Russel Norman

Government gives councils power to approve killing of protected species Buried inside the Government’s RMA replacement laws is a three-line clause that shifts power from DOC to councils, allowing companies to harm protected native species.

The National Party's number one fundraiser, Chris Bishop, has written a law that allows the mass killing for NZ wildlife for corporate profit. He's pushing the law through wearing his other hat as Govt Minister. I'm sure business donors will like it. www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...

Meanwhile Chris Bishop and Luxon continue their #WarOnNature www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...

About 20% of all LNG travels through the Strait of Hormuz. This is the energy source the NZ Govt wants to use instead of expanding renewables. A new LNG import terminal would be paid for by a new tax on our electricity bills (electricity which is mostly renewable). Nuts.

The last time the US removed an Iranian head of government was when they overthrew the democratically elected Mosaddegh Govt in 1953, because that Gov nationalised their oil.

“The military strikes by the U.S. and Israel against Iran violate international law and threaten regional and global security.”

Chair of The Elders, Juan Manuel Santos, calls for an immediate halt to military escalation.

"This is a moment of choice. Either the international community allows the values that have long underpinned global cooperation to erode, or it comes together to defend and renew them." - Helen Clark, Member of The Elders

✉️NEWSLETTER | We must reject a world governed by raw power

Helen Clark reflects on Davos, President Trump’s Board of Peace and pushing back against “might-is-right” as The Elders head to the Munich Security Conference.

Read & subscribe: theelders.org/news/we-must...

US‑Israeli attack on Iran risks plunging the world into turmoil

Comment: Attempting to force regime change by launching an illegal war is foolhardy, writes Arshin Adib-Moghaddam.

Hey instead of making NZ more dependent on fossil fuels extracted from a war zone where the US and Israel routinely start bombing people, let’s embrace renewable energy. #SayNoToLNG

Trump’s War on Iran Threatens to Drive Up Oil Prices and Inflation The disruption to the Middle East’s prodigious energy exports could have far-reaching economic consequences.

Meanwhile the Luxon Govt is desperate to make NZ dependent on imported LNG while increasing climate pollution www.wsj.com/world/middle...

1/7 BREAKING: A US court has just sided with fossil fuel pipeline giant Energy Transfer and ordered Greenpeace International and Greenpeace entities in the US to pay them US$ 345 million.

This is a billionaire-backed attack on the right to protest. A thread ⤵️🧵

Greenpeace response to strikes on Iran by the US and Israel - Greenpeace International Greenpeace International is deeply concerned by the joint military strike on Iran by the US and Israel.

Military strikes on Iran by the US and Israel will only deepen suffering and risk spiralling violence.

Civilians and the climate must not pay the price for political power plays.

All parties must de-escalate and choose diplomacy.

#Iran

Safer Speeds Benefit Cost Ratios

This is a table showing the Benefit Cost Ratio of lowering speed limits just on their own. It has not factored walking or cycling benefit spins offs from this which would send the BCR higher

The table comes from AUSTROADS so it is Aussie and NZ relevant
Just dont tell Simeon Brown or Ryan Bridge

Ministers continue to make decisions on fast-track projects after parties take donations linked to applicants One political scientist believes such donations to political parties could be perceived as creating a conflict of interest but official advice disagrees.

Just your daily reminder that Chris Bishop is both the chief fundraiser for the National Party election campaign and needs major donations, and the decision maker giving businesses access to the fast track process. www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Fed Farmers: Let’s massively increase water and climate pollution.
Greenpeace: No let’s cut pollution.
Fed Farmers: Let’s compromise and just increase it somewhat.
Greenpeace: no we must cut climate and water pollution.
Right wing commentators: Greenpeace is so unreasonable.

A home for granny, a headache for the homeowner The new rules cut a thin layer of red tape, but they're still complex, full of restrictions and just as expensive as always.

"Govt new rules for building a granny flat... still complex, full of restrictions and just as expensive as they always were. The real change these rules bring, say experts, is when things go wrong, they shift the burden of responsibility from council to homeowners." www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedeta...

A home for granny, a headache for the homeowner The new rules cut a thin layer of red tape, but they're still complex, full of restrictions and just as expensive as always.

