The fast track has created a dependency on political patronage. Individual businesses can only access the fast track if ministers agree. Coincidentally political party donations linked to fast track applications have ballooned.
Russel Norman
@russelnorman.bsky.social
Father, partner, gardener, swimmer, environmental advocate, lover of life on Earth.
The NZ economy is being lashed by high fossil fuel prices, which increase the cost of living and drive inflation. Let's decarbonise the energy system for the climate and reap the side benefits of lower energy prices.
Just a reminder at how poorly served farmers are by agribusiness lobby groups, like Fed Farmers, which vociferously oppose action on climate change, leaving ordinary farmers to deal with the climate disruption. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Britain could face food shortages as drought continues, farmers warn
Farmers battle to salvage what they can of their crops as heatwave set to continue
theguardian.com
Just a reminder at how poorly served farmers are by agribusiness lobby groups, like Fed Farmers, which vociferously oppose action on climate change, leaving ordinary farmers to deal with the climate disruption. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Britain could face food shortages as drought continues, farmers warn
Farmers battle to salvage what they can of their crops as heatwave set to continue
theguardian.com
2 August 1938 | A Dutch Jewish girl, Jeannette Groenteman, (in the middle) was born in Amsterdam. In 1942 she was deported to #Auschwitz with her mother Lena and siblings Anne & John. All were probably murdered together in a gas chamber.
Trump has emboldened the worst Americans to show their true selves, and the same is happening here. Racist homophobia misogynistic and so on. It’s so sad and ugly.
30 July 1927 | A German Jewish girl, Chana Pilz, was born in Berlin. She emigrated to Belgium. She was deported to #Auschwitz. She did not survive.
ICYMI over the weekend I posted on Substack about Auckland Council’s new housing density plan, agricultural emissions, the cement bailout and the thing that has characterised them all: predatory delay on climate action by the powerful. Free to read simonwilsonhopetown.substack.com/p/housing-fo...
Housing, Fonterra, cement: the crisis of predatory delay
The tactic that holds back the progress we know we need.
simonwilsonhopetown.substack.com
We desperately need to outlaw corporate donations to political parties. We need electoral finance reform. www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3610...
National donor Bayleys pockets $2.5m for selling state houses
Kāinga Ora says Bayleys Real Estate won the lucrative contract in a competitive tender.
stuff.co.nz
Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling for citizens assembly to reform New Zealand's electoral finance laws. "Our democracy is facing an unprecedented onslaught of political party donations, which have increased five-fold compared to two electoral cycles ago,” says @russelnorman.bsky.social #nzpol
Greenpeace calls for citizens assembly to reform electoral finance laws - Greenpeace Aotearoa
Greenpeace is calling on all political parties to support a citizens assembly to reform electoral finance laws in light of the alarming flood of political donations threatening to drown democracy in N...
greenpeace.org
1991 Building Act deregulated building industry resulting in the $50b leaky houses disaster. Tort law was successfully used to sue those responsible. This led to Govt re-regulation. TODAY people are trying to use tort law to hold companies responsible for climate harm, to force action on climate
Have you noticed the FLOOD of paid political advertising? That's because of the FLOOD of MONEY into parties. Much of it is connected to corps aiming to weaken enviro protections. We need to ban corp donations and we need campaign finance reform. action.greenpeace.org.nz/petition/cle...
PETITION: Clean up politics
Join the call to clean up politics and stop the corrosive influence of corporate donations on democracy
action.greenpeace.org.nz
There is a flood of donation$ into the political process - a great deal of it is linked to corporations that seek to overturn enviro protections and get subsidies for pollution. Today we've called for a citizens assembly to reform electoral finance rules. Join us: greenpeace.nz/tvyip8s7
PETITION: Clean up politics
Join the call to clean up politics and stop the corrosive influence of corporate donations on democracy
greenpeace.nz
The NZ Gov plans to deregulate the setting of maximum residue limits for toxic pesticides. I mean hey deregulation worked so well for the building industry what could possibly go wrong. www.beehive.govt.nz/release/more...
beehive.govt.nz
Anyone still serious about investing NZ$ BILLIONS in LNG terminals and oil exploration instead of renewables and storage needs their heads examined 🙃 #NZPol
Scott Hamilton@sdhamiltonvic.bsky.social · 2w agoSolar & Batteries are winning 🏆 au.news.yahoo.com/renewables-b...
The similarities between Trump and Luxon. NZ weakened fuel efficiency standards for imported cars, and weakened the methane reduction targets for agribusiness while stopping their entry into the ETS
Meanwhile the farm lobby has successfully lobbied for: More fossil fuel based fertiliser More methane emissions More diesel subsidies Easier destruction of wetlands Harder transition to resources saving &healthier plant based diets. "Food security" is weaponised to destroy our actual food security.
Andy Scollick@andyscollick.bsky.social · 2w ago9 million tonnes of crops destroyed by just one heatwave across Europe, which lasted 13-14 days. #FoodSecurity
The neoliberal deregulation of the building industry continues to cause misery and complications decades later. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland/...
'They’ve destroyed us': Apartment owners lose high-stakes leaky home legal battle
Owners at the St Lukes complex face repair bills topping $240m across 17 buildings.
nzherald.co.nz
Ōwairaka / Mount Albert with its head above the fog in Tamaki Auckland this morning. Is this what it looks like if the seas rise up?
The climate commission report out today shows emissions reductions almost coming to a standstill in 2024 as the Govt’s war on climate policy had its predicted impact. Dairy emissions are up. 2025 numbers will be worse. It is grossly immoral for NZ Govt to undermine global climate efforts.
The NZ Govt has pursued policies to increase fossil fuel dependence. This is terrible for the climate, but also inflationary and adds to our import bill - $8 to $10 billion per year. Decarbonising the economy means lower climate pollution, lower inflation, more energy sovereignty, lower energy bills
The Coalition Govt’s deliberate policy of making the NZ economy more fossil fuel dependent sure looks pretty stupid now. Fossil fuels are driving inflation and climate disasters.
Winston's idea to give $1billion of govt money to oil cos for exploration is a lose-lose gamble: If they find oil, we get more catastrophic climate change; if they don't find oil we just pay oil cos $1b for nothing. Spending on solar/batteries is a guaranteed investment in clean energy sovereignty
Winston's idea to give $1billion of govt money to oil cos for exploration is a lose-lose gamble: If they find oil, we get more catastrophic climate change; if they don't find oil we just pay oil cos $1b for nothing. Spending on solar/batteries is a guaranteed investment in clean energy sovereignty
Solar and other new renewable generation is putting downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices without climate pollution (unlike fossil fuels which are expensive and polluting) : www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...
NZ’s biggest solar farm powers up in Waikato
The 182ha Tauhei Solar Farm will power about 35,000 households by October.
nzherald.co.nz
Every person who campaigned against the Govt’s fast track bill can claim a piece of the credit for stopping seabed mining off Taranaki, which in turn leaves open the possibility of baseload offshore wind generation off Taranaki.
That NZ could possibly have game changing offshore wind generation is only possible because we beat the seabed miners TTR. www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...
Super Fund-backed offshore wind project pushes ahead as rivals withdraw
The partnership has invested $15m to test a 1GW wind farm off South Taranaki.
nzherald.co.nz
Smart Govts do everything they can to cut fossil fuel dependency. Reduce climate pollution, reduce Trumpflation, increase energy sovereignty.
The Govt is spending $294million to reduce environmental protections. www.thepost.co.nz/politics/361...
Treasury flags major risks in Melling and RMA overhaul
The two projects were given the second highest risk rating possible in Treasury’s independent gateway reviews.
thepost.co.nz