Transtasman Political Letter – 29 June Digest

29th June 2006

MMP dynamics change, as Greens take themselves to the dogs
... Ugly side of NZ society exposed in Kahui twins fate
... Govt applying electric prod to Transpower, etc, for grid upgrade
... Is Theresa Gattung safe now?
... A shake up on the way for part of the public service
... Does NZ’s gargantuan balance of payments deficit risk a credit downgrade?

Grid Security Now A Paramount Priority0

The Govt faces tough decisions if it is restore reliability of electricity supply to Auckland.

Govt Works On Its Kyoto Commitments

High petrol prices are having a major impact on car use: in turn this could lead to lower projections of NZ’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Is NZ’s Credit Rating At Risk?

NZ’s current account deficit has ballooned out to $14.5bn, equal to 9.3% of GDP, and is at its highest level since 1975, when it reached 13.5% of GDP.

Dog Days For The Greens

Microchipping of dogs didn’t look like an issue able to change the dynamics of an MMP Parliament. Yet this is what has happened as the Greens forgot who their best friends are in Parliament and left Labour breathless.

CAPITAL TALK

Ministers have been racking up the travel points, again. Lianne Dalziel is in Tokyo, Phil Goff is in Geneva, Chris Carter is back from Leeds, Michael Cullen is heading off to Honiara for the Forum Economic Ministers meeting, Damien O’Connor flitted across to Adelaide for a day, and Winston Peters is in Europe.

Play Of The Week: Questions, Questions

Will Transpower’s infamous “D-Ring,” which left Aucklanders in the dark and started a massive blame game go down in political infamy like DOCs’s “bag of bolts” which could have made a difference at Cave Creek 10 years’ ago?

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