7 March 2013

Fracking not the best option for East Coast

Fracking for oil is the wrong focus for the East Coast economy, the Green Party said today.

“According to the Government’s own report, large scale oil and gas development is highly unlikely on the East Coast and it’s time the alternatives were also investigated,” said Green Party energy spokesperson Gareth Hughes.

Mr Hughes was responding to the East Coast Oil and Gas Development study released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

“The Government should shed its obsession with petroleum and look to create clean green jobs – jobs that are good for people and the planet,” said Mr Hughes.

“International research shows that the greener the industry, the faster the job growth and there are very few jobs estimated in this report.

“The most likely East Coast oil and gas development scenario, which is backed by data from the Crown entity GNS Science, creates only 199 jobs. In contrast, 910 manufacturing jobs were lost in the Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay area in the first three years of this John Key Government.

“The Government should focus on stemming the manufacturing crisis before it sells the East Coast to foreign oil companies for a quick buck.

“The Government is clearly picking winners by focusing on oil development and downplaying its risks for the East Coast, but there are real opportunities for manufacturing, biofuel production and clean technology.

“Looking solely into oil and gas opportunities was the wrong approach from the start.”

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>