Podcasts about green party mp

The Green MP for Rongotai says the party's support remains strong in Wellington, despite Mayor Tory Whanau stepping down after one term. Green Party MP for Rongotai Julie Anne Genter spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Greens are reiterating the importance of combating climate change, concerned Kiwi buy-in appears to be fading. An Ipsos report shows the proportion of New Zealanders concerned about the impact of climate change in Aotearoa has fallen from 80 percent two years ago - to 69 percent. Greens Environment spokesperson Lan Pham says ignoring the climate crisis, will not make the problem go away. "We know communities are really struggling at the moment - and it's hard for people to think of the future when they're actually having to focus on surviving the cost of living crisis." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Green Party MP has accused some government ministers of being, quote "outwardly racist and xenophobic", and he's called on the Prime Minister and Parliament's Speaker to take action. Green Party spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On today's episode, a Green Party MP has accused some government ministers of being, quote "outwardly racist and xenophobic", and he's called on the Prime Minister and Parliament's Speaker to take action, drivers in the Wairarapa will save an estimated three minutes driving between Featherston and Masterton now the speed limit is back up to 100 kilometres an hour, Robert F Kennedy Jnr has been questioned on his involvement in the measles outbreak in Samoa in senate hearings, Coffee drinkers could soon be paying more for their favourite brew, and two school students have been given the opportunity of a lifetime, to represent New Zealand at the "Olympics" of Science and Engineering Fairs in the United States.

The Green Party says the National government is not on track to achieving current emissions targets. Green Party MP Steve Abel joins Early Edition to talk about the party's emissions reduction plan. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Pacific Waves today: NZ parliament approves Samoa bill by Green Party MP; Lack of communication on Manawanui cleanup; Documentary challenges stereotypes of Pacific women; Tahiti and NZ football team claim semi-final spots.

Ex-Green Party MP Darleen Tana has failed in her High Court bid challenging the Green Party's investigation into her actions. Ms Tana had applied for an interim injunction to prevent the her former colleagues from meeting to decide whether to invoke the waka-jumping legislation, with the caucus calling Ms Tana unfit to be an MP, deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

System Change Aotearoa have kindly provided us the audio from their 20 August 2024 public meeting about a radical left party in NZ. Enjoy!Do we need a new party of the radical left? This is a crucial question facing anticapitalists in Aotearoa today.We live in an era of extreme inequality. The threat of climate breakdown looms over everything. Yet governments around the world sit idly by as the rich get richer and the climate crisis worsens.On the left, we see a clear explanation for this: the capitalist system is designed to always prioritise corporate profits over people and planet. Yet right-wing populism is on the rise, scapegoating minorities for society's problems. Aotearoa now has the most right-wing government in decades, pursuing an agenda of austerity whilst attacking Te Tiriti.We must organise to fight back. But do we need a new party to do this?System Change Aotearoa is excited to host Sue Bradford to speak on this vital topic. Sue is a lifelong activist who has been fighting for working people for decades. She will be drawing on her experience as a former Green Party MP and candidate for Mana, as she shares her thoughts on why a new party is necessary.Sue published a paper on this subject in 2017. She argued that the role of such a party is not merely to stand in elections. We are talking about a party which seeks to organise the resistance to capitalism across society, in workplaces and in the streets, and in Parliament only when it is strategic to do so.Elliot Crossan will be speaking on behalf of System Change. He will be speaking on the rebirth of the radical left across the world in the last decade, and why the time for a new party is right.Website: systemchange.nz FB: facebook.com/systemchangenz Insta: instagram.com/systemchangeaotearoa Twitter: twitter.com/systemchangenz

One member of the Greens says the caucus hasn't met for discussion on whether to invoke waka-jumping laws against Darleen Tana. Tana has left the party, but if she won't quit Parliament, the Greens can only replace her in their MP count if the Speaker removes her, an action the Party has historically opposed. Its report found Tana likely knew about alleged exploitation at her husband's business - E Cycles NZ - which is now in liquidation because of poor sales. Ricardo Menendez-March says he hasn't considered putting the issue to members at the AGM. He says it's up to members if they want to discuss it - but the right thing for Tana to do is resign. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 43-year-old former Green Party MP and former human rights lawyer has admitted stealing nearly $9000 of clothing from retail stores in Auckland and Wellington, Lucy Xia reports.

Last week, resources Minister Shane Jones released a draft strategy for mineral mining, aiming to double the amount of exports in the sector.  The strategy also mentioned "significant amounts of different types and grades of coal deposits" in Aotearoa, and aimed to align consents for coal to other minerals in order to increase coal extraction. In response, the Green party has created a petition, calling on the government to completely roll back on its coal mining initiatives and to protect the natural ecosystems of Aotearoa.  For their weekly catch up, Oto spoke to Green Party MP, Ricardo Menendez-March, to discuss the petition. We also had a conversation about the Defence Minister Judith Collins decision to extend New Zealand Defence Force deployments to the Middle East and Africa

Day 1 of the new Duncan Garner: Editor In Chief LIVE! On the show: American Chuck Simpson waited 5 years to be paid $6,000 by Green Party MP Darleen Tana after working at her & her husband's bike shop. What should happen to the Green MP who's currently on fully paid leave? Are the Crusaders back, and is Rob Penney safe? Sheep Dog trials - the fabric of Heartland NZ 346 landlords who own at least 200+ properties each will share $464M between them in tax cuts...are we ok with this as a country?! Enjoy folks - We are live again tomorrow from 7.30am on YouTube, Twitch, and Tik Tok. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  The Fast Track approval legislation would enable the Ministers of transport, Infrastructure and Regional Development to approve consents for projects without going through the current considerations around communities and local and regional government, existing legislation regarding Te Tiriti and community participation. Environmental activists have criticised the legislation as a potential avenue to undermine environmental considerations. Nicholas spoke to Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March about his Party's stance on the legislation.   They also spoke about the International Monetary Funds' recommendations regarding reform in our tax system.

  The Fast Track approval legislation would enable the Ministers of transport, Infrastructure and Regional Development to approve consents for projects without going through the current considerations around communities and local and regional government, existing legislation regarding Te Tiriti and community participation. Environmental activists have criticised the legislation as a potential avenue to undermine environmental considerations. Nicholas spoke to Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March about his Party's stance on the legislation.   They also spoke about the International Monetary Funds' recommendations regarding reform in our tax system.

The Green Party has suspended one of its MPs, Darleen Tana, after she was linked to alleged migrant exploitation by her husband's company. A Green Party spokesperson has confirmed Ms Tana was suspended yesterday. Political editor Jo Moir spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.   

Golriz Ghahraman had nothing to say to media as she left the Auckland District Court today. The former Green Party MP has pleaded guilty to four counts of shoplifting at high end boutiques in Auckland and Wellington. A sentencing date has been set down for June 24. Herald reporter Katie Harris was in court, and says Ghahraman was very solemn- but didn't show much emotion. "There wasn't any tears going on that we could see, she was pretty quiet, she sat behind me before she went into the dock and I didn't hear or see any real outburst of emotion." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many are recovering from the unexpected loss of Efeso Collins. The Green Party MP died on Wednesday, after collapsing at a charity event in Auckland. ZB political editor Jason Walls says this is the first time in about 50 years a sitting MP has died in office. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tribute from one Pacific leader to another.  49 yearold Green Party MP and former Auckland Councillor Efeso Collins collapsed and died at a charity event yesterday morning.   Pasifika Medical Association Board Director Sir Colin Tukuitonga told Mike Hosking that he picked up the causes that other people perhaps wouldn't.  He says that includes young people and poor south Auckland communities, and his joining of the Green Party highlighted his concern for the environment.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green Party MP and former Auckland mayoral candidate, Efeso Collins, has died at a charity event in central Auckland. Collins collapsed while participating in the ChildFund, Water Fun event at Britomart this morning. He was a well known community figure in both the South Auckland and the wider Pasifika community.

