 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||
|
Leader's LetterDecember 2006
Excuses, ExcusesA recent visitor to New Zealand, Theodore Dalrymple, social commentator and doctor, who has worked as a psychologist for many years in prisons and hospitals, believes that worldwide, liberal-minded academics and social reformers have so reduced the level of individuals’ responsibility for their own actions, they have created a society that has an excuse for every mis-deed - it is always the fault of someone else, or the fault of someone’s upbringing. His view is that this leads to an increasingly violent and criminalised society. Of New Zealand, following his visit, he writes "It [is] as if the whole society [has] given up trying to maintain order, it [has] become fearful of its own children." It is a sure fact that violent crime is on the increase in New Zealand, including increasingly violent behaviour from young people. Recent appalling events of violence by teenagers, stabbings and drunken brawls seem to be in the news daily. This brings me briefly to the matter of the Bill to return the minimum age for purchasing alcohol to 20, which the select committee had recommended be passed after listening to much compelling evidence, over many months, from medical experts, police, health experts, youth advocates etc. We all know that even if the Bill had passed it was never going to be a cureall for the ills that plague our society, and that it needed to be just part of a whole new attitude. To quote Dalrymple "we reap what we sow", and we can’t deny the fact that the liberal approach of recent years to understanding the problems of our youth, coupled with bad parenting, has so undermined authority that there is little respect or discipline and kids do pretty much as they please. We cannot hope to turn this trend around without people taking responsibility for their actions, for their own children, or until we learn again how to bring up children to follow normal socially acceptable standards of behaviour, educate them, teach them to develop respect for others and instil in them a greater level of social awareness and responsibility. To end with Dalrymple’s ominous words "...I don’t suppose I have to elaborate on the likely future of a society that fears its own children, or at least enough of them to retreat indoors when they come out to play." We ALL have to take responsibility for ensuring that particular vision of our future is never realised. Ron Mark MP Farming and Food MilesThe level of environmental awareness has increased exponentially in recent years, and this awareness has led to mounting public pressure for environmentally sound policies. What this will mean for the Green Party as other parties espouse green policies remains to be seen, but what it means for all of us is that we must adapt to the realities of climate change and be mindful of the impact of our actions on the environment. The recently released Stern report on climate change warned of the economic consequences of ignoring global warming, predicting a global recession if immediate action is not taken. Al Gore’s film on climate change tells a similar story, but focuses more on the outlook for our planet, warning that we ignore global warming at our peril. The good news from both sources is that it’s not too late to arrest the damage, and that sound environmental policies along with individual and community action can go a long way towards alleviating the damage that has already been done, and minimising future damage. There is some disagreement within the science community about the extent and effects of climate change. I’m not a scientist so I can’t enter into that argument, but I do know that growing public concern about global warming means that we cannot ignore it. My approach is that we adapt to this reality with sensible policies, while keeping a cool head and not getting carried away by some of the more alarmist reports, or trying to manipulate the situation for political advantage. This appears to have been the motive behind the recent rantings of a British Cabinet Minister, who used the concept of food miles to exploit global concerns about the environment and climate change. He singled out New Zealand, saying that the distance our export goods travel is environmentally unsound, but I suggest that what he was really trying to do was install what is essentially a non-tariff barrier to trade. 
Peter Brown addresses the New Zealand maritime Union’s Triennial Conference in October (with the Union’s General Secretary Trevor Hanson far left). Energy-wise, New Zealand is far more efficient at producing and transporting agricultural products than Britain, a fact which was recognised by Tony Blair, who has assured our Prime Minister that he will not be pursuing a food miles tax. However, what this incident highlighted was the importance of ensuring that our farming practices are environmentally sound so that we can defend ourselves against such challenges. We also need to let consumers know that they are not contributing to global warming by buying our products. If consumers worldwide are demanding environmentally sustainable products, then we need to deliver that. Against this backdrop, it is pleasing that farmers are committed to reducing the environmental impact of nutrient loss from farms by 10 percent in 10 years. This is an admission that farming practices can improve, and hopefully this is just the beginning of the greening of our primary sector. For make no mistake, this issue will not go away, and for a country dependent on agricultural exports we really have no choice but to respond to market demands. Doug Woolerton MP
|
|
|||
|
|
||