Posts by Richard Aston
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Hard News: The Scientology front…, in reply to Paul Campbell,
our real problems are that we’re all haunted by murdered space aliens
Man that is so out there , the sort of thing you could well hear from a really really stoned person .
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Oh and David, very very funny , Ben from the Civilization has competition for surreal satire.
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Pity to see him go but I agree David he was one L short of a Russell
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Hard News: Housing, hope and ideology, in reply to Ross Mason,
German Housing Policy….
Thanks for the link Ross. The German approach to rental housing seems way better than ours.
The German system moreover is deliberately structured to encourage renting rather than owning. Tenants enjoy strong rights and, provided they pay their rent, are virtually immune from eviction and even from significant rent increases.
I have German friends who inherited rental houses from grandparents that's how secure they are.
Its seems our tenancy laws are draconian - to tenants - by comparison hence the big drive to buy... and sell... and buy again.
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Hard News: Housing, hope and ideology, in reply to AndrewH,
And even the labour issue could be mitigated by employing some 21stC construction materials and techniques
+1 Andrew , that would be more creative if Govt looked at different and more efficient ways to build houses. Off shore maybe but pre fabricated in NZ factories would create a lot of jobs and not require fully skilled master builders .
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Hard News: Housing, hope and ideology, in reply to bob daktari,
Its not a complex issue if there is a will and desire to solve the problem
I agree but real solutions to complex problem don't always sync with political desires.
eg The 3 Strikes policy , simple ( dumb) solution to a complex problem but I bet it pulled in the punters ( um voters) . -
Hard News: Housing, hope and ideology, in reply to Brent Jackson,
It’s not illegal to drive barefoot in New Zealand
What about picking your nose while driving ?
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Hard News: The Hager saga continues, in reply to James Littlewood*,
How did it get to the Greens?
um yeah sorry about high jacking the thread ...
Or do you side with right wing commentariat that they should get off economics and everything else that people care about and stick to their environmental knitting?
No I don't but I have noticed some in the Green community feel that way.
I am tentatively supportive of a green approach that connects more to the commercial world , Russel Norman has been making some headway there.I don't think we can divorce sustainability from economics and as Farmer Green points out, the environment - and how we relate to it - impacts on the social world .
Its all connected, including Steve Barnes getting his pony.
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Hard News: The Hager saga continues, in reply to Sacha,
Lacking understanding of how intertwined social justice is with sustainability.
Actually I think many Greens lack that full understanding .
Their policies cover a lot of the social justice/social caring area , I just wonder if they need more work to detail them into practical policy.How would you articulate the connection between Social Justice and Sustainability?
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Hard News: The Hager saga continues, in reply to Farmer Green,
Are there any indications that the Green Party is having a review of its electoral performance?
I have heard discussions going on among green member around the Blue/Green proposal from Gareth Morgan , getting heated in places as the pure greens debate the pragmatic greens. Discussions around the negative effect the Internet Party had on the green vote.
Interesting thing in Green circle discussions is that for many the Green Movement as a whole is considered way bigger than politics. I guess we forget that the Green party is just part of a wider movement to change perceptions.
Another topic is the Green's place in social policy , some say its not a Green thing others say social justice is deeply linked to respect for the planet .
Still others are banging on about better engagement with voters
The nub seems to be , better engage voters with current Green policy/values OR change policy - some- to take on more Blue/Green ideas and therefore attract more voters.
I think it will be interesting they have a good base to build on , kept themselves clean of leadership wrangles and the dark arts.