Some hard-bitten citified Nat flunky said this in today's Times:
Photo opportunity?
Why are we commenting on another politician who doesn't know what he's talking about; taking a 'photo-opportunity' which then gave rise to asking where Eric Roy was.
What really matters is did Russel Norman actually come up with any solid means to combat the degradation to the Waituna Lagoon?
Or is it just that he wanted his pikkie in the local rag, just to show us poor Southland cousins that Wellington-based Greenies do actually know where we are, and that they do recognise that there is a problem.
They don't actually have any good ideas, but lets pontificate a bit in the public eye.
Now let me ask all who are interested, was this just a photo-opportunity? Methinks so.
PETE SAYERS
Invercargill
Naturally, I replied:
Dr. Russel Norman of the Greens doesn't lead his party from the comfortable seat of a ministerial BMW. His great concern, and that of the Greens, is with the state of the environment in New Zealand, so he gets out onto the rivers up and down the country to see up-close what's happening to them. His day at Waituna Lagoon, which Mr Roy and his cohorts would like to paint as a photo-opportunity, was spent meeting with concerned scientists, farmers, iwi, Land Care members, councillors and Environment Southland and Department of Conservation staff, hearing their concerns and views about the lagoon. Dr. Norman has a science background and was quick to understand the challenges presented to him. He was also forthright in giving his own views on what needed to be done to stop the damage being done to Waituna. What he didn't mention was the huge contribution the Green Party has already made to wetland protection throughout New Zealand – an $8.8 million contribution in fact. The reaction from those who weren't there at the meetings and out on the lagoon, who claim that the Green leader was merely looking for a 'photo-op' looks, smells and tastes to me like sour grapes, or in the case of Waituna lagoon, sour mud.
6 comments:
Lol sounds like your telling off naughty school children
Surely Eric is grown up enough to ask Russ to go for a kayak ride with him next time, so he can have a good look at what is at stake. The sooner people get on with wetland and water protection the better.
Does it Bio?
Sweet voice of reason, I reckon. The 'family' went doggo at my first salvo :-)
Yes Anonymous, you're right. Eric should build a bridge and not revert to sniping at the leader of another party. Russel's day at the lagoon was a genuine and useful step toward progress. The fact that he pre-empted Eric has rankled the gruff Invercargill MP and he's not being helped by his hot-headed supporters. That's all good, in my book, but I'd hoped for a cleverer reaction to what will be a campaign of such gentle provocations.
It would be interesting to hear more from Eric on so called bluegreen issues, they have been rather silent on the lignite matter, or on promoting clean energy in Southland and Otago.
Surely selling off Southern farms to China, and selling lignite to China undermines farmers of the deep south. Resilient and self reliant farmers and National supporters surely are not happy about National selling out farmers and undermining New Zealand by selling off Solid Energy, SOEs and selling our resources at dirt cheap (mind the pun) prices.
Bill and Eric have a lot to answer for. Brownlee and Key are coal pimps and salesman, I would of thought Southland MPs would be more loyal.
Perhaps you are right Anonymous - Eric may be feeling some disquiet over the actions of Key and co. and keeping his head down and eyes averted but that's not enough, if that is the case. A Southlander and a man of the land should look into his heart and see where his real loyalties lie. As for ex-Southlander Bill English (resident of Karori), I hold out no hope at all. He's well and truly sold out to the god Mammon.
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