There were some rumours last year that All Black Anton Oliver (the thinking person's All Black) might be one of Labour's secret weapons for the election. We don't think so. In today's Sunday Star Times (we can't find an electronic version yet sorry) Anton he writes a thoughtful piece looking at the wider implications of wind power.
In it he says
"the Labour-led government has its blinkers on trying to make up for its gross miscalculation of our Kyoto obligations come 2012 (which, rather than deliver us a profit as Labour initially declared, will, according to Business New Zealand projections, cost us as much as $3 billion), frantically searching for alternative revenue streaas - hence its renewed interest in carbon credits and emissions trading - to pay for its imcompetence