Chris Bishop stopped social housing new builds; made the homeless crisis worse; crashing the building sector; declared a war on nature, helping national party donors; and his 'granny flat' rules are a mess. www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedeta...

New report exposes potential nitrate pollution in Southland An estimated 15,000 Southlanders could be drinking water polluted by nitrates according to a new Southland Regional Council report.

This is what @FedFarmers and @Fonterra and @DairyNZ have gifted the nation - landscape scale nitrate poison in our water. www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

New report exposes potential nitrate pollution in Southland An estimated 15,000 Southlanders could be drinking water polluted by nitrates according to a new Southland Regional Council report.

Agribusiness nitrate poison is spreading across the whole country. Dumped by Fonterra in freshwater as part of its production process, protected by lobbying by Fed Farmers, and Dairy NZ, and accelerated by the Luxon Govt. What should NZ Labour say to Fed Farmers today? www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Fed Farmers: Let’s massively increase water and climate pollution.
Greenpeace: No let’s cut pollution.
Fed Farmers: Let’s compromise and just increase it somewhat.
Greenpeace: no we must cut climate and water pollution.
Right wing commentators: Greenpeace is so unreasonable.

Labour MPs are apparently meeting with far right pollution advocacy group Fed Farmers today. Feds opposed last Govt’s every measure to cut water and climate pollution. You don’t make progress on climate policy by appeasing the polluters and their lobbyists.

Ngāti Ruanui hand-deliver a trespass notice to mining company in Australia A delegation from Ngāti Ruanui, one of the Taranaki iwi at the centre of seabed mining protests, has hand-delivered a trespass notice to mining company Trans Tasman Resources

A delegation from Ngāti Ruanui, one of the Taranaki iwi at the centre of seabed mining protests, has hand-delivered a trespass notice to mining company Trans Tasman Resources

Rep. Al Green was escorted out of the House chamber just minutes into President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address for holding a sign reading “Black people aren’t apes!” https://cnn.it/3ZXvoDP

Right: Let's do genocide Left: Let's not do genocide Center: Guys, you're gonna have to compromise, let's just do /some/ genocide Right: guess can live with that for now Left: No Center: See, this is why no one likes the left, you guys are the real extremists, smh

The centrist obsession with "balance" or "impartiality" enables right-wing or oppressive ideas by treating them as equally valid to more progressive policies, essentially giving them a "free pass".

Dairy Megacorp @Fonterra is spreading its poison across the entire south island. This is industrial dairying poisoning the drinking water of rural and provincial NZers. www.odt.co.nz/southland/ni...

Nitrate ‘news not good’ for Southland Widespread degradation of Southland’s drinking water safety has been exposed in a council-commissioned report. The Environment Southland report...

The nitrate emergency in drinking water has spread from Canterbury to Southland. All driven by @Fonterra. Too Many Cows www.odt.co.nz/southland/ni...

Really great to see Hipkins leading his State of the Nation speech yesterday with the way that climate change is making the cost of living crisis worse. And opposition to the LNG import terminal "And if we're in government before a deal is done, we won't go through with it."

Genesis positions Huntly as Methanex, Māui closures loom Genesis Energy says Huntly power station is shifting from dry-year insurance to volatility management in a more renewable grid, a strategy it argues positions t...

businessdesk.co.nz/article/mark...

Seems unlikely that LNG import will displace coal at Huntly: "Talking to BusinessDesk, [Genesis CE] Johns sketched a dispatch ladder in which gas above about $18/GJ would push Huntly toward coal through the Rankine units, with LNG potentially sitting above that level at around $20/GJ"

Judge forced to slash SF jury pool over hate for Elon Musk One candidate said he thinks sending Elon Musk to prison would benefit humanity.

“In a criminal trial, I would feel morally obligated to convict, however, in a civil trial I could set those views aside,” adding, “I believe it would be to the benefit of the human race for Mr. Musk to be sent to prison.”

www.sfgate.com/tech/article...

Too broke to pay tax? Methanex pays $70m dividend to Canadian owner The Govt has paid hundreds of millions in subsidies to the Taranaki-based methanol producer; now there are calls to speed its exit from NZ. Jonathan Milne reports.

Too broke to pay tax? Methanex pays $70m dividend to Canadian owner newsroom.co.nz/2025/04/30/m...