"the thing is that Key is manipulating democracy to brand NZ Inc, and people are resisting that"
Someone said this, somewhere and they are correct.
Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
An attack on democracy - today's meeting with MPI
Proposed national guidelines for forestry would strip councils of democratic rights, an Environment Southland councillor says.
The Ministry for Primary Industries held a public meeting on Tuesday, to address the proposed introduction of a National Environmental Standard for Plantation Forestry.
About 30 people attended the meeting at the Invercargill Workingmen's Club.
Environment Southland councillor Robert Guyton was concerned the proposal seemingly slipped in the permitted planting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), without public consultation.
The proposed NES would replace regional and district councils' existing district and regional plan rules for managing plantation forestry, creating a nationally consistent approach.
However, Guyton was concerned it would take away the power from elected councillors.
"The democratically elected representatives will have no say."
The proposal would have lasting effects for Southland. Allowing genetically modified plantations, including sterile trees, would limit environmental risk management, pest management and the ability to market New Zealand goods overseas, he said.
It would mean New Zealand would lose its GE Free status and would not be able to reclaim it, creating a "serious economic threat" to Southland, he said.
"Once it's in, it's in."
Under the proposed NES, local council authorities would lose the ability to make decisions on planting genetically modified trees, he said.
While Guyton opposed the use of GMO, Steve Chandler, a Southland/Otago forest manager, said he supported the NES proposal because it would allow the use of some GMOs.
"One of the things that we really like is the ability to implement sterile trees."
However, MPI forestry and land management directionate analyst Stuart Miller said the Environmental Protection Agency was yet to approve any use of genetically modified trees.
"It is an issue that has been raised across New Zealand and we'll be giving some serious thought to the issue of GMOs and GE as a public interest."
Wider public consultation would be considered, he said.
Proposals for the improvement of the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative were also discussed at the meeting. It enables landowners to receive carbon units through the creation of permanent forests.
The initiative, part of New Zealand's climate change response, is under review to increase the area of permanent forests, increase economic benefits for participants and improve administration.
MPI is asking for submissions on the NES and on the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative, both submission periods close in August.
- The Southland Times Brittany Pickett
The Ministry for Primary Industries held a public meeting on Tuesday, to address the proposed introduction of a National Environmental Standard for Plantation Forestry.
About 30 people attended the meeting at the Invercargill Workingmen's Club.
Environment Southland councillor Robert Guyton was concerned the proposal seemingly slipped in the permitted planting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), without public consultation.
The proposed NES would replace regional and district councils' existing district and regional plan rules for managing plantation forestry, creating a nationally consistent approach.
However, Guyton was concerned it would take away the power from elected councillors.
"The democratically elected representatives will have no say."
The proposal would have lasting effects for Southland. Allowing genetically modified plantations, including sterile trees, would limit environmental risk management, pest management and the ability to market New Zealand goods overseas, he said.
It would mean New Zealand would lose its GE Free status and would not be able to reclaim it, creating a "serious economic threat" to Southland, he said.
"Once it's in, it's in."
Under the proposed NES, local council authorities would lose the ability to make decisions on planting genetically modified trees, he said.
While Guyton opposed the use of GMO, Steve Chandler, a Southland/Otago forest manager, said he supported the NES proposal because it would allow the use of some GMOs.
"One of the things that we really like is the ability to implement sterile trees."
However, MPI forestry and land management directionate analyst Stuart Miller said the Environmental Protection Agency was yet to approve any use of genetically modified trees.
"It is an issue that has been raised across New Zealand and we'll be giving some serious thought to the issue of GMOs and GE as a public interest."
Wider public consultation would be considered, he said.
Proposals for the improvement of the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative were also discussed at the meeting. It enables landowners to receive carbon units through the creation of permanent forests.
The initiative, part of New Zealand's climate change response, is under review to increase the area of permanent forests, increase economic benefits for participants and improve administration.
MPI is asking for submissions on the NES and on the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative, both submission periods close in August.
- The Southland Times Brittany Pickett
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Interviewing people with something to say
What an elegant title from the Southland Times 'letters' editor today; pithy and amusing too.
