Clive Bibby: "We have been conned! You could be next!"

The front page of Friday 7th edition of The Gisborne Herald had a headline usually reserved for the outbreak of war.

It focused on the same day Prime Ministerial-announcement of $153 million being pumped into the local economy from the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund, mostly based on applications from Gisborne District Council.

My research tells me similar amounts are likely to be added during the life of this Government. They must think we’re worth it.

On this basis, why would anyone even try to rationally assess the real impact of this huge dollop of largesse on the region?

Melanie Phillips: America's Party of Hate and Subversion

What’s going on in the US is simply terrifying. Almost every day seems to bring a fresh demonstration of a hate-driven stampede towards mob rule – by people who, in Orwellian fashion, claim to be acting to uphold American values.

Look at how the Senate judiciary committee confirmation hearing into the Supreme Court candidacy of Judge Brett Kavanaugh turned into a circus on day one. It is standard procedure in the US that when the presidency changes political colour, the political makeup of the Supreme Court may also change as a result.

NZCPR Weekly: Attacking Landlords

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we question the Government’s proposed changes to tenancy laws and their continued attack on landlords, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Mike Butler explains why Labour’s changes could make tenancies unmanageable, and our poll asks whether you agree with Labour that the present rental laws are unfair on tenants.

*To read the newsletter click HERE.
*To register for the NZCPR Weekly mailing list, click HERE.  

GWPF Newsletter: Paris Climate Agreement ‘On The Brink’

Western Governments Refuse To Transfer $100 Billion P.A.

In this newsletter:

1) Paris Climate Agreement ‘On The Brink’ As Western Governments Refuse To Transfer $100 Billion P.A.
AFP, 9 September 2018
 
2) Real News: Bangkok Meet Fails To Finalize Draft On Paris Agreement Rules
Associated Press, 9 September 2018

GWPF Newsletter: BBC Freezes Out Climate Sceptics

Science As We Know It Is Dying — And So Is Academic Freedom

In this newsletter:

1) BBC Freezes Out Climate Sceptics
Ben Webster, The Times, 8 September 2018
 
2) Business As Usual: UN Climate Meeting Deadlocked
AFP, 8 September 2018

Seton Motley: Yet Another Leftist Anti-Energy Misdirection - hiding behind the animals

The entirety of the Leftist radical environmental movement is dangerous and stupid.

Dangerous: Because it costs many, many humans their lives when they can’t heat or cool their homes because the Left has prohibited – or rendered prohibitively expensive – the energy they need to heat or cool themselves.  

And because Leftist environmentalists routinely engage in violence in attempts to impose their will.

Stupid: Because their ideas for alleged energy – are awful, and awfully dumb.  Solar, wind, ethanol and the like – are terrible sources of energy…and are worse for the environment than the real energy sources they purport to replace.  “Green energy” – is neither green nor energy.

So when you have a terrible product to sell – your salesmen must incessantly lie their faces off.

Bob Edlin: So how did the politicians dish out our money this week? Let’s check it out…

Point of Order has been keeping an eye on how taxpayers’ money has been spent – or given away – by the Ardern Government over the past week.

Ministers typically get a warm glow from announcing spending decisions, grants or the establishment of new troughs within the authority of their portfolios.

Here’s what our check of their press statements shows they announced in the past week…

3 SEPTEMBER 2018

Minister announces additional $13.7 million to rebuild Redcliffs School

Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced a further $13.7 million will be invested to relocate and rebuild Redcliffs School in Christchurch. This is a part of the $332m announced in Budget 2018 to support school infrastructure.

GWPF Newsletter - Benefits of Global Warming: Global Tree Cover Is Expanding Rapidly

200 Years Worth Of Shale Gas: Australian Minister Announces Huge Discovery

In this newsletter:

1) Benefits Of Global Warming: Global Tree Cover Is Expanding Rapidly
Ronald Bailey, Reason Online, 4 September 2018
 
2) 200-400 Years Worth Of Shale Gas: Australian Minister Announces Huge Discovery
Australian Associated Press, 6 September 2018

Bryan Caplan: Amazon and Other Tech Giants Deserve Our Gratitude, Not Our Outrage

When I started working at George Mason University, Google, Facebook, and Twitter did not exist. Amazon was around, but I’d yet to purchase anything from them. The big news in the book industry was the sudden rise of Borders and Barnes & Noble superstores; if you’d claimed that Amazon was a viable competing book outlet, most people would have just furrowed their brows at your naivete.

Frank Newman: Making life better for renters

Housing Minister Phil Twyford says he wants to make life better for renters. But in doing so, will he make life unbearable for landlords?

The Government has released a discussion paper as a prelude to what will be a comprehensive reform of the residential tenancy market. The changes to be "discussed" come on top of a number of changes either in place or on the way, which include:

• Insulation upgrades.
• Removing the right of property managers to charge a letting fee.
• Limiting damages claims against tenants.
• New standards which are likely to include the installation of a fixed heating source, a ventilation method, and protection against draughts.

Brian Giesbrecht: Airplane Safety and Alcohol

Ever since Wilbur and Orville Wright proved that heavier than air machines could indeed fly, safety has been the first priority when it comes to air travel. Engines and chassis are inspected and re-inspected. It only makes sense that if some gizmo in your car engine breaks, your car will stop, and you can get out and take a look under the hood. You don’t have that luxury in an airplane. If the engine fails, you fall out of the sky.