Last week i spoke with Green Party MP candidate Serena Wootton. We talked about her past and what motivates her to want to be Yeovils new MP! If you enjoy this episode then please consider leaving us a review, it really helps! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thestevecalisshow/message

It's being suggested that a systemic, cultural problem exists with the abuse politicians face.    Golriz Ghahraman resigned from parliament yesterday after three allegations of shoplifting, claiming work stress has affected her mental health.   Green Party co-leader James Shaw says she faced continuous sexual and physical threats.  Former Green MP Gareth Hughes told Tim Dower that the abuse Ghahraman received was horrific.   He says when he was a politician he got a little bit of abuse, but as a white man in Parliament he only got a fraction of what she got.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An alleged incident involving Green MP Golriz Ghahraman at a boutique Auckland clothing store happened just two days before Christmas. Ghahraman, who was justice spokeswoman for the Greens up until yesterday, has stood aside from her portfolios after being accused of shoplifting, Newstalk ZB Plus understands. Police have now confirmed they received a report about an incident at a Ponsonby retailer on December 23. “Initial enquiries are still being made into this report and Police are not able to comment further at this stage” a spokesperson said. According to sources, Ghahraman is understood to have been accused of shoplifting during the festive season from exclusive Auckland clothing store Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby, in the electorate of fellow Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick. The store declined to provide specific details when contacted by ZB Plus but confirmed the alleged incident was being handled by police. A political commentator says, whether true or not, the prominent Green Party MP and human rights lawyer's reputation will be tarnished following the accusations. Political commentator Brigitte Morten told Newstalk ZB this morning it will be difficult for Ghahraman to rebuild her reputation. “I think it's going to be difficult even if they come out and say that it was a misunderstanding or that it was, you know, incorrectly accused etc, it's still going to be a tarnish on her reputation,” Morten said. “Obviously, she's a senior and experienced member of the Greens so, for her, she's going to have to sort of rebuild that credibility gap.” Morten said if the allegations were true, it would “absolutely speak to the unsuitability of someone to be an MP”. “You've got to respect the law of the land, particularly when you are making the law of the land.” The Green Party has confirmed it is aware of the allegations Ghahraman faces and that she “will stand aside from all portfolio responsibilities until the matter is resolved”. According to sources, Ghahraman is understood to have been accused of shoplifting during the festive season from exclusive Auckland clothing store Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby, in the electorate of fellow Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick. The store declined to provide specific details when contacted by ZB Plus but confirmed the alleged incident was being handled by police. In a statement, a Green Party spokesperson said the party was “aware of allegations regarding MP Golriz Ghahraman” and was in contact with Scotties Boutique to “better understand and address the situation”. “Green MPs are expected to maintain high standards of public behaviour,” the spokesperson said. Ghahraman's portfolios for the Greens included justice, foreign affairs, defence, ethnic communities and trade. Auckland police said they were unable to confirm whether individuals were facing investigation for specific incidents. Scotties Boutique clothing store in Ponsonby, Auckland. Photo / Raphael Franks  ZB Plus has approached Ghahraman for comment.  Ghahraman made New Zealand history as the first refugee to be sworn in as an MP, having arrived in Aotearoa as a child asylum seeker with her family from Iran. She was selected as a Green Party list candidate in January 2017.  In the 2023 election, Ghahraman was ranked at number seven on the Green Party's list.  Recently, she has been outspoken on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, considering it “ethnic cleansing” and called on world leaders to stand against Israel's military actions she has described as “crimes against humanity”.  In 2020, Ghahraman opened up about her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis.  Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman. Photo / Mark Mitchell  She said at the time she has a “responsibility” to start an honest conversation about the autoimmune disease.  Ghahraman said she first learned about her diagnosis two years prior after she began to lose sight in one eye.  She described being on “hardcore medication” and had to visit a hospital every six months. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Rawan spoke to Green Party MP, Ricardo Menendez March, about election results, Waiheke ferry services, and their attendance at pro Palestine marches. She also spoke with author and journalist, Antony Loewenstein, about Palestine before the current war and Israel's connections with the west. And she chatted to Senior Lecturer in Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland, Dr Anna Serlachius, about discrimination against diabetes patients. Producer Olivia spoke to ActionStation's climate spokesperson, Pania Rei (Ngāti Toa Rangatira), about climate justice and the importance of including indigenous perspectives.  She also spoke to Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ Education and Development Manager, Joanna Turner, about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). 

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The 2023 General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October 2023 - We wanted to learn a little bit about some of the people and the parties they represent.We appreciate that politics ain't for everyone... We also understand how important it is to know even just a little bit about those who may be running our country.We hope we did enough to keep the chats entertaining and informative.... whilst giving you a chance to relate or perhaps not to their views on our future.(None of this is paid for) if you haven't enrolled to vote - check out "vote.nz"

The Finance Minister has apologised to the Climate Change Minister for failing to flag he was slashing millions of dollars for climate policies. The Labour government yesterday revealed nearly $4 billion in savings across the public service over the next four years. It comes on the eve of National's long-awaited tax plan, which will be funded through four new taxes. Here's our political reporter, Katie Scotcher. Gareth Hughes is a political commentator and a former Green Party MP. He spoke to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6335827684112

There is concern the National Party is playing politics with the RMA. Parliament's Environmental Select Committee has suggested a range of amendments to the gargantuan piece of legislation. But National's Chris Bishop has promised to repeal the Government's RMA replacement bills by Christmas if elected in October. Environmental Select Committee Chair and Green Party MP Eugenie Sage told Mike Hosking it would be a massive waste just to scrap it. She says Minister David Parker has spent five years on it and National hasn't raised any constructive alternatives. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green Party MP and Rongotai candidate Julie Anne Genter and former Wellington Mayor Andy Foster join Nick Mills for Friday Faceoff. Together they debate Mayor Tory Whanau saying she was disrespected at a residents association meeting, councillors withdrawing their support from Let's Get Wellington Moving, and Tākina opening to the world. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of It's Bloody Complicated, Frances hosted a conversation between Anthony Barnett and one of the symbols of hope for British progressives - longtime Compass friend and the only Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas. At the tail end of 2022, Anthony Barnett caused a stir with an essay, "The Year of the Definite Left". He laid out why new movements on the Left across the world are challenging the political status quo, and what challenges lie ahead.His general diagnosis is hopeful, but disparaging about the UK:While it is in the Americas, both South and North, that the definite Left has gained political influence, the forces of humanisation that underlie it are felt everywhere, from Ukraine to Brazil, and from the apartments of Tehran to those of Beijing. But still they remain largely bottled up by the dominant order. In my own country, the UK, Brexit cannot be voted out like Trump, while the Labour opposition, far from seeking to initiate a Biden-style alliance with an intellectually vibrant definite Left, seeks to ensure its impotence and a return to Blairism.Full essay here. Guardian article here.Join the Martin Forde event 20th March 2023 here.Support the showEnjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist?Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member!You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.

In this episode we speak with Chlöe Swarbrick, a Green Party MP for Auckland Central. We discuss the Alcohol Harm Reduction Bill. How it can reduce harm in our communities, the research behind it and some of the common misconceptions around the bill. We hope you enjoy the kōrero.For more information around how you can help support the bill please follow this link: https://passthebill.org.nz/When Lambs Are Silent is a movement championing the belief that change is possible and seeking to challenge the dominate narratives in our culture. Join us as we unpack what this is all about. You can also join the conversation by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Substack or Twitter. The music in this episode is from the Album Dissonance by Jess Jackson and Leon Shelley

