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November 2009

Facing Danger Every Day

Submitted by Heather Roy on Fri, 27/11/2009 - 3:51pm

This evening I will be at Ohakea Air Force Base in the Manawatu to welcome home the New Zealand Defence Force personnel of Op Rata II, who are returning to New Zealand from a rotation in the Solomon Islands.

Tonight's welcome is particularly special for me: I farewelled these servicemen and women when they first deployed and, in September, visited them in theatre to observe the work they were doing with Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

While over there I noted that the troops were in great heart. They had a real sense of purpose. I was greatly impressed by their professionalism and enthusiasm for their mission, and I am delighted to be welcoming them home this evening - but probably not as delighted as their families.

The Cost Of Food

Submitted by Heather Roy on Sat, 14/11/2009 - 10:05am

Food prices came under scrutiny this week after a New South Wales Associate Professor, having analysed figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), said that grocery prices in Australia and New Zealand had risen 41 percent and 42.5 percent respectively since the start of 2000.

According to Professor Zumbo - an Australian commentator on competition, consumer and franchising law - New Zealand's food prices have increased faster than every other major industrialised nation except Korea, with Australia next in line. He puts this down to a lack of competition given that both the Australian and New Zealand supermarket sectors are dominated by two major players: Foodstuffs and Progressive Enterprises here in New Zealand, and Coles and Woolworths across the Tasman.

More Argument Against Emissions Trading

Submitted by Heather Roy on Sun, 08/11/2009 - 11:51am

This week another compelling argument was raised against the need for an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), this time in a New Zealand Institute of Economic Research Inc (NZIER) report titled 'Sustainable Development: Have We Got Our Priorities Right?'

The report looked at our current sustainable development policy "in light of international approaches to sustainability which focus on maintaining stocks of natural, physical, institutional and human capital" and examines our environmental priorities against:

* Scale of the value at risk

* Immediacy of threat

* Coverage

* Uniqueness

* Controllability.