And the same goes for in-flight safety. The pilots and crew must have calm and quiet in order to do their jobs. The passengers are entitled to the same.

And that is why rules about alcohol consumption and intoxicated passengers are so strict on an airplane. If a flight attendant believes that a person about to board the airplane is intoxicated, the attendant is required to prevent that person from boarding. After the airplane has left the ground, the attendants are very careful to ensure that a passenger does not consume too much alcohol.

GWPF Newsletter Forget Paris: Europe’s Carmakers Challenge EU Climate Targets

Walter Russell Mead:
'Anti-Capitalist Climate Campaigners Have Failed'

In this newsletter:

1) Forget Paris: Europe’s Carmakers Challenge EU Climate Targets
Deutsche Welle, 5 September 2018 
 
2) ‘Climate Leader’ Germany: Police Clear Protesters, New Coal Mining Imminent
Reuters, 5 September 2018

Clive Bibby: A "Sestercentennial" experience

When some pointy headed colleague dropped this little beauty into the discussion some years ago, I thought he was just trying to demonstrate to the gathering that he was indeed worthy of sharing the air with female knights of the realm (we still call them Dames over here) and other high flyers ranging downwards to lesser mortals like myself.

Actually, I knew instinctively that he wasn't interested in impressing me but it none-the-less caused a few eyeballs to roll amongst those of us who didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

For all our faults, my kind are still able to recognize someone with a dodgy agenda. We have learned our trade in the "School of Hard Knocks" where there is no place for those who feel just that little bit superior.

Steven Cranston: NZ should lead on smart agricultural emission accounting

The Zero Carbon Bill is an opportunity for New Zealand to lead the world on smart agricultural emissions policy. James Shaw has regularly touted his wish to see our country as international leaders on climate change and is trying to break new ground by bringing biological emissions into the ETS. To be leaders however, we must look forward and not backwards.

The issues with the current Global Warming Potential (GWP) accounting system for methane are now widely publicised and understood. Anyone who cares to investigate the origins of GWP accounting will find it was actually created by a group of climate scientists to demonstrate the flaws in comparing short and long-lived greenhouse gases. To their surprise, the IPCC saw things differently and adopted it as the international standard. So although GWP is now the accepted way to compare different GHG emissions, people should not be fooled into thinking it got there on scientific merit.

GWPF Newsletter - UN Climate Meeting: ‘Time Is Running Out To Save The … Paris Agreement’

Coal Shows Resilience in Global Comeback

In this newsletter:

1) UN Climate Meeting: ‘Time Is Running Out To Save The … Paris Agreement’
AFP, 4 September 2018
 
2) UN Climate Talks: The Annual Ritual 
Global Warming Policy Forum, 4 September 2018

Mike Butler: What Twyford tenancies will do

Reforms that could make many tenancies unmanageable were proposed by one Minister on the day that the Prime Minister launched an advisory group in a bid to avert flagging business confidence.

There was no indication that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford never considered any connection between the confidence of everyone involved in rental property, both landlords and tenants, and falling business confidence.

Twyford has 14 proposals, but the two that will make properties unmanageable for some, and this includes Housing New Zealand, are the end of 90-day no-reason terminations and the requirement to allow dogs.

NZCPR Weekly: Warning Shots Over Foreshore and Seabed Claims

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we outline how the Marine and Coastal Area Act is failing New Zealanders and needs to be repealed, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Rex Beer shares his concerns about the lack of clarity in the law and the implications for the High Court claims process, and our poll asks whether you believe the Marine and Coastal Area Act should be repealed and Crown ownership restored through the reinstatement of the Foreshore and Seabed Act.

*To read the newsletter click HERE.
*To register for the NZCPR Weekly mailing list, click HERE.  

GWPF Newsletter: Global Temperatures Drop Back To 2002 Levels

Arctic Sea Ice Back To 2007 Levels

In this newsletter:

1) Global Temperatures Drop Back To 2002 Levels
Paul Homewood, Not A Lot Of People Know That, 2 September 2018 
 
2) Arctic Sea Ice Back To 2007 Levels
Ron Clutz, Science Matters, 31 August 2018 

GWPF Newsletter: Canada’s Climate Plan In Freefall As Alberta Pulls Out

How Coal Saved Germany’s Summer

In this newsletter:

1) Canada’s Climate Plan In Freefall As Alberta Pulls Out
AFP, 31 August 2018
 
2) Roll-Back: Ontario Government To Eliminate Carbon Tax From Natural Gas Rates
Toronto City News, 30 August 2018

Viv Forbes: The Green Elephant in the Snowy Mountains

Canberra breeds many white elephants, but now they are breeding a gigantic new breed of pachyderm in Australia’s Snowy Mountains – a Green Elephant. Grandly named “Snowy 2.0 Hydro-Electric”, it has the compulsory green skin, but it is just another big white elephant under a thick layer of green paint.

Snowy 2.0 plans a hugely expensive complex of dams, tunnels, pumps, pipes, generators, roads and powerlines. Water will be pumped up-hill using grid power in times of low demand, and then released when needed to recover some of that energy.

To call it “hydro-electric” is a fraud – it will not store one extra litre of water and will be a net consumer of electric power. It is a giant electric storage battery to be recharged using grid power.