The government today acknowledged the role the Green Party played in developing Budget initiatives announced in the Eco 2001 package.

Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton, Conservation Minister Sandra Lee and Associate Biosecurity Minister Marian Hobbs said four of the measures announced today were either initiated or promoted by the Green Party.

The policies were a public awareness programme for conservation, national minimum standards for organic production, a small growers' organic development programme and a South Island survey for freshwater pest fish.

The ministers said the permanent awareness programme built on a Green Budget initiative from last year.

The conservation awareness programme has a $10 million budget over the next four years.

The two funding initiatives for organics will help establish a set of minimum standards for organic farming and assist small growers' towards certification.
The total budget for 2001/02 is $250,000.

The pest fish survey will investigate whether it is feasible to eradicate two unwanted fish species in the South Island – koi carp and gambusia.

"We are pleased that these important environmental measures have emerged from the consultation between the government and the Green Party over the 2001 Budget.

"They underline the importance the Labour-Alliance government and the Green Party attaches to protecting the environment," Jim Sutton, Sandra Lee and Marian Hobbs said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>