I have not been at all excited by Maggie Barry's introduction into national politics. Her Tory-fied views and seeming sense of entitlement irked me but that's ideology difference for you I guess. Maggie made her Maiden Speech in the House this week, and this passage talked to the gardener in me:
"Given my green-fingered background and lifelong love of plants, I hope that my knowledge and skills may be helpful to shape our environmental and conservation goals. Producing and presenting the garden show gave me privileged access to people’s lives. Some of them were overwhelmed and daunted by the sheer scale of the planet’s problems, but personally I never doubted that saving the world starts in your own backyard. I share the views of many, that we are only the custodians of this land and the guardians, the kaitiaki, of our grandchildren’s heritage. We have to be vigilant and face up to our responsibilities and our woeful environmental record. Over many days, over many decades, we have let many too many introduced pests decimate our native plants. We have not treated our oceans and our waterways with the respect they deserve, and I want to be part of the Government that puts that right."
I'll be watching with great interest to see what effect ms Barry has on the anti-environment party she's joined and will be cheering her on if she makes even the slightest progress with her team that is determined to mine and drill, exploit and sell every square centimetre of our green and pleasant land.
11 comments:
From reading that section of the speech I can only conclude she joined the wrong party.
Indeed, Armchair Critic. You'd have to ask yourself why she was determined to become a Nat.
I do wonder how her own garden looks. Is it one like mine that chooses it's own course, by and large, or is it prim and proper, trimmed and sprayed. I suspect the latter, based on her political choice.
I'm insufficiently motivated to find the rest of her speech, and even less motivated to read it as I suspect it consists of the typical blathering of a tory.
Also, I've been dealing with a very enthusiastic pumpkin, an Atlantic Giant that very much lived up to its name, and I'm pretty much worn out.
It's possible that a garden says a lot about an individual. Mine is extensive, with some semblance of order amongst its wildness, and quite immature. From what I've seen of it, your garden is somewhat wilder than mine, and much more productive. Apart from location, I expect the main difference between our gardens is that you direct yours, whereas I wrangle mine. I suspect Maggie's garden is very well kept, and pretty, and designed to give pleasure for the compliments it receives from its visitors.
Garden Wrangler!
I'm puzzling over how it is your Giant could wear you out! Is it misbehaving? Have you been trying to relocate it to another part of the garden (always a risky maneuver)?
Mine usually lie quietly, but I'll be keeping a closer eye on them, now that I've learned that you're having trouble with yours.
No, it climbed all over my butternut pumpkin, and my courgettes, and it threatened to do the same to my watermelon. Even the photinia hedge was at risk.
So the giant pumpkin has been moved to the compost, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow, on a stinking hot day. Some of the pumpkins were so big I had to chop them up with a spade.
So you live in the Land of the Giants!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062578/
I always wondered.
I imagine Maggie's garden would be a mixture of pretty beds to keep the North shore neighbours happy, alongside interesting bits & pieces collected over the years and moved from previous gardens, some practical food plants,wild rambling bits and some natives to show she is really a conservationist at heart.
I hope the green from Maggie's thumbs starts spreading back into her heart and mind. I can't believe she wants to go down in history as one who sold out to big business, surely she'd rather be remembered as someone who helped save the environment, stopped the lignite madness and gave her child and all other children a chance at a decent climate future.
Maybe she's working undercover?
I do find your comments regarding the selling of every square inch interesting.
There are quite a few NZ imports who are part of the Environment Centre, and they own land in Riverton I believe. Do your thoughts on National selling land also cover these people or is that different?
Maggie's a mole, Viv?
Maybe so!
Animal - our Environment Centre 'imports' are New Zealanders now, live and work here and aren't planning to scarper. Purchasers of large tracts of land, who have no intention of ever living here are different, yes.
Do you not think so?
I'm not so sure that I can discriminate so easily. I, like you no doubt, want the best price for my little slice of greenery, even though my poor kids will be paying who knows what for theirs, such is the joys of depending on land as an investment.
Overseas buyers push the price up much to our muttering, yet we smile when the valuation comes in, and then we moan when the rates come in. As Elton John said, its the circle of life.....
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