He was referring to my letter of response to councillor Miller's earlier, in-my-opinion lame, effort.
Marion Miller rises (November 1) in defence of the "old guard" on the council of Environment Southland.
In response to Stuart Collie (November 2) all Environment Southland councillors understand and accept the democratic process.
He was referring to my letter of response to councillor Miller's earlier, in-my-opinion lame, effort.
Marion Miller rises (November 1) in defence of the "old guard" on the council of Environment Southland.
In doing her duty she takes a swipe at The Southland Times' report and criticises the reporter for not interviewing those 'old guards', talking instead to the councillors who expressed a lively opinion during the meeting.
You can hardly blame the reporter for looking for something other than platitudes to offer readers.
ROBERT GUYTON
Rowly Currie too, had a letter published this morning (it's a good day for democracy, eh, Stuart!).
Rowly exposed an aspect of 'council business' that most people won't have known about; the continued influence of ex-chairman Stuart Collie. Rowly wrote (under the title, Democratic process):
In response to Stuart Collie (November 2) all Environment Southland councillors understand and accept the democratic process.
The majority view will always triumph.
Sometimes, some may not favour an outcome, and will say so, which is a democratic right.
It would appear that Stuart Collie`s remarks relate to the fact that he is the proud mentor of Ali Timms.
ROWLY CURRIE
Beautiful!
It would appear that Stuart Collie`s remarks relate to the fact that he is the proud mentor of Ali Timms.
ROWLY CURRIE
Beautiful!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Smashing democracy
Unbelievable! The Government's justification for refusing to allow democratic local body elections in Canterbury is that the voters might chose a balance between rural and urban councillors!
It's eye-wateringly, head-shakingly wrong to behave this way, but they have. NoRightTurn posts on the statements by David Carter to the Law Society and has a similar reaction to mine. Not disbelief, because it's not outside of what I believe the way this National Government behaves, but there's a whiff of disgust in his post, it seems to me.
"But the Government says elections this year could potentially produce the same deadlock between rural and urban councillors that created the need for commissioners in the first place.
It says the commissioners' work on freshwater needs to be finished before elections are held.
Local Government Minister David Carter says he did not want the commissioners' unfinished work on water going to a council that may have the same rural-urban balance of power as its predecessor.
Mr Carter is interested in the Law Society's suggestion of a council made up of appointed and elected members, but says that would not happen until at least 2016."
It's eye-wateringly, head-shakingly wrong to behave this way, but they have. NoRightTurn posts on the statements by David Carter to the Law Society and has a similar reaction to mine. Not disbelief, because it's not outside of what I believe the way this National Government behaves, but there's a whiff of disgust in his post, it seems to me.
"But the Government says elections this year could potentially produce the same deadlock between rural and urban councillors that created the need for commissioners in the first place.
It says the commissioners' work on freshwater needs to be finished before elections are held.
Local Government Minister David Carter says he did not want the commissioners' unfinished work on water going to a council that may have the same rural-urban balance of power as its predecessor.
Mr Carter is interested in the Law Society's suggestion of a council made up of appointed and elected members, but says that would not happen until at least 2016."
Monday, June 11, 2012
Nick Smith supports Dictatorship
Canterbury people lost their democratically elected Council to the National Government's ideological hunger for dictatorial power, when Nick Smith dismissed the Council and installed people of his own choosing. Canterbury people were justifiably incensed that a Government would over-rule the will of the people, but soothed their anger with the thought that they'd be able to elect a new Council when the rest of New Zealand held their local body elections. But no. That won't happen. National is to keep it's boot on the throat of the people of Canterbury and refuse to let them choose for themselves, according to Nick Smith, speaking at the Land and Water forum recently;
Canterbury doesn’t need another dysfunctional elected council making decisions on water, former Environment Minister Nick Smith says:
As a cabinet minister, he sacked elected Environment Canterbury councillors and replaced them with commissioners.
When their term expires next year, he hopes they will be replaced by a mixed council of elected and Government-appointed representatives.
In Ashburton on Thursday at a Federated Farmers water forum, he said there were some big water decisions ahead of Canterbury, including bulk storage and tapping into alpine rivers protected by Water Conservation Orders.