What's in a name? Depending on how much it means to you, potentially tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. And while everyone was quick to criticise Vodafone's New Zealand rebrand, history tells us that actually with a few months under the belt, it'll all have blown over and One NZ will be just fine. ‘But Jack!' You're wondering... ‘What about TV ONE?' Yep. True. There's a clash there, of sorts. But one's a Telco and one's a TV station. And while I can't speak for my TV bosses, I'm fairly confident I'm not the only person with the capacity to work out the difference. ‘But Jack!' You're wondering... ‘What about the racist undertones?' For goodness' sake. As someone who engages with politics most than most, personally I'd never heard of the ONE New Zealand Foundation until people started furiously tweeting about them. A former Green Party MP even announced on social media that her partner was phoning around to shift the pair's Vodafone plan to a provider that wasn't somehow inadvertently endorsing an apparently racist ideas. Do I agree with the ideology of the ONE New Zealand Foundation? No, of course not. If you're in the headspace to be seduced by that kind of thing, the name of your cell phone provider is the least of your concerns, and I'm a sensible person whose time is far too valuable to waste on crackpot ideas. It's for that same reason that I can't imagine in a million years drawing a tenuous link between a cell phone provider and a fringe, far-right group. I hate the term ‘virtue-signalling' but ask yourself if anyone going through the hassle of changing cell phone providers this weekend is doing it to meaningfully fight racism or really just doing it for the Tweet? Most telecommunications companies have business models that rely on scale. They need the biggest-possible customer base. And if you're targetting a broad customer base, it doesn't make sense to insult or upset people. That's why they choose simple names. Preferably one word. Not too many syllables. Maybe Vodafone's marketting team took the ‘one word' principle too literally. Was One NZ a visionary rebrand? No. A game-changing piece of marketting? No. Is it a name that particularly inspires? No. Does that matter? No, of course not. Not at all. Remember when everyone fussed and fumed because Spark's new logo looked like a cat's bum? We got over that. We'll get over this. The brand formally known as Vodafone has a massive reach and a massive marketting budget. I reckon we'll get used to saying ‘One NZ' before we get used to King Charles. And actually, what's most puzzling to me about the name game this week is why the owners of a certain Auckland hotel decided not to follow Vodafone's lead. Having completely overhauled its 221 rooms, with new carpet, curtains, and cabinetry, beds and and even TVs, the only thing that has hasn't changed at the hotel is the name. And let's be honest, if ever there was a good argument for a rebrand, surely Jet Park was it? Maybe the owners knew. They didn't need to wait for Vodafone's example. When it comes down to it, we humans just don't like change.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All this week we are taking a look at how Bovine Tuberculosis is affecting farm businesses. It is believed TB can spread from badger to cattle, and one way to prevent that from happening is to vaccinate badgers against TB (we will talk about vaccinating cattle later this week). Earlier this year the Government introduced a new way to get more people helping with vaccinating the badgers - and our reporter Bob Walker has been to meet one group doing it in Cheshire. A small abattoir in the Peak District is closing today after 100 years of business. Its owner says bureaucracy is preventing smaller operators from operating, as well as staff shortages. Figures from the Food Standards Agency suggest small abattoirs are closing at a rate of 10% a year. And later this year, Caroline Lucas the Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion will be putting forward a Right to Roam Bill, she tells us how she thinks it could work. Presented by Anna Hill Produced in Bristol by Natalie Donovan

New video footage of the interior of the vandalised St James Theatre has been released by Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick, showing fungi growing on damp floors, damaged electrical fittings and roof, as well as an exposure to the weather and rain, and foundation-eroding dampness. Swarbrick has written an open letter calling for the government to match the Auckland Council's $15 million commitment to restoring the building. She says this decision can't be kicked down the road any more and that the revival of the theatre will secure Queen Streets' status as a buzzing destination that will provide space and a place for Auckland's creative community. Built in 1928, St James Theatre once hosted many shows and concerts. St James Theatre is also regarded as a Category 1 Heritage building, meaning it is a historic places are of special or outstanding historical or cultural significance or value.  However, Building owner Steve Bielby says thieves and vandals had 'gutted' the once historic site. Joe spoke to the owner of St James Theatre, Steve Bielby as well as Green Party MP for Auckland Central Chlöe Swarbrick, about why the revitalisation of St James Theatre is so significant to Auckland.   

Some Green Party members believe James Shaw is failing to push hard enough to save the planet, and is too conservative. Mr Shaw failed to get the backing of 75% of voting delegates to stay in the role at the party's general meeting on Saturday. But he has confirmed to Morning Report that he will stand to remain co-leader. A former Green Party MP and former member, Catherine Delahunty, spoke with Corin Dann.

Green Party MP and self described lefty feminist lesbian, Jan Logie beamed into Penny's office during a recess in that hive of human activity that is the NZ Parliament. Penny divulged that Jan's work in boosting funding to Women's Refuge was a big part of her decision to vote Green in the last two elections and thanked her for helping reverse some historic cuts. They then chatted about her HRT medications, her perimenopausal tunnel terrors, and her mentally willing her partner into menopause so they can be in it together.  They also mused on the toxicity that adversarial democracy can breed, and Jan spoke of tootling her own flugelhorn. Support the show

Omar Alghabra, Transport Minister; Eric Duncan, Conservative MP-elect; Richard Cannings, NDP MP-elect; Mike Morrice, Green Party MP-elect; Dr. Peter Jüni, Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table; Greg MacEachern, Proof Strategies; Adrienne Batra, The Toronto Sun; Anne McGrath, NDP National Director; Greg Weston, Earnscliffe Strategies; Susan Delacourt, the Toronto Star; and Fatima Syed, The Narwhal.

Daniele Hamamdjian, CTV News; Adam van Koeverden, Liberal MP; Tim Uppal, Conservative MP; Laurel Collins, NDP MP; Elizabeth May, Green Party MP; Stephanie Levitz, the Toronto Star; Ian Bailey, the Globe and Mail; Dale Marshall, Environmental Defence; and Tasha Kheiriddin; Principal, Navigator Ltd.

On this week's episode, Mike and Sean are joined joined by Mike Morrice, Ontario's first-ever elected Green MP, to discuss the role of government in combating climate change. A majority of Canadians say they're doing what they can to combat climate change, but they don't believe the same is true for governments and businesses. With Canadians no longer believing that growing the economy and addressing climate change are mutually exclusive goals, what policies could be adopted to reduce emissions, and what trade-offs might need to be made? Head over to www.ipsos.com for more information about Ipsos. If you have a topic that you'd like us to cover on a future podcast, please reach out to us at publicaffairs@ipsos.com. We are on most podcast platforms as well as on Spotify. Please like and subscribe to Educated Conjecture to get episodes sent to you as soon as they are published.

A voice of our generation, this week Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick joins us to discuss cannabis in Aotearoa NZ. She's a loud advocate for the amnesty of green fairies and made her stance clear about the ridiculousness of the war on drugs.She continues to raise awareness of the impact cannabis prohibition has on our community, and we hear from her firsthand about why she fights for this, the road ahead to continue the push for change, and how each one of us can help.See you in the Bellas Who Blaze lounge!Follow us at: @bellaswhoblazeGuest: @chloe.swarbrickHost: @kaya.blooms

Ch.1: Experts are wondering if it's time for Canada to take a fresh approach to its relationship with the United States. Guest: Reggie Cecchini, Global News Washington Correspondent.  Ch.2: Today is the first day of Autumn, and we want to know what your favourite season of the year is? Guest: Raji Sohal, CKNW Contributor Ch.3: Provincial Health Officer Doctor Bonnie Henry, is encouraging those who are pregnant to get their COVID-19 vaccine.  Guest: Dr. Anna Wolak, Family physician and assistant professor at UBC Ch.4: Insights West has released a new poll that shows what percentage of people support the recent actions by the city to get rid of the coyotes at Stanley Park. Guest: Steve Mossop, President of Insights West. Ch.5: The Green Party of Canada won two seats on Monday night with Mike Morrice taking Kitchener Centre, and  Elizabeth May, managing to win her seat back in Saanich-Gulf Islands. Guest: Elizabeth May, Green Party MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands. Ch.6: We know all kids learn differently and a new, innovative program that's launching makes sure kids with learning disabilities get the help they need. Guest: Raji Sohal, CKNW Contributor See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glen McGregor, CTV News; Kevin Gallagher, CTV News; Annie Bergeron-Oliver, CTV News; Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal MP-elect; Heather McPherson, NDP MP-elect; Mike Morrice, Green Party MP-elect; Nik Nanos, Nanos Research; Stephanie Levitz, the Toronto Star; Bob Fife, the Globe and Mail; Fatima Syed, The Backbench; Tom Mulcair, CTV News Political Analyst; Lisa Raitt, former Conservative Cabinet minister; Naheed Nenshi, Calgary Mayor; National Chief RoseAnne Archibald, Assembly of First Nations; Sarah Bain, Hill+Knowlton Strategies; Jason Lietaer, Enterprise Canada; and Cameron Holmstrom, Bluesky Strategy Group.    

