[share this on facebook]

In an extraordinary statement yesterday, Prime Minister John Key, who is also Minister for Tourism, compared our 100% Pure brand reputation to the McDonalds 'I'm Lovin It!' marketing campaign. You know, those adverts that sell you cheap fast food and high blood pressure. He glibly stated that our reputation was simply a marketing campaign and “it's got to be taken with a pinch of salt."

He was of course talking about the brand upon which our exporters rely on as a vehicle to overseas markets, a brand that was considered amongst the most powerful on the planet and worth US$13.6 Billion to the New Zealand economy (1). All of that demolished with one smug, off-the-cuff comment to an astonished press gallery.

With this statement, it seems John Key is deliberately lower... Read more >

The World Bank has released a report warning that we are on the path to a 4 degree warmer world by the end of the century - triggering devastating consequences, such as flooding of coastal cities and declining global food stocks. It is a wake-up call to our leaders to tackle climate pollution.

The report, Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided , paints a bleak picture of a world in chaos: extreme weather events like the one that ravaged New York; serious problems in food production; more droughts, heat waves, water scarcity, irreversible loss of natural habitat and wildlife.

The world that my daughter will live in will be a very different place from the one that she knows now.

It's a depressing scenario for any parent to face, but also one that makes me more determi... Read more >

I don’t know about you, but I’m starting wonder whether we're watching the death spiral of a Government that’s lost its purpose and sense of duty.

It seems with each day that passes, the Government’s calamitous handling of our country is evidence that it’s given up on its obligation to public duty. The asset sale farce and the poor manner in which the Treaty of Waitangi claims have been handled show a misunderstanding of how a majority of us think.

The willingness to stand shoulder to shoulder with a handful oil executives, yet ignore the concerns of 150,000 Kiwi’s who want a cleaner safer way of growing our economy shows an arrogant disregard for those concerned about the future of New Zealand. As Phil Heatley put it: “they are not really New Zealand”. Really? And Texan oil giant Anardar... Read more >

John Key has announced a back down on his plans to sell off the first of our state owned assets – Mighty River Power. He claimed that although he did not accept the argument that Maori had property rights over the affected waterways, he would consult with them anyway. Jolly gracious of him, but it doesn’t change the fact that once they’ve ticked that box they seem intent on pressing on with their firesale anyway.

But will they manage it now? It does seem that Prime Minister Key and his cabinet have got themselves in a bit of a tangle here - and it’s not just their PR machine that’s tying them in knots. It’s their inability to manage our country and our prosperity going forward.

The economic case for selling state owned assets has been widely panned by opposition parties and economists ali... Read more >

With the Climate Change Response Amendment Bill currently before select committee the Government is proposing changes that will gut our Emissions Trading Scheme in favour of big polluters.

They have invited public submissions, but allowed only an extraordinarily short time in which to have your say. You have until next Monday 10 September to take action on this very important issue.

The proposed changes heavily favour big polluters, undermine environmental protection and will damage the clean, green reputation that’s so vital to NZ’s economy.

The bill is a deliberate attempt to destroy the price of carbon and sideline New Zealand’s clean energy sector in favour of the Government’s 19th century dirty energy agenda.

At a time when urgent action is needed on climate, this sends a very... Read more >