National Rejects Broadening MoU With Greens.


While the Green Party has always been open about the unlikely event of granting confidence and supply to a National led Government the party has always been open about working with them on projects that support Green Policy. Last term a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National included the Healthy Homes Project, the clean up of the toxic Tui Mine site and some useful research into pest eradication. All of these joint projects were viewed as successful and, in the case of the Health Homes Project, added real economic value by creating employment and contributing to a reduction in health spending.

It is interesting that for this term the National Government had no interest in broadening the MoU and wouldn't consider any of the new projects the Greens put on the table, apparently the priorities and philosophies are now too dissimilar. National rejected the Greens suggestion of implementing aspects of the Green Growth Advisory Report, wasn't interested in emphasizing sustainability in government procurement and rejected providing support for small and medium-sized businesses that embraced green economic opportunities.

The Government's rejection of the the Green's proposals clearly indicates that it has no more interest in pretending that it cares about sustainability, supporting small businesses or re-establishing our clean green brand. In National's zero budget/austerity plan there is no extra funding for new projects or even to support government services at current levels and yet there is still money being splashed out on overseas trips, golf tournaments, the Prime Minister's protection squad and National's roads of insignificance.

Comments

Animal said…
Funny really - your headline is totally opposite to your friend in grime mr guyton, you claim the nats walked, his claim is the greens gave the nats the finger.... maybe you two need to talk more cos one of you is wrong.
You suggested I read your bit on education, I did so. I also have an interest in education, my kids are at school, I'm on a BOT, I worked for two PTE's and I grew up with parents as teachers and my wife has a degree in education so I'm stuck right in the middle.
I do have to say, whilst your blog was interesting, the fact is numercy and literacy are certainly the most important aspects of a great education. Its a fact that cant be argued with.
Yes creativity is important too and this is where I think you are getting it wrong. Creativity is well supported in both schools my kids attend. They do art, music, have been involved in many plays and musicals and have sports trips coming out their ears.
Mono culture hasnt been made by a single government. For many years youth have been ramrodded into boring degrees that had little reference to where NZ, or the world is heading. I always thought a BA stood for 'bugger all', cos thats what it gets you.
Please take your blinkers off that force you to blame a current goverment for this mono culture, when you, as a teacher proberly helped to create it by encouraging your students for many years to head in the 'degree' direction.
robertguyton said…
"Funny really - your headline is totally opposite to your friend in grime mr guyton, you claim the nats walked, his claim is the greens gave the nats the finger.... maybe you two need to talk more cos one of you is wrong."
Animal - this will rock your world, but it's possible that both of us are correct. Both National and the Greens made press-releases on the issue and both couched the 'split' in their own terms. It's like a boy and girl breaking up - he says he pulled the pin, she says she dumped him - it's a matter of perception.
As to your 'BA get's you bugger all', what should a university degree 'get' you? A job?
Your world view is very narrow. When I went to university, I thought the word meant 'universal' as in the totality of learning. In reality, it was quite directive, but I refused to succumb, sucked the library dry(ish) and bounced from lecture to lecture (mine and those of other faculties). Consequently, I was advised that my application for year three would not be favourably received :-)
I agree, btw, that it's not just National that narrows the range of learning opportunity. Act are the most destructive here, National next, then I suppose, Labour. The greens may well be the most understanding about this issue. Do you agree?
Dave Kennedy said…
Animal-You are lucky that the impact of National Standards hasn't noticeably affected your children's school. When league tables are produced from National Standards results this will inevitably happen. One of the top performing primary schools in Australia deals with their "high stakes" assessments in literacy and numeracy by only teaching those two areas for the first half of the year. It is only after they complete the required national assessments, and the league tables are printed, that their principal claims they begin teaching the full curriculum.

As for the discrepancies between Robert and my posts, which ever way you look at it the MoU didn't happen because of National's lurch to the right. There was no common ground and both walked away. It was nothing about cost because many of the Greens proposals were fiscally neutral or would generate business and job growth.

I support Robert's points about the importance of retaining a universal education. Some years ago employers were surveyed regarding the skill sets that were commonly regarded as the most important in a potential employee. Subjects were then compared regarding which developed the most of these skills during the course of study. The subject that was judged the most useful was History.

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