In this week's episode, Will Appelbe sits down with Green Party MP and animal welfare spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick, to discuss greyhound racing, live export and the occupation at Pūtiki Bay.

J.P. Lewis is an associate professor of political science at UNB Saint John.

Joining Iain on Cross Question this evening is Green Party MP for Brighton Pavillion Caroline Lucas, Associate Editor at Daily Mail & LBC presenter Andrew Pierce, General Secretary of the Communication Workers Union Dave Ward and Fay Jones, Conservative MP for Brecon and Radnorshire Fay Jones.

Paul Manly’s path to parliament was never a certainty. A classically trained jazz musician, documentary filmmaker, and activist, Paul came to politics by seeing the needs facing Canadians and our planet being ignored by the status quo. In today’s drop, we have a candid conversation and explore the fight for justice and Palestinian liberation that led Manly to run as a Green, the existential crisis of climate change and Canada’s failure to hit every carbon reduction target that’s ever been set, and the battle for economic justice that makes him the target of plenty of heckling on the floor of the House. We found out the conversation with a simple question, is the Green Party a home for socialists? Support this podcast

Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, is to step down as Chief Executive of the e-commerce giant that he started in his garage nearly 30 years ago. He will become executive chairman, a move he said would give him "time and energy" to focus on his other ventures; our New York business correspondent Michelle Fleury brings us the latest. Plus, Caroline Lucas, the UK's only Green Party MP gives her take on the theory of Natural Capital, which explores the idea of putting a price on natural resources. BBC technology reporter Zoe Kleinman tells us whether as we are travelling less and staying home during the pandemic, we are giving more data away to big technology firms. And in 2014, Nigeria’s Supreme Court ruled that female children are equally entitled as their male siblings to inherit their father's estate but some families and communities backed by traditional rulers, say the ruling doesn’t change anything, and insist that women can’t inherit things like land or the family home; Olivia Ndubuisi reports from South East Nigeria. The Sundance Film Festival takes place every January near Salt Lake City in the US and is the largest independent film festival in the country but this year it's all been done virtually. As Tom Brook reports, the pandemic looms large in the films and the stories they tell. And we're joined throughout the programme by Simon Littlewood, founder and President of ACGrowth Delivered in Singapore, and in Vancouver, the multimedia journalist Hayley Woodin. (Picture of Jeff Bezos by Mandel Ngan via Getty Images).

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is to step down as chief executive of the e-commerce giant that he started in his garage nearly 30 years ago. He will become executive chairman, a move he said would give him "time and energy" to focus on his other ventures. But what affect did his departure have on the markets? We hear from Joe Saluzzi at Themis Trading in New Jersey. Plus, Caroline Lucas, the UK's only Green Party MP gives her take on the theory of Natural Capital, which explores the idea of putting a price on natural resources.

Marked as explicit because of derogatory language.   Fleeing from hammering and drilling sounds coming through the wall, Charles Adrian talks about books that were given to him towards the end of the fourth season of his podcast.   More information and a transcript of this episode is at http://www.pageonepodcast.com/.   You can find a handy primer on the limitations of a first-past-the-post voting system, along with links to information about alternative systems, on the Electoral Reform Society’s website here: https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/voting-systems/types-of-voting-system/first-past-the-post/   You can read about Caroline Lucas, who at time of recording this episode was the UK’s first and only Green Party MP, on Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Lucas   Revolutionary Letters by Diane di Prima is also discussed in Page One 185.   Rebecca Solnit, mentioned briefly here, is discussed more fully in Page One 135.   The episode of the podcast Reply All that Charles Adrian mentions about the activist barricaded inside his apartment while the police massed outside is here: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/wbhgk9. The episode is from the podcast Resistance, which you can find here: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/resistance   The Sadean Women by Angela Carter is discussed more fully in Page One 123. Other books by Angela Carter discussed on the podcast are Wise Children (Page One 54), The Passion Of New Eve (Page One 76) and The Bloody Chamber (Page One 86, Page One 135 and Page One 141).   The homepage of the Battersea Arts Centre is here: https://bac.org.uk/   Books discussed in this episode were previously discussed in Page One 121 (http://www.pageonepodcast.com/season4#/121-bettina-john/) and Page One 122 (http://www.pageonepodcast.com/season4#/122-chris-goode/).   Episode image is a detail from a photo by Charles Adrian.   Episode recorded: 17th November, 2020.       Book listing:   The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing (Page One 121) Revolutionary Letters by Diane Di Prima (Page One 122) The Sadean Women by Angela Carter (Page One 123)

Alex speaks with a restaurant owner who drove three hours to support a Toronto business defying closure orders as a protest, a mental health expert about how the pandemic is causing kids’ mental health to deteriorate, as well as the Green Party MP speaking at a virtual “Free Meng” event. We also run part two of Global News Radio’s investigation into what went wrong in the long-term care homes this past spring. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gareth Hughes is a former MP and member of the Green Party. He took a seat in Parliament as the next person on the Green party list following the retirement of Jeanette Fitzsimons in February 2010.Hughes did not stand for re-election in the 2020 New Zealand general election and has moved with his wife Meghan and two children, Arlo and Zoe, to be the keepers on Quarantine Island. An eco-sanctuary in the middle of Otago Harbour.www.theDOC.nzwww.patreon.com/theDOCNZwww.twitter.com/patbrittenden

Labour and the Greens are meeting again today to thrash out areas they can cooperate on in government. With Labour holding an election night majority the Greens aren't needed in a formal coalition arrangement. Labour and the Greens met twice last week in the Prime Minister's office and will do so again later today. Jacinda Ardern expects to complete talks this week. But what do minor parties get out of coalition deals and does signing up to them signal a slide into political irrelevancy? Dame Tariana Turia is a former Labour Party MP who left to form the Maori Party and Keith Locke is a former Green Party MP.

As Labour MPs - new and old - crowded into a room for the party's first caucus since the election, one message was clear. The power of numbers is with the party. Something else there's no room for - a coalition deal with the Greens. So what might happen with "conversations" between the two parties over the next week? Catherine Delahunty is a former Green Party MP.

Green Party MP and spokesperson for drug reform Chloe Swarbrick joined Marcus Lush for a marathon four-hour session of talkback to discuss the referendum that will gauge the public's support on whether the recreational use of cannabis should become legal.Kiwis will vote on the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill alongside this year's election.The Bill's purpose is to eliminate the legal supply of cannabis, and provide access to legal cannabis, that meets quality and potency requirements.Swarbrick told Marcus Lush it's important to note this referendum isn't about whether you like, use or support cannabis."This is referendum is about the kind of legal framework that we have in response to cannabis, which exists regardless of whether you vote no or yes."She says the cannabis referendum would enable the Government to implement a similar control mechanism to Smokefree 2025. That campaign seesthe Government is working to control the amount of tobacco purchased, put educational information out, and investing in products to quit smoking.Swarbrick says the Government want to do the same with cannabis."We have the opportunity to do all those same things when it comes to cannabis. Right now, we have no control." She hopes the experience of the Covid-19 lockdown, and slowing down, helps people look into the issue differently."But also perhaps recognise things from a community and compassionate perspective would have enabled more people to see the benefit of voting yes."Swarbrick also took calls from listeners to answer their questions about the referendum.

