My daughter and I just spent a very enjoyable evening in the company of Green MP Gareth Hughes, having a meal at Zookeepers in downtown Invers. It was Hollie's first meeting with the dynamic (and apparently, charming) youngish Green and she was mightily impressed by his manner and exuberance. I think the photo of his wee girl on his phone was the icing on the cake for my 17 year old, who spent the drive home talking about her possible future in politics.
Gareth was a mine of information and opinion on all sorts of issues, most interesting perhaps being the Rena grounding and his research and involvement there. He talked of Steven Joyce, his behaviour over the issue and we did smile wryly.
Tomorrow, a second Green MP, Kevin Hague is in our city and meeting friends and associates we have in common. I hope to speak with Kevin at the council, where he is meeting with our water scientists and seeing the Waituna Lagoon from the shoreline, in order to get a real picture of what's happening there.
It's very gratifying to have these guys down here, in a part of the country that is sometimes overlooked by parliamentarians (I'm looking a you, Bill English!)
So, the political scene in the south is as Green as, just now. Long may that continue.
9 comments:
Gareth spent considerable time talking with Venture Southland staff where he was blown away by the forward thinking involved with our space tracking station and the amazing work behind Southland's energy strategy. No other province has such a good grasp of the potential of their area and the long term issues around sustainable development.
It is such a pity that we currently have a government that would run roughshod over our ability to manage our own future and allow lignite mining, rampant dairying and oil exploration to go ahead with no protections or serious looks at alternatives.
Your daughter should start her own movement, the greens are too corrupted by dual agendas.
What happened to the garden party Robert??
She has already, Shunda. Her 'Greenagers' are a force to be reckoned with at Aparima College, both in terms of the physical and social environment there. New Zealand's only Fair Trade staff room (I think).
The Greens are not corrupted at all, Shunda. Your wild and unsubstantiated claim holds no water here but you are welcome to present your (factual) case. Hot-headed opinion will be largely ignored or used as material for a return-in-kind :-)
The Garden Party continues to ride high in the polls, though we've kept the result from the media, not wishing to give the present Government a sniff of the trouncing we will deliver in November. Every fine day since the 1st of Spring, my people have been out there, working hard for the Party, cultivating support and sowing the seeds of success. Our growth has been exceptional. Have you not been approached yet, Shunda? perhaps you have, but were unaware. Subtlety is our modus operandi.
Robert, I'm quite impressed by your friend, Shunda. He is what I call a discerning environmentalist.
He's an impressive guy, FBB, there's no doubt about that. Got a few odd ideas though, about society and how it should run :-)
Oh Dear, Moodys haven't read the Green script - bother
Got a few odd ideas though, about society and how it should run
Hey, 'oddness' is all in the eye of the beholder.
I am sure people thought the wheel was odd at first.
....and number 1 what an odd number, yes, yes it is!!
Odds-on Bill Oddy was the oddest Goody.
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