He said a fully-elected regional council making those decisions would result in the same “dog’s breakfast” left by the previous council, with views polarised into urban and rural camps."
Welcome to National's 'One ring to rule them all' style of politics, everyone.
There are unpleasant names for this sort of governance.
Canterbury doesn’t need another dysfunctional elected council making decisions on water, former Environment Minister Nick Smith says:
As a cabinet minister, he sacked elected Environment Canterbury councillors and replaced them with commissioners.
When their term expires next year, he hopes they will be replaced by a mixed council of elected and Government-appointed representatives.
In Ashburton on Thursday at a Federated Farmers water forum, he said there were some big water decisions ahead of Canterbury, including bulk storage and tapping into alpine rivers protected by Water Conservation Orders.
He said a fully-elected regional council making those decisions would result in the same “dog’s breakfast” left by the previous council, with views polarised into urban and rural camps."
Welcome to National's 'One ring to rule them all' style of politics, everyone.
There are unpleasant names for this sort of governance.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The bedrock of democracy
More letters in today's Southland Times, from people at Wednesday's 'lignite' meeting, at which, briefly and unsuccessfully, the past-chairman of Environment Southland attempted to subvert the democratic process. These 3 letters describe his failure as well as some values the letter-writers got from the occasion. The editor chose the 'bedrock' heading.
It was disappointing to hear Cr Robert Guyton being criticised for his initiative in organising a meeting to gauge the depth of feeling over Solid Energy's proposal to mine Southland's lignite. (July 7)
I have always believed that public consultation is the bedrock of democracy and must be employed whenever controversial issues arise.
It serves the dual purpose of clearing away misunderstandings by providing people with accurate information while also providing the decisionmakers with an insight into the feelings of the people they represent.
This step may prove to be an inconvenience to those groups that have their own agendas but it is the process that saved the old Southland Electric Power Supply from privatisation and succeeded in retaining it as a consumer owned non-profit trust.
Robert Guyton obviously shares this view, as well as appreciating the need to avoid breaking the conflict-of-interest protocols or showing any preference.
In my opinion he succeeded in doing this throughout the meeting by taking a completely disinterested stance, encouraging everyone present to speak and refraining from adding any leading comments. He was there to listen and learn but not lead the discussion.
This lignite mining issue deserves widespread public debate, because whatever decisions are made today will prove to be highly praised, or roundly condemned, by future generations.
ALAN SWALLOW
Invercargill
Collie questioned
I question Mr Collie in his chastisement of Environment Southland councillor Robert Guyton for what he says are predetermined views, and outspoken viewpoints.
In Mr Collie's point of view, this means Mr Guyton should not be on a consent hearing committee.
So how can Mr Collie be so sure that the other Environmnet Southland board members don't also have strong-held predetermined views?
They may have viewpoints that are totally opposite to Mr Guyton's.
I suggest to him that just because they are not outspoken doesn't mean they don't have strongly held political and personal biases, that are revealed in their decisionmaking with resource consents.
Mr Collie's own political biases are well known. I ask Mr Collie, when he was in the position on Environment Southland could he honestly say he never once allowed this to affect the decisions he made or his stewardship as its chairman.
Thankfully, with Robert Guyton, at least the community knows what he represents.
Personally, like many at Mr Guyton's meeting, I was appreciative for his giving the public a chance to have a say on the many important environment issues which do now and will affect Southland in the future.
PAULINE MACINTOSH
Invercargill
Attacks don't work
Mr Collie (July 7) needs to stop grandstanding and accept that he is not the chairman of Environment Southland now.
Attacks on Robert Guyton's integrity did not work at the local body elections. They do not work now.
Mr Guyton was elected as a well-known environmental activist, just as many well-known farmers and those of other persuasions have been elected in the past.
Guidelines around conflict of interest are quite clear. It is up to the current chairman of Environment Southland to decide if they exist and have not been declared.
There is a reason lignite has stayed in the ground so long.; the worst, lowest-energy coal gets mined last, if at all.
People at Wednesday's meeting wanted to talk about more than briquettes.