Green Party MP and spokesperson for drug reform Chloe Swarbrick joined Marcus Lush for a marathon four-hour session of talkback to discuss the referendum that will gauge the public's support on whether the recreational use of cannabis should become legal.Kiwis will vote on the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill alongside this year's election.The Bill's purpose is to eliminate the legal supply of cannabis, and provide access to legal cannabis, that meets quality and potency requirements.Swarbrick told Marcus Lush it's important to note this referendum isn't about whether you like, use or support cannabis."This is referendum is about the kind of legal framework that we have in response to cannabis, which exists regardless of whether you vote no or yes."She says the cannabis referendum would enable the Government to implement a similar control mechanism to Smokefree 2025. That campaign seesthe Government is working to control the amount of tobacco purchased, put educational information out, and investing in products to quit smoking.Swarbrick says the Government want to do the same with cannabis."We have the opportunity to do all those same things when it comes to cannabis. Right now, we have no control." She hopes the experience of the Covid-19 lockdown, and slowing down, helps people look into the issue differently."But also perhaps recognise things from a community and compassionate perspective would have enabled more people to see the benefit of voting yes."Swarbrick also took calls from listeners to answer their questions about the referendum.

Marama Davidson MP is a New Zealand politician who entered New Zealand parliament in 2015 as a representative of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, Since 2018 Marama has also been female co-leader of the Green Party.Also in studio is Jan Logie MP, Green Party MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Justice.www.theDOC.nzwww.patreon.com/theDOCNZwww.twitter.com/patbrittenden- Like - Share - Subscribe -

Elizabeth May is one of the hardest working people in politics. She is the Green Party MP for the Saanich-Gulf Islands and served as leader of the Green Party of Canada from 2006-2019. She also has a long record as a dedicated advocate for social justice, the environment, and human rights. Her book Paradise Won: The Struggle to Create Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve details the epic 12-year struggle to stop logging this unique global ecosystem. Coming up on the park’s 30 year anniversary, we spoke with Elizabeth May about Paradise Won, bringing back into focus this remarkable story of the power and importance of Indigenous rights, and to talk about how activism can spur average citizens to action in order to fight climate change and protect fragile ecosystems everywhere.

Green Party MP and Auckland Central candidate Chloe Swarbrick says she does not want a deal in the electorate and has not sought one out. Swarbrick told Morning Report if she's going to win the seat she wants to do it the old fashioned way. [audio_play]

Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick shares her inspiring career journey as part of The Female Career podcast. Chlöe has been a law student, journalist, business owner and a community project leader. When interviewing politicians of all stripes on daily issues she found that too often they had become out of sync with everyday people's lives. She couldn't see herself, her friends, or her whānau in politics. So, in 2016 Chlöe did what any reasonable, disillusioned 22 year old would do. She ran to be the Mayor of Auckland. Almost 30,000 Aucklanders gave her their vote after Chlöe and her team campaigned for just 4 months on a shoestring budget. As a next career step, Chlöe stood as a candidate for the party whose values matched hers and was elected as a Green Party MP into Parliament in 2017 after a particularly gruelling campaign. She is the youngest MP in Aotearoa for over 40 years. She entered parliament to show people that politicians can look a little different, sound a little different, do things a little different, and to drive home the message that politicians work for people. Chlöe is the Green Party spokesperson on issues that she can really get her teeth into: Education (including Tertiary), Internal Affairs, Sensible Drug Law Reform, Local Government, Arts Culture & Heritage, Small Business, Broadcasting and Youth. "Whatever you do in your career, things are going to be hard at points along the way. And to me that demonstrates a massive sense of empowerment because regardless of whether you choose to work nine to five desk job that perhaps you hate or pursue your passion and start something from the ground up, both of those things are going to be hard in quite different ways. You will go through periods of suffering, of ups and downs and that's what it means to be alive. You know that you have things to contribute and you know that there is more to come." If you would like to be one of the first to hear other inspiring career stories of a diverse rang of women of Aotearoa New Zealand, please do sign up to our mailing list - you can find the sign up form at the bottom of https://www.thefemalecareer.com/stories (The Female Career website.)

Is it time to let the oil industry die? That's the sentiment of a few political leaders, including Green Party MP and Parliamentary Leader, Elizabeth May who joined our show. 

Chapter 1 - Tourist towns sound the alarm as visitors ignore public-health advisories to stay home. Do we need tighter restrictions on BC Ferries? Guest: Tahirah Rockafella,Trustee, Galiano Island Guest: Peter Luckham, Islands Trust Chair, Salt Spring Island Guest: Paul Manly, Green Party MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith Chapter 2 - Baldreys Beat: Politics from the Provincial Capital.  Global News Legislative Bureau Chief Keith Baldrey joins the show. Chapter 3 - Ten more inmates at a B.C. prison have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said Sunday, as the outbreak at the federal facility continues to worsen. Guest: Stephanie Smith, President of BCGEU Union Chapter 4 - BC Park Closures. Is the government right to close all provincial parks? Or should some parks remain open? Guest: Sam Waddington, Owner, Mount Waddington's Outdoors Guest: Louise Pederson, Outdoor Recreation Council Chapter 5 - The US surpassed Italy for the most COVID-19 deaths on Saturday. How did this happen? Guest: Reggie Cecchini, Global Washington Producer and Correspondent Chapter 6 - Google has revealed new data which show just how much the lives of British Columbians have changed due to physical distancing measures implemented by the province and federal government to combat the spread of COVI-19.  Guest: Claire Allen, CKNW Contributor

New Zealand disability rights advocate and former Green Party MP candidate Chris Ford explains the history and experiences that led him to abandon support for voluntary euthanasia. A dyed-in-the-wool progressive, Ford says it isn't a spiritual issue for him; he approaches the subject from a "human rights angle." Assisted suicide/voluntary euthanasia is legal in seven countries. New Zealand is set to vote on an assisted suicide law via referendum in their general election in September, so for Ford and his fellow countrymen, the stakes of the debate have never been higher.If you're flipping out over something that was said on the podcast or you want to share a flip-flop/180 story, call the Flip Phone at 323.999.1802. Follow @180cast to keep up with the podcast and hear soundbites. Follow @georgi_boorman for uncensored opinions on politics and culture from a Christian perspective. Follow my writing at The Federalist, where I am a Senior Contributor.Find more about Chris Ford at fordwrite.co.nz.#newzealand #assistedsuicide #MAID #MedicalAidinDying #ethics #DeathwithDignity #NoRescusitationOrders #disabilityrights #Canada #healthcare #socializedmedicine #neoliberal #privatizedhealthcare #assisteddying #greenpartySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I sit down with Labour MP @desibekwe and Green Party MP @shakalish discussing the General Election 2019 -Billionaire vs Poor -Racism & Politics -Protest Votes/ Spoiling your ballot -Labour Manifesto -Green Party Manifesto

Welcome to Eco week at Totally Unprepared Politics, covering climate change, ecological destruction, sustainable living and the future of the planet from a psychological, technological and philosophical perspective. Today we are joined by Jeremy Caddick, Green Party MP candidate for Cambridge to discuss Eco Politics and Climate Change from the perspective of what politicians and parliament can do about addressing the climate emergency they have declared. Jeremy also gives us his insights into the likelihood of The Green Party winning additional seats in the coming election, his policies and manifesto for election and the need for more environmental policy in politics. https://teamtrees.org/ ================================================== Support TUP and gain some cool benefits in the process: Patreon.com/tup Join in the community over on our Facebook group for more discussion: bit.ly/tupgroup Check out our interviews and video content over on YouTube: bit.ly/tupyt And you can also troll us on twitter @TheTUPShow

In this interview with Caroline Lucas, the first Green Party Member of Parliament, we discuss how “green” the UK is, and what progress – if any – is being made towards achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is getting more and more attention from across the political spectrum. Theresa May, in one of her last acts as prime minister, committed the UK to net zero emissions by 2050 – a target Caroline says it is too late. We are off target on near-term goals and the longer term goals are weakly implemented, she says. What we need is a massive 10 year mobilization strategy, on the order of a third world war. With predictions that the global economy will triple in size, we need to take a step back and focus on living with what we have. We should focus our energy on green growth instead of net growth. International action on repairing the damage to the ozone layer was successful because everyone responsible was brought together. There are 100 companies responsible for 70-80% of emissions; this is one place we need to start. Caroline was elected as Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion in 2010, becoming the first Green Party MP. Before that, she served as one of the Green Party's first Members of the European Parliament. She has twice led the Green Party of England and Wales. Prior to politics, she worked at Oxfam for ten years. Caroline's book, Honourable Friends, details her first parliamentary term as a fresh, green voice to the House of Commons. She also co-edited a book on cross-party working called The Alternative. The post Episode 74: Interview with Caroline Lucas, Green Party member of UK House of Commons appeared first on The Sustainability Agenda.

