Here’s a couple - add your own in comments Chris Trotter: There was a time in this country’s history when citizens asking questions of public servants was an entirely unremarkable exercise of their civil rights. A time when, far from causing fear and alarm, the practice of holding bureaucrats … [Read more...]
This week – Academic Freedom: Science and Politics in the United States
This week our speaker is Professor Mark Hostetler from the Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, IFAS, University of Florida. Mark’s topic is “Academic Freedom: Science and Politics in the United States” Mark will cover what it’s like being a scientist and living in the … [Read more...]
Garry writes 16 August 2023
It has been troubling to watch Council meetings online recently. They appear to be a variation on a very badly run community group. How many times have we been to a meeting and witnessed a chair, who really doesn’t know how to manage a meeting, trying to manage local folks who have all arrived with … [Read more...]
The Loft Social service defunded
In the Press on Saturday it was reported that The Loft, a valuable social agency in the East has had its funding declined by MSD. We will follow this one up as this is an agency which is relied on by a large number of people from a vulnerable portion of our city. In the weekend there was an … [Read more...]
The recent visit by the Commissioner for Future generations from Wales was inspiring:
A couple of weeks ago Christchurch had a visit from Sophie Howe the former Commissioner for Future generations for Wales. This Commissioner position is fascinating. The task for the Commissioner is to ensure that the public service complied with the Future Generations Act which has laid out seven … [Read more...]
The discussion on boarding cards for public transport drags on and on
Some years ago, I was on the NZTA board, now called Waka Kotahi. One of the matters debated at the Board was the issue of boarding cards for public transport. Auckland applied for a significant sum to develop its own card to NZTA. The Board decided that we would support Auckland to develop what … [Read more...]
Am I correct in being incredibly suspicious of electric vehicles?
I’m a complete car nut. My life has centred around driving vintage motor cars. So, what I am now reflecting on is me challenging the way I, and my family, have lived. My father was a motor mechanic for 55 years and I grew up in his garage listening to him and his mates talking about their vehicles … [Read more...]
I loved this article questioning Labour and National’s transport policies
In an article in Spinoff last week 22 year old Tommy de Silva wrote: The choice to tunnel under Te Waitematā from downtown to the inner North Shore will take decades to complete and have a $35bn-$45bn price tag (which Bernard Hickey argues might inflate to $65bn). It’s not just … [Read more...]
Last week Bernard Hickey wrote about our energy system
One of the issues facing our energy system is that it was re-structured by Max Bradford in the 1990’s with the misguided idea that competition would lead to “efficiencies”. The trouble is a consent is not worth much unless a board of directors and shareholders agree to invest … [Read more...]
Spare a thought for those with long COVID:
It is fashionable for some COVID deniers to rubbish vaccinations and to poo poo the whole matter of those who suffer greatly from this illness. In the Washington Post there is the story written by a novelist who went from high performing to completely laid out by the long COVID which it … [Read more...]
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