They wanted to talk about why lignite to liquids might not be a good long-term answer; about environmental impacts; about what might be better in energy economics; about the fact that there are more jobs in renewables and in agriculture than in unsustainable mining.
Fortunately, apart from Mr Collie's interruption, that was what was discussed.
Good on Robert Guyton for organising such a meeting, and I hope it is not the last such.
LESLEY SOPER
Labour candidate, Invercargill.
It was disappointing to hear Cr Robert Guyton being criticised for his initiative in organising a meeting to gauge the depth of feeling over Solid Energy's proposal to mine Southland's lignite. (July 7)
I have always believed that public consultation is the bedrock of democracy and must be employed whenever controversial issues arise.
It serves the dual purpose of clearing away misunderstandings by providing people with accurate information while also providing the decisionmakers with an insight into the feelings of the people they represent.
This step may prove to be an inconvenience to those groups that have their own agendas but it is the process that saved the old Southland Electric Power Supply from privatisation and succeeded in retaining it as a consumer owned non-profit trust.
Robert Guyton obviously shares this view, as well as appreciating the need to avoid breaking the conflict-of-interest protocols or showing any preference.
In my opinion he succeeded in doing this throughout the meeting by taking a completely disinterested stance, encouraging everyone present to speak and refraining from adding any leading comments. He was there to listen and learn but not lead the discussion.
This lignite mining issue deserves widespread public debate, because whatever decisions are made today will prove to be highly praised, or roundly condemned, by future generations.
ALAN SWALLOW
Invercargill
Collie questioned
I question Mr Collie in his chastisement of Environment Southland councillor Robert Guyton for what he says are predetermined views, and outspoken viewpoints.
In Mr Collie's point of view, this means Mr Guyton should not be on a consent hearing committee.
So how can Mr Collie be so sure that the other Environmnet Southland board members don't also have strong-held predetermined views?
They may have viewpoints that are totally opposite to Mr Guyton's.
I suggest to him that just because they are not outspoken doesn't mean they don't have strongly held political and personal biases, that are revealed in their decisionmaking with resource consents.
Mr Collie's own political biases are well known. I ask Mr Collie, when he was in the position on Environment Southland could he honestly say he never once allowed this to affect the decisions he made or his stewardship as its chairman.
Thankfully, with Robert Guyton, at least the community knows what he represents.
Personally, like many at Mr Guyton's meeting, I was appreciative for his giving the public a chance to have a say on the many important environment issues which do now and will affect Southland in the future.
PAULINE MACINTOSH
Invercargill
Attacks don't work
Mr Collie (July 7) needs to stop grandstanding and accept that he is not the chairman of Environment Southland now.
Attacks on Robert Guyton's integrity did not work at the local body elections. They do not work now.
Mr Guyton was elected as a well-known environmental activist, just as many well-known farmers and those of other persuasions have been elected in the past.
Guidelines around conflict of interest are quite clear. It is up to the current chairman of Environment Southland to decide if they exist and have not been declared.
There is a reason lignite has stayed in the ground so long.; the worst, lowest-energy coal gets mined last, if at all.
People at Wednesday's meeting wanted to talk about more than briquettes.
They wanted to talk about why lignite to liquids might not be a good long-term answer; about environmental impacts; about what might be better in energy economics; about the fact that there are more jobs in renewables and in agriculture than in unsustainable mining.
Fortunately, apart from Mr Collie's interruption, that was what was discussed.
Good on Robert Guyton for organising such a meeting, and I hope it is not the last such.
LESLEY SOPER
Labour candidate, Invercargill.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Following Key
I'm speaking tomorrow, to the James Hargest Highschool political studies group about local body politics, campaigns, democracy, deception and integrity and anything else that comes into my head. I'm motivated to galvanise the young poli-followers, as the previous speaker to address them was the Not-Right Honourable-Yet John Key. I'm looking foward to dispelling any myths the students might hold as a result of the PM's honeyed and jokey delivery and I'm being billed as a challenger.
Once that's done, I'm off to Orokonui and the Farmageddon symposium where who knows what might happen. Blogging may be intermittant over the weekend.
Exciting times!
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