Local Bodies

China has more high speed trains than the rest of the world put together, the US has none. Winston Peters' attack against Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan because of his Chinese heritage almost created a diplomatic furore. If it wasn't for the mature restraint from the Chinese to not react to the highly charged racist rhetoric from our Foreign Minister, it could have had an economic impact. I think this is an opportunity to appreciate how the world order is changing and how our once strong connection to the US is becoming increasingly untenable. Most of us have been brought up to feel that New Zealand is part of the 'developed world' (largely culturally western) and the rest of the world was full of the 'developing nations' that we felt a paternalistic need to support to eventually become as good as us. This feeling of cultural and economic superiority also has its roots the colonising culture many of our ancestors brought with them to NZ. I think we need to have o...

I have been doing my own research into AI and data centres by talking to local experts and environmental scientists. I have also been getting useful information from other credible international sources. Most people opposing the Southland data centre project are concerned about what is happening in the United States, where AI companies build these massive centres in small rural communities who do not have the ability to push back. The demands on energy, and water have an immediate impact and the lack of environmental controls also mean noise and light pollution too. From what I have gleaned the environmental impact of the Makarewa data centre won't have some of the extreme impacts of those in the US, but are still concerning without tight regulations and strong oversight. I am especially concerned about the three adjacent wetlands that could be impacted. The biggest issue will be the electricity supply. When NZ is already struggling to have consistent supplies this one centre wil...

The Green Party has proposed that we should make union membership automatic, with the ability to opt out. This a no brainer to restore some balance to the employment relationship. The 1991 Employment Contracts Act effectively deregulated our labour market by abolishing compulsory unionism, making bargaining voluntary, and nullifying nationwide industry awards, it stripped away widespread collective rights and shifted the balance of power heavily toward individual contracts and employers. Union membership has plummeted from almost 50% in the 1980s to around 18% today. Disinformation has always existed about unions because employers have the most power and influence. I note the headlines that the Green union policy will drag NZ back to the "dinosaur age". Sadly many workers have been convinced that their interests are best met outside of unions and collectivism is promoted an evil 'communist' concept. The neoliberal economic system we have embraced is one of individual...