The Luxon Government’s War on Nature
“But the truth is that real gains only ever come out of a mobilised civil society and achieving a mobilised civil society is exactly what we have to do.”
– Russel Norman
russel norman
Russel Norman: Climate change is harder to visualise than coronavirus, but no less dangerous
Executive Director of Greenpeace NZ, Russel Norman writes about the different responses to climate change and covid-19, and the things we can learn from the pandemic.
Climate change, political heroes, political culture
How ironic that Parliament is to debate climate change today, as the latest in a torrent of warming-fueled extreme weather events bears down on the country, and as the government charges Russel Norman and the other heroes trying to end oil exploration in NZ waters.
Norman on the economy
Russel Norman was right in 2014 when he said that the Nats were daft to gamble on oil and bulk milk production, and he’s right again now to draw attention to the failures. We need a green economy!
Murdoch on political exits
Green Party announcement – Russel Norman to stand down as leader
Twitter has gone berserk about an announced Green Party press conference for 11 am today. Initial speculation is that a Green MP may be standing down. Update: One News has tweeted Russell Norman has resigned as leader. Update: Russel’s Norman’s statement added.
A fighting liberal
New Zealand voters like strong politicians. And today Russel Norman showed he’s a strong politician – a fighting liberal.
For perhaps the first time since John Key took power, someone has had the guts to stand up and blame him directly for the corrupt government he’s been running.
Nats turn blind eye to peak oil
Russel Norman asked Bill English about the economic impacts of coming oil shocks and how transport infrastructure planning takes them into account. I’m not sure which was more surprising: English’s matter-of-fact acknowledgment that peak oil is coming, or his attitude that the government doesn’t need to act because the market will sort things out.
Do I stay or do I go?
The Labour and Green parties’ activists are in uproar over their parliamentary wings’ decision to vote for the Gerry Brownlee Enabling Act. A lot of people are saying they won’t campaign for these parties and talking of voting for a minor party or independents. Is it time to damn them and leave them? No. We’re going to win our parties back.
Free speech zones
The most disturbing aspect of the handling of the Chinese security guard’s assault on Russel Norman is the way that the Nats are going to use it as an excuse to further restrict free speech. Don’t let them set us on the path to America’s notorious “free speech zones”.
Do we now kowtow?
The police won’t lay charges against the security guard who assaulted Russel Norman. Fair enough I guess. They’re out of here today. Probably too minor to justify a prosecution. That doesn’t make what happened OK. A thug for a foreign power violated the rights of one of our MPs on the grounds of our Parliament. A display of contempt for our sovereignty. And our democracy.
Chinese security attack MP
A security guard for Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping attacked Green MP Russel Norman today while Norman was protesting at the Chinese delegation’s arrival, and holding a Tibetan flag. Our Government needs to make a formal protest to China over this incident.
Lies strengthen case against David Carter
It’s the lies that get you. That’s what Agriculture Minister David Carter and John Key are learning as more details of Carter’s conflict of interest over the legislation that removed the Environment Canterbury councilare emerging. Carter and Key now have to explain why they have lied and misled, which will be tricky to explain if they continue to insist there’s no ministerial misbehaviour to cover up.
Carter leads on whaling
Good on Chris Carter. He’s the only politician on Left taking some leadership in opposing the National Government’s abandonment of New Zealand’s anti-whaling […]
The Tory nose-dive roundup
I never seen a government crash so quickly, so hard. The Standard was saying before the election that Key was a two-faced facade […]
Some stuff to read
A few good posts today that are worth a look if you missed them: Chris Trotter reckons the police and the media are […]
The challenges for the Mt Albert candidates
Bit of a group effort this one. John Boscawen MP – Boscawen is mad as a hatter and pretty damn ignorant. So he […]
Courage under fire
Last week Russel Norman, Wellington resident and Green candidate for Mt Albert, publicly labelled Aucklander David Shearer, Labour’s candidate, as “a grey machine […]
Progressive?
It was deeply depressing to wake up this morning to the sound of Russel Norman running National Party attack lines on Radio NZ. […]
Gordon Campbell on the MoU
Gordon Campbell’s latest Scoop column takes a very critical view of the Greens’ Memorandum of Understanding with National. While the Greens’ strategy is […]
Russel Norman at Drinking Liberally Wgtn – tomorrow
The Drinking Liberally – Wellington email: By popular demand this Wednesday Drinking Liberally Wellington presents: Russel Norman – Co-leader of the Green Party. […]
Ward sees sense
Good on Mike Ward for finally seeing sense and stepping aside, allowing Greens co-leader Russel Norman to enter Parliament replacing Nandor Tanczos. Norman […]
Nandor to stay in Parliament until election
Nandor Tanczos has just announced he will not be standing down from Parliament early to let Russel Norman in because former MP Mike […]
Media policy
As The Standard has grown, we’ve started to receive inquires from the media and requests for a comment or interview. We’ve been a […]