Having had a jolly good chortle to this morning’s video from 08wire.org that uses the doyen of 80s hair and jangle Belinda Carlisle to highlight the real cooperation between the Greens and Labour, it was somewhat of a rude shock to see my opponent in Wellington Central pour such ugly venom over our furry friends.
Not content with a bit of old school Tory ‘beneficiary bashing’ (which also managed to undermine the Nats ‘block of cheese’ attacks on the Budget) my opponent takes to the Greens on ‘sanctimony’ and;
In my experience they are often deeply hypocritical, and contemptuous of the kindness and concerns of ordinary New Zealanders
Ouch, and very unfair. Not sure what my friends at FrogBlog will make of that. I have had my differences with the Green Party, in particular around science and genetics when I was working with them on the outcomes of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. But in general I have found the Greens to be principled and dedicated advocates for the causes they believe in. They also have a record of highlighting important issues for the environment well ahead of other parties in Parliament.
My opponent seems particularly wound up about biofuels. It is true that in the rush to find alternative energy sources there have been some poor and destructive land use choices. That is not what is going on in New Zealand, nor in the legislation. We are seeking to develop and encourage the use of sustainable biofuels.
In yesterday’s Dom Post there was an excellent artice by Elizabeth Yeaman from EECA, that sadly is not on line. She outlines the sustainable sources for Gull’s current biofuel. The Dom Post also had news of further funding for biofuels made from waste gas. This will see New Zealand at the cutting edge of the next generation of biofuels, which includes other sources such as wood, algae and even household rubbish.
In any event perhaps its best I sit between Stephen and Sue at tonight’s debate at Victoria University….