Happy Birthday Canada! The crew celebrates all things Canadian and what this great country means to us all. Our friend Ahmed joins us to pass on his story as to what he went through to become a Canadian We are joinedby the Green Party MP for Ladysmith-Nainamo, the honourable Paul Manly http://www.paulmanly.ca As well as Brent and Nikki from Unapologetix to tell us how they feel about Canadians http://www.spreaker.com/user/unapologetixpodcast Nancy gives us a top 10 camping places Kirsten tells of a pastor wanting to spread holy water with a chopper and we discover Fort Blunder...

Green Party MP and Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter joins the Weekend Collective to talk about gender equality in the workplace. She says while quotas are not a "priority" in order to get gender equality on boards in the private sector, they are a possibility if the private sector doesn't "up its game".LISTEN ABOVE TO THE FULL CHAT 

There is no such thing, as ‘public’ transport in Auckland. The trains, buses and ferry services are publically subsidised, but privately owned, operated and managed, passenger transport operators. Auckland Transport won't reveal how many public millions are being paid to subsidise private passenger transport, on top of their private profits. Their books are not open - regarding the millions of public monies paid to subsidise these private passenger transport operators. Auckland Transport won't reveal how many public millions are being paid to subsidise private passenger transport, on top of their private profits. Their books are not open - regarding the public monies paid to subsidise these private passenger transport operators. State Capture' is where corporate vested interests get their way, at the policy level of council or government, in order to get laws passed that serve their interests. With whom are the policy analysts consulting, before legislation goes through the council’s machine? These are issues that both Lisa Prager and Penny Bright have been exposing. Here’s an example: Auckland Transport has appointed Shane Ellison as its new Chief Executive. Prior to 2011 Mr Ellison was located in Paris with Transdev where he was responsible for global corporate development and innovation. Transdev (previously Veolia) runs Auckland’s trains! Agenda 21 Associate Minister for Transport, Green Party MP, Julianne Genter is married to Peter Munns who is principal economist for MRCagney that advises Auckland Transport on cycle ways. Perhaps Auckland’s push to create cycleways, when our aging sewage system is polluting our harbours, shows an ideology that is not allowing for a balanced use of Auckland Council / Auckland Transport’s money but rather a determination to get people out of their cars. This Lisa explains is part of Agenda 21, which New Zealand, and Auckland, are signed up to. Lisa is a bike rider and is not against cycle ways. However when they go through shopping areas and take parking from local businesses they are destroying community and people’s livelihoods. Shops lose custom and so close down. Their landlords then have to sell their properties cheaply to developers who then build blocks of flats, says Lisa, and our Australian shopping malls will expand to accommodate the population. Mature trees are also being cut down. The whole cycleway project is ill thought out as shown in this article in Spinoff. Lisa is also concerned at the spraying of glyphosate by Auckland Transport’s contractors – Fulton Hogan. The WHO has labelled glyphosate as probably carcinogenic but there is evidence that problems don’t just end there. Yet Aucklanders are having it sprayed on parks and berms all over the city. Lisa Prager is an artist, sculptor, award winning documentary maker and proud co- owner of Garnet Station cafe/bistro in Westmere. She trained as an actor in the late 70's at Theatre Corporate in Auckland, but left to become a political activist & pop artist. Involved with Wake Up Auckland in the early 2000's she challenged Les Mills & Auckland Council's homophobic attitude towards the Hero Parade and homosexuality. She stood with others against John Banks and the sale of pensioner/affordable housing and the actions of Auckland Council & Auckland Transport to transfer public assets into private hands. She stood with others to fight the sale of airport shares, the privatisation of Westhaven Marina and the ideology behind the badly designed, unsafe, overpriced cycleways. Lisa supports a nationwide tree protection policy and replanting Native Bush not pines to fight climate change. She is Currently Spokesperson for Occupy Garnet Rd movement. This Link below explains the graphic on the top of the page https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12152507

Te Reo Maori in Schools & The Return of Linwood College Synopsis: Kenny speaks with Marama Davidson, Green Party MP & Spokesperson for Maori development about te reo Maori in schools, then later speaks with Dick Edmundson, Principal of Linwood College about positive changes in the direction of the school. Guests: Marama Davidson, Dick Edmundson

In this conversation with Professor Kevin Clements, Dr Kennedy Graham discusses the subject of 'Human Security and Global Order: A 21st Century Agenda'. Kennedy Graham served in the New Zealand Foreign Service for 16 years, and has lectured on International Politics and International Law at both the University of Canterbury and Victoria University. He was elected to Parliament for the Greens in 2008 and re-elected in 2011, and holds portfolios of Global Affairs, Defence and Disarmament, and Constitutional Affairs. 13 May 2015

In this conversation with Professor Kevin Clements, Dr Kennedy Graham discusses the subject of 'Human Security and Global Order: A 21st Century Agenda'. Kennedy Graham served in the New Zealand Foreign Service for 16 years, and has lectured on International Politics and International Law at both the University of Canterbury and Victoria University. He was elected to Parliament for the Greens in 2008 and re-elected in 2011, and holds portfolios of Global Affairs, Defence and Disarmament, and Constitutional Affairs. 13 May 2015

In this conversation with Professor Kevin Clements, Dr Kennedy Graham discusses the subject of 'Human Security and Global Order: A 21st Century Agenda'. Kennedy Graham served in the New Zealand Foreign Service for 16 years, and has lectured on International Politics and International Law at both the University of Canterbury and Victoria University. He was elected to Parliament for the Greens in 2008 and re-elected in 2011, and holds portfolios of Global Affairs, Defence and Disarmament, and Constitutional Affairs. 13 May 2015

This week in episode seventeen of the Informed Choice Podcast, Martin interviews Certified Financial Planner and financial sketch artist Carl Richards about the publication of his new book, The One Page Financial Plan. Listen to the episode for a chance to win a copy of the book. There's also a short interview with one of our clients, Dee Searle, who is hoping to become Tottenham's first Green Party MP. To find out more about the Informed Choice Podcast, please visit www.icfp.co.uk/podcast.

***This interview is a repeat from December 2008***Steffan has been at the forefront of the New Zealand organics movement for more than twenty years.His successful Bio-Gro horticulture business won both the Horticulture and Supreme awards in the Marlborough Rural Environmental awards in 2003.His aim is to have genuinely sustainable organics in New Zealands food, fibre, forestry and fishing industries - which he states, "also makes good business sense."He has also recently become a Member of Parliament for the Green Party of Aotearoa NZ. Listen to a very revealing appraisal of the challenges that organics face, on the frontlines of GE untruths, agribusiness and the unknowingness of government of holistic systems and the wider ramifications of deeper ecology. http://www.greens.org.nz/candidates/steffan-browning

