ....

tussock

Sat, 23 Aug 2014 17:27:42 +1200

So why are they the only Green Party in the world not actively promoting "steady state" economics?

I think you'll find the New Zealand situation fairly unique in our potential for massive growth in renewable energy, at least compared to Europe. There's room here for a bigger economy with far…

tussock

Sat, 23 Aug 2014 17:20:17 +1200

Bottom lines, and actual priorities.

I don't think that's realistic, is it? Labour hasn't even finished writing all their policies, the Greens have no firm idea on the composition of the next government or their own share of the vote, there's no indication of how strongly various other parties feel…

Marc C

Sat, 23 Aug 2014 14:21:35 +1200

My questions to Metiria and Russel are: How committed are you on the kind of social security (income support) and also disability policies you have published, and how high a priority will it be for you to push for the introduction of a universal basic income, so that you can…

izogi

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 21:47:02 +1200

In the wake of Dirty Politics

Also in the wake of Dirty Politics, and the claims that MPs, Ministers and their staff have been employing "dirty" tactics for a long time:

(a) Where should the line be drawn on what's acceptable and what isn't?

(b) What's the policy for making…

Samuel Scott

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 21:39:37 +1200

I'd like to know where any of the parties stand on NZ content quotas. Specifically music. Specifically-specifically NZ music percentages on commercial radio.

But it's not really a hot issue for many!

Caleb D'Anvers

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 20:16:46 +1200

Andin has the questions I’d like asked. How, practically speaking, do we resolve the conflict between the country’s two biggest industries, agriculture and tourism? What can be done to mitigate agricultural pollution? How do you do that without completely antagonising the farming lobby?

andin

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:42:02 +1200

The Clean rivers is a good idea, but full of cosy words and light on detail. Such an aim will run straight into real opposition from the dairy "industry". Who will see it as costing farmers money, and so prices will have to go up they will tell us. How…

Kumara Republic

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:10:29 +1200

It's all part of a wider malaise in NZ, where those with the vision don't have the money (think Grant Straker), those with the money don't have the vision (think the housing cartel and asset sales), and the the two camps are poles apart.

Training and research are too often…

Rob Stowell

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:15:28 +1200

every panelist I’ve talked to has said they could fund twice as many grants with no loss of quality and all the grants could easily be doubled in size with no loss of quality.
Yep. It’s woeful how many great projects don’t make it- or get a grant, do great…

George Darroch

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:14:42 +1200

Bart, the policy (with PDF) is available here. I'm afraid I won't do justice to it!

Stephen Keys

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:04:47 +1200

The Greens talk a lot about sustainability and how the current economic policies aren't working. So why are they the only Green Party in the world not actively promoting "steady state" economics? Too hard? Too unpopular? If the current system is deeply flawed, why just tinker with it with Labour??

Bart Janssen

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 15:15:12 +1200

I was at a business breakfast recently where Norman emphasised the difference between an across the board increase in claimable R&D as opposed to the current practice of subsidising chosen businesses and industries.

Well that's disappointing. Last time we had that the accounting firms were quick to claim all their "research"…

Steven Price

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:55:42 +1200

What is your role in the left-wing conspiracy? Why don't you want to talk about the issues that matter to New Zealanders? Which vile bloggers on the left are you secretly colluding with?

George Darroch

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:48:35 +1200

From my perspective too much of science funding has the fingerprints of politicians all over it. Usually the motivation is that politicians believe they can “pick winners”. Sadly that motivation is unsupported by any evidence, historical or otherwise.

I was at a business breakfast recently where Norman emphasised the difference…

Myles Thomas

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:32:26 +1200

Question option 1: Clearly NZ’s commercial media model is a failure and we need non-commercial broadcasting and media. But what would the Greens advocate and how would they ring-fence funding so that any subsequent governments can’t close these channels/websites down?

Question option 2: In the wake of Dirty Politics, Should…

Bart Janssen

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:31:13 +1200

I think an interesting area of questioning would be around attitudes to science, particularly as it relates to their current focus on economic transformation and “innovation”.

This is a good issue to raise. So far the Greens seem to be saying they will "invest in science" but it is far…

Brent Jackson

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:30:15 +1200

Since the results of cisgenesis is indistinguishable from conventional cross-breeding (but takes a fraction of the time), why does the Green Party oppose all GMOs ?

Bart Janssen

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:08:53 +1200

Ok I'll toss this in the mix. And while this is focused on GMOs I'd point out that it applies to all technological advances.

I really like The Greens commitment to evidence-based policy. You can see the impact on their transport policy where a combination of having a genuinely knowledgeable…

George Darroch

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:44:05 +1200

I am a Green supporter and quite an active active one (I'd encourage anyone who wants to make change in NZ to volunteer for a political party in the next few weeks).

So I'm not exactly neutral right now. Nevertheless, I think an interesting area of questioning would be around…

Raymond A Francis

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:32:31 +1200

I presume when you say " or even voter" that means you do vote but not (so far) for the Greens

Ron Wilson

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:40:09 +1200

I agree the torture of that nice Mr Key has been terrible.

barnaclebarnes

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:27:04 +1200

In what areas do you think you can work with National? If there was one thing you would want to achieve under a National lead Government, what would that be?

Alex Coleman

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:25:37 +1200

Brilliant.

I like to hear their position on torture, and what NZ can or should do regarding the US's complete failure to abide by the treaties we are both signatories to.

Graeme Edgeler

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:09:44 +1200

Bottom lines, and actual priorities. Which of their policies are they going to insist are implemented, and which are they going to say are their policies, but might simply declare, "oh well, we didn't have the numbers"? What would it take for them to walk out? What policies of Labour's…

Public Address

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:09:44 +1200

Discussion from blog post.