Best stop-him-in-his-tracks question at tonight's 'Meet Mr Smith Meet' went to the lovely lady from Lumsden, who asked the Minister (who had just described how important the Government felt it was to follow Best Practice with all mining and drilling projects in NZ, based on overseas models),
"Minister, can you tell us, where is the world's best practice example of lignite mining?"
A stunned and awkward silence enveloped the Minister before he claimed that he 'wasn't willing to say'.
The complimentary bag of dirty ol' lignite goes to Chris Henderson for both the quality of the question, and the timing!
25 comments:
What was the audience's response to that cop-out of a reply?
They all sang another verse of
Kum ba yah
Ya reckon? Were you there Anon? Just goes to show what a civilised bunch those Greens are I guess?
We'll Give China the Coal We'll Ban for Ourselves. (Andrew Bolt-Herald Sun)
"CHINA isn’t just buying up the farm here - literally - but is rubbing our face in our suicidal stupidity.
"The fuss this week about the purchase of 43 farms in the Liverpool Plains by Chinese miner Shenhua Watermark actually ignores the biggest warning.
"Politicians are suddenly panicking that foreigners could own much of our best farmland, with our crops no longer our own in an increasingly hungry world.
"Yes, it’s a worry, especially when the new owners are not shareholders, open to the best price, but an aggressive state. But we’re still talking about only 43 farms, bought for $213 million.
"So, no, by far the biggest worry is that these farms, 500km northwest of Sydney, actually lie over a big coal deposit.
"That’s the message. China has decided it doesn’t just want to buy our coal exports, but the mines themselves, to make as sure as it can that it will have coal for decades to come."
And Bill & John are selling off Solid Energy!!!
Well done Chris! Now we are waiting for a decision regarding the Waituna. A good press release from Russel: http://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/government-intervention-needed-save-waituna-lagoon
and my thoughts on Nick's visit, including an informative little F&B video:
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.com/2011/06/waitunas-fate-in-ministers-hands.html
Well I have some hope fer Nicky... te bar-room tan is indicative of one who is not comfortable in his skin - neither would I be in a room full of Gnacts.
I'm hoping we have a closet human here, just dying to come out(go Green Nick - I'll look after you!)
All the years watching "Yes Minister" on the telly finally paid off for Nick "dichotomy" Smith.
An amazing admission for such a selfless man basking in the pure light upon the sublime summit of ecological moral virtue.
Have no time for the weasel myself.
Suz - it was a public meeting organiswed by the Bluegreens so there were a good mix of people there. This particular response from Nick went down like a lead balloon with some of the audience, though they didn't holler, but the others didn't even notice.
As for Kum ba yah, yes, the Bluegreens opened the evening with a very nice rendition.
Sally - that's very instructive and spot on. What are you gonna do about that?
bsprout - Chris was on-form for sure! We are meeting with Minister Smith shortly at Murihiku Marae - he's been at the lagoon all morning. It will be interesting to hear what he thinks about it. Last night he appeared not to have grasped the issue fully.
Mark - you may be right about Nick - he's widely loathed by the hard-Right, so there is hope for his soul.
Peter - you'll have enjoyed the bust made from cow sh*t that captures Nick's features so well.
"Peter - you'll have enjoyed the bust made from cow sh*t that captures Nick's features so well."
Stay classy..You Greens.
The Greens probably, and me certainly, promote the use of natural materials for as many things as possible and this example - a bust made from what might otherwise be a waste product, is excellent.
That bust is friggin awesome..am completely in awe of those artistic types..best I've ever managed is to step in cow-shit and trawl it through our car..would pay serious money for a likeness as good as Nicks.
A very striking image Robert. My first thought was "who has been throwing XXXX at Nick Smith,?", followed by "why did they stop?".
Just back from a hui with Nick and co. at the marae - have to say, he was very attentive, asked appropriate questions and seemed receptive of some very challenging ideas. What he does in response to those will reveal his true position and we'll have to wait a while before we see what that is. I showed him my tie, naturally. Will post picture when I get home. His PA was a very nice fellow.
Not the tie with the snails again Robert?
Ha dutchie!
I try never to wear the same tie twice.
What were your thoughts about the evening meeting with Mr Smith?
I'd really like to hear your views and won't attack them. I recognise that Nick did some very capable stuff there and didn't have issue with every thing he said. :-)
you are right Robert, I was pleased with the meeting.. it was well balanced in regards of the audience.
good to see that all those Greenies were there to challenge the minister and let him work for his money...otherwise he would have been able to tell the crowd what they wanted to hear.
I fully agree with his idea of collaborative talks, from my point of view the only way to come to solutions.
I think my BlueGreen cronnie was pretty happy as well...
Hi Robert
What about something along the lines of "Save Manapouri Campaign?"
Collaboration's the buzz word of the moment dutchie, there's no doubt about that. I hear the American Government is collaborating with the Taleban to forge a peace accord.
What do you reckon about that?
Sally - there's a lot going on along those lines but it's worth thinking about where we are at with the Manapouri Scheme now. Just thinking about the state of the Waiau and Deep Cove.
I appreciate that collaboration is a buzz word but doing this with the Taliban goes a couple of steps to far from mine point of view.. I think the Taliban will behind the scenes not stop to exist as a extremist force even if they strike a deal with the Americans.
However Obama is desperate trying to safe his bacon to avoid being ousted during the next elections but I doubt if he will achieve this by snuggling up with the Taliban or any other extremist group for that matter.
The most ironic part about slipery Nick... Robert:
"The burning of coal is the dirtiest form of energy and the single largest global source of greenhouse gases" - Nick Smith, 2007
Thank you very much Anonymous.
Anonymous isn't so anonymous but was only too quick with pressing the buttons ;)
If you were Anonymous@10:24 dutchie, then my political radar has somehow been knocked right out of line!
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