Episode 36 Anti Smacking BillHello and welcome to another episode of Jay Wont dart's podcast, where I mention my opinion on the Trademe Message Board and made fun of for being vegan.This episode, I'll talk briefly about the Anti Smacking bill thats caused grief in New Zealand.My intro was from No Agenda 104.Before I forget, hi to anyone from the TradeMe Message Board who's listening, I wish I could have gotten some recordings from you to play, no matter what side you are on. Hi to wayne472, merrigj, mikey853nz, and anyone else who is listening from New Zealand. I could be wrong about details I mention in this episode, so feel free to correct me, I'll give out my email address at the end of this episode.A little background about New Zealand politics for international listeners. In New Zealand we have MMP, which is a system in which several small-ish parties can band together and become a government, its not "X vs Y", if party X doesnt have enough votes to govern alone, it can get support from party gamma, so it has enough votes to be the government. In New Zealand, we do have two major parties, one centre left, one centre right, Labour on the left, and National on the right. Labour had been in power forever, but had increasingly been under siege from National gaining more votes each election, Labour would rely on smaller left wing parties to hand it extra votes to cross the line into power again. Generally both major parties get 80 odd percent of the votes, roughly 40 percent each for Labour and National. Labour, the major left wing party normally campaigns on more healthcare and more education, with more liberal ways to get ahead in life, more benefits, welfare and affirmative action for minority races. National, the major right wing party normally campaigns on law and order, lowering taxes and keeping a more old fashioned, work hard to get ahead in life and dont complain attitude. The Green party is a fairly large small party, probably the third largest party overall. The Greens focus on climate change, pollution, helping people break the cycle of poverty and affirmative action. They are quite left wing overall. The Green party is quite interesting, I think, always having two leaders, one male, one female! The Green's often have crazy and well known MP's, dope smoking rastafarians who ride skateboards, people who get tears in their eyes at the thought of Genetic Modification, or radical feminists who spend most of their adult life on welfare, get arrested in protests, and tell others how to live their lives. I'm being bit mean with my descriptions of the Greens, but they are normally the most crazy MPs in parliament.Theres also the Maori party, which normally focuses on getting more state assets given to Maori tribes and helping the Maori race, affirmative action. The Maori party is very modern, it was formed in 2004. The Maori party can be either left or right wing, but I often think of it as more Left wing aligning with Labour over National. Those are the parties I think are the most important ,we have a handful of other large-ish small parties, but they dont matter as much to me personally and dont get a large percentage of the votes at election times.The labour government, with help from smaller parties, had been in power for three terms , up until the 2008 election when National got in, with help from two minor parties. Under the Labour government, green party member Sue Bradford had her private members bill about child discipline put into law. It changed Section 59 of the crimes act 1961 to now remove the defence of "reasonable force" for parents charged with assault on their children. This has been known as the "anti smacking bill" as it basically bans smacking your children, it is now a violent act that is not allowed. 113 Mps voted the bill in, only 7 voted against it, so all the politicians were basically fine with smacking being banned. I have seen people stating that this law DOES NOT make smacking illegal, but in fact only prevents bad parents from beating their children. For this episode Im going along with the mainstream belief that this is a "Anti smacking bill" that wants all physical discipline from parents to be banned, that includes smacking.National was initially against this bill, but with an addition of part 4, that police investigating claims of smacking could decide if what was done to the child was "inconsequentially" or not. If the police officer thought the child was no worse off from being smacked, they could choose not to prosecute the parents. This was sort of allowing smacking, althought it would be up to a police officer to judge whether the child had been hurt or not which could be risky for parents who wanted to smack their children.The full section 59 now readsAll that makes my head hurt, I could never be a politician with all those confusing words. The parts I would think would let a parent hit a child are ruled over by other additions at the end. Parents ARE allowed to physically grab a child if they are about to walk into a busy street, they can hold them back from doing something dangerous, but they cannot hit a child afterwards, "bad child, im going to smack you". I've seen people who support the bill saying that smacking is actually fully allowed by this bill, and that what the bill known as the "anti smacking bill" is actually about is stopping parents giving an old fashioned "good hiding" to their children after some time, instead of smacking the child on the hand to stop them hitting another child, it actually means "wait till daddy comes home to hit you with his belt". Like I said before, Im going to focus on smacking, I'll assume this bill is to be against smacking children outright.Theres been massive public outrage, with around 80 percent of the public apparently for smacking children, and only 20 or so percent against smacking children.Labour had to have fears people would turn against it because of the anti smacking bill, it had been labelled too "politically correct" and also as a "nanny state", that wanted to control everything people could and couldnt do. Labour had ideas about banning normal incandescent light bulbs, and only having compact florescent bulbs that use quarter the electricity, the sort I use, as well as ideas about making showers have to be run at a lower pressure, they wouldnt have a lovely strong pressure, instead using less water to save on the amount of water used nationwide. People were very angry about both of these ideas, and the anti smacking bill certainly annoyed them even more. National ended up gaining power from Labour, National was against Labours ideas about banning bright light bulbs and strong showers.National however, is keeping the anti smacking bill, which effectively prevents parents from smacking their children. A referendum was initiated by upset voters, which is happening at the moment, I got my voting paper yesterday. This referendum is going to cost the taxpayer over 8.9 million New Zealand dollars, I have no idea where the money is going, its just bits of paper that get a yes or no tick.The question thats being asked is "Should a smack, as part of good parental correction, be a criminal offence in New Zealand?" which I think is confusing as hell. I've asked people who are for smacking, and who are against smacking, and people on both sides think its a bad question. It says "good parental correction" as if a smack can be that, something good parents do, but its also "a criminal offense". I think its a loaded question designed to make people vote No, that they are for smacking children, because the question makes it seem like you are making "good parents" commit a "criminal offense". I would think most people also feel a right they have is being taken away by The Man.You've been very good putting up with my voice for so long, so I'll use a clip of someone else talking for a change, this is a Guide to the anti smacking bill I found on a anti smacking website I'll mention later on, I got this from youtube, its from before the referendum had been issued.I liked that part "like it or not the bill is here to stay so adopting these techniques is the best way to stay out of jail", well actually a referendum is being held which could overturn the "anti smacking bill" and let parents smack their children again.I'll play a 3 news story about the anti smacking bill and then the full debate that was on Campbell Live, afterwards I'll tell you my personal feelings about smacking, if I'm voting that parents should be able to smack their children, or not.Ok, as promised, I'll tell you how I myself am voting on the anti smacking bill referendum. I personally am voting Yes, I am against smacking children as I believe it to be an act of violence, calling it "smacking" does not change that it is essentially just hitting another person to make them do what you want. I know many people who are for smacking will be angry that I consider smacking to be hitting, but if its not hitting, if its not physical discipline, then what is it? Its like the people who say they are vegetarian but eat fish! They consider fish not to be meat! They see a fish has eyes, a mouth, they eat and go to the toilet, they breed and have more baby fish, they feel pain, they see, hear, they can sense in ways we cannot, such as feeling disturbances in the water around them, but, "oh no, a fish is not an animal, a fish is a vegetable or something, its not meat!"No, I say that smacking is the same as hitting, a light smack is the same as a light hit, if child X smacked child Y, even very lightly, we wouldnt let them do that would we? I wonder, if a child smacked another child, would a No Voting parent then smack child X? I think so.If we dont tolerate children using violence, then why do we use it against them? If a mentally disabled person is "mentally 5 years old", would we smack them in the way we might smack a 5 year old? I dont think so. I've heard arguments that "oh, its a different relationship" as mentioned in the campbell live debate, but no, I dont agree with that, its no different, just as light smacking and light hitting are the same to me.Now, to be clear, I dont think all parents who smack their children are blood thirsty murderers who come home at night and beat their partners and then kill their children with a coathanger. Im not being silly like that. To smack someone is to hit someone, and thats violence. I dont see adults smacking other adults, why is that? There comes an age where parents generally dont smack their children, why do you think that is? I would assume its because the child is big enough to smack back, to hurt the parent. Its not fun hitting another person when you could be hit back.I've already ticked Yes, that a smack should be a criminal offence, you can see a photo of my vote slip on my flickr account.I know its hard for some parents who grew up being smacked, and who smack their own children, to see that other people have a problem with their behaviour. I was smacked as a child , and I'd be threatened with a