Who loves water the most?

The Editor of the Southland Times, Fred Tulett, has set the ground-rules for the southern candidates in next months general election, by declaring that they and their parties will be judged according to their positions on water and its protection. Three cheers for Fred! That's calling the shots and putting a stop to the petty nonsense that comes when it's a political free-for-all. The water issues of Southland are central to our well being and if political wanna-bees and incumbents alike want to be considered worthy of support from Southlanders, they'll have to show they are worth it, by fronting up to the challenge set by Fred. Some will struggle. Eric will have a lot of work to do to convince the voting public that he and his industry-friendly National Party even know what the values of water are, let alone show that they have done something to protect them. Dave Kennedy of the Greens, will find it very much easier to show that he and the Green Party have the well being of the water at heart - environmental protection is central to their existence and the work done over the years will be easy to demonstrate to the public. The Southland Times has already begun their in-depth exploration of the water in our region and the ways in which it is used and abused and the quality and depth of their reporting and research is admirable and entertaining. The election at this end of the country will be very interesting indeed to watch. Getting a heads start today, were Dave Kennedy and Green MP Kevin Hague, who went to Waitauna Lagoon to see first hand what the state of that water is like now, and to speak with ES scientists who are working out in the field, monitoring the threatened and fragile lagoon. One of Fred's journalists and a photographer were there too, so tomorrow's paper should contain the opening salvo, most appropriately, from the Greens.