smack too. "stop doing that, do you want me to smack you?" or that the parent would be going to get The Wooden Spoon, my mother would hit me with one large wooden spoon. It would be a threat for me, "im going to get the spoon", if I were doing something she didnt like, and sometimes if I did something accidentally that I knew she would hit me for, I'd plead "no mum, not the wooden spoon", although it probably just made me look more pathetic to her as she hit me.I have a few clips from people supporting my idea that smacking children is violence. I asked No Voters, people who wanted to smack their children to appear, but they either didnt want to be recorded, or were unable to record themselves and send me an mp3. I honestly wish they were on here, talking to me personally, but I've played neutral clips, for smacking clips, as well as my own point of view against smacking clips. So I think this episode has been quite fair to all sides.Here are two clips I got, both from fellow Vegans incidentally.Thank you to both Bruce and Sam for appearing on my podcast.Every Vegan I know is against smacking children. I think my vegan friends are against it, as they see it as a violent act, that a large adult is doing to a small and helpless child. I would think that practically all vegans, who are generally for peace and against all violence, would most likely be against smacking children.My father went to school at a time when they boys got hit with a cane, the teacher actually physically hit children! Unbelievable! I know my older listeners might be laughing at me now, but I cant imagine teachers being able to hit children. Did they get hit if they didnt do their homework? I know that it certainly didnt stop the bad kids being bad, I've been told by a no voter, for smacking, that her husband would upset the teacher to make him hit them in class, and that they would hide under desks, and run about. They thought it was a great time, it didnt control them. Also, girls didnt get hit with a cane, because they were thought of as "weaker" than the boys I guess? Not sure. My father is left handed, and he wasnt allowed to write with his left hand, I think he would be hit with a ruler for doing that. Imagine schools today hitting little boys for writing with their left hand, which is natural for them, its no different than hitting them because of their race, or because they are gay! Unbelievable, I wonder if the average parent who believes in smacking also believes in hurting left handed children so they have to write like a right handed person. Imagine being the only left handed child in a class room of right handed people, imagine being told by the large male teacher, whos holding a ruler to hit you with, "you're gonna do what I tell you boy, you dont use that hand except for wiping your butt boy, do you want a smack? you want me to hit you? huh? think you're a fancy left hander now do you? hey?". Awful.I found a website written by a young child"If kids even once stepped out of line they were strapped or canned. If they got caught not working or doing the wrong thing they would stand you up at the front of the class and make you wear the dunces cap or make you hold out your hand to be strapped. If you were left-handed you were forced to use your right and if you did otherwise your left hand would be strapped until it was too sore to use. If you were late for school you would be strapped the number of minutes late. The teacher always carried a ruler around to give any body who was not doing what they were told a hard rap across the knuckles. Children had no choice in the work they did or how they did it. Whatever teacher said to do was to be done. For being really bad you could be canned six times and that's where the saying six of the best come from.Some teachers made you bend over and put your head under the black board so when they canned your back side if you raised your head you would hit it on the chalk ledge"if I can see this is wrong, then I dont see why other people cant.Theres evidence from polls that fewer people smack their children now than in the 1960's, its gone down dramatically. The use of physical discipline by parents has been reduced, you can hear that from the Campbell Live debate. The people in the debate were asked if they smack their children now less than they were smacked as a child, they all agreed. I doubt children have suddenly gotten nicer, more polite, dont old people say the opposite? And yet, I would assume that even parents for smacking children, smack them less than they were smacked growing up, and that often parents feel bad about smacking their children. We dont hit children for being left handed, or Maori anymore, so why hit them because they hit another child? An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind, as Ghandi said.Here are some clips that are both for and against smacking, from well known people.Tony Blair, former prime minister of the UK,I dont think all people who smack their kids go on to beat them to a pulp, but a smack is still hitting, and thats violence against children.Dame Kiri , a new zealand musician,I dont think you should have to earn respect, you should be able to get it, it should be expected that you are a good person, you shouldnt be punished until you can prove yourself good, you should be treated with dignity so you respect your seniors, that you see everyone as equal.Helen Clark, former Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand,I dont agree with Helen Clark, and Labour was for this bill being passed while she were Prime Minister.John Key, current National Prime Minister of New Zealand,John Key is for smacking he says, he did it himself, and yet admits there are more effective tactics such as taking away a cellphone. Id hate to have my iPhone take away by mum and dad, but its better than being hit.I'll also remind you that National passed this bill, with their addition that the police could judge if the child had been assaulted or not on a case by case basis.last is Sue Bradford, the Green Party MP who came up with this bill, its her creation. She changes her mind all the time publicly if this "anti smacking bill" stops smacking or not, if its an illegal act or not, if she wants it banned or not. Im not a fan of hers, but I can agree with anyone who is against smacking children ,if Hitler thought smacking children was wrong, then I can be on Hitlers side of this single issue.I'd like to mention two websites that helped me out with my views on smacking.http://yesvote.org.nz/ vote yes for banning smacking and http://www.voteno.org.nz/ vote no, which is for smacking children.Theres also a stupid parody of the yesvote site, by people who are for smacking, they personally attack the positions of the yes vote people. This is linked to on every page of the novote site, they at least think its funny if they havnt actually made it themselves. you can find the silly parody athttp://yesvote.blogspot.com/I personally agree with yesvote.org.nz, and disagree with voteno.org.nz , but I feel I should mention both sites for the help they gave me as useful resources, as well as for listeners to this episode, thats you, these two sites will help you make up your own mind.I like the slogans that yesvote.org.nz uses, against smacking children, "hitting kids teaches kids its ok to hit", "if its wrong to hit an adult, how can it be right to hit a child", "is it right to have a law saying its ok to hit a child?" and my favourite question, "what happens when a 'little smack' doesnt work anymore?". I like that last one the best as its something I hadnt thought of before, if you smack your child for doing fairly minor things like spilling milk, or swearing, what do you do if they hit a family member? Do you smack them harder? What if smacking them doesnt work, if they laugh it off, or try and smack you back?I played a clip of Prime Minister John Key saying he is for smacking children, and yet he also says that if the "anti smacking bill" is shown to be not working, he will change it. Many MPs voted the section 59 change, well basically every MP in the country, but now they say they are for smacking, yet its known as the anti smacking bill! Who knows how this will turn out, even if the forecast 80 percent of New Zealand want to be able to smack children, the government doesnt have to change anything! They could, if they are worried about not getting in next term, but that is years away.I dont think that only terrible people smack their children, almost everyone I know is actually for smacking! I personally feel its wrong to use violence against anyone, but especially when you are much bigger than the person you are using it against, and they have no way to defend themselves. What can a child do? Say "please dont hit me?" thats not going to stop a parent smacking them. They are most likely too small to smack the parent back, they wont be allowed a tazer to defend them from violence like the police have, and they cant use pepper spray on mum and dad. So what happens? They just have to learn that mum or dad is always right because if you argue with them, they can hurt you physically, and theres nothing you can do about it. You are nothing, they could tear you apart if they wanted to, just like that. I think thats awful. I think children should have the right not to be hit by anyone, and that includes their parents.Thank you for listening to this episode.You can find the script for this episode, as well as downloads for every episode of Jay Wont darts podcast at jaywontdart.blogspot.comIf you want to contact me, even just to say you listened, send an email to jaywontdart@gmail.com, j a y w o n t d a r t @ gmail.com, I'd appreciate it.Have a super happy day, bye.Sources=======http://yesvote.org.nz/ vote yes for banning smackinghttp://www.voteno.org.nz/index.htm vote no for smacking childrenguide to the anti smacking billhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDFl83TNagM&feature=player_embeddedleft handed children beatenhttp://schools.reap.org.nz/ruapehu/kaitieke/99t3/disc.htm

Sue Kedgley, is currently the Chairperson of the New Zealand Parliament Health Committee, a Green Member of Parliament for 9 years and her most recent book, is titled Eating Safely in a Toxic World. The interview covers, food labeling, irradiated food, poor quality food in hospitals, retirement villages and prisons, diet and sugar drinks, deteriorating teeth, education to what is a good diet and political party politics. Also, Codex and TGA effects from Australia where we get an insight to the state of affairs of Health across NZ and the way out, by growing our own vegetables in our own back yard. Sue tells us as it is, in the way food is processed and consumed in NZ and the huge challenge around changing food and eating habits. Particularly, ways that empower the individual and family to once again take charge of our choices on what we can do, to get closer to our food source and become a strong healthy nation once again. http://www.greens.org.nz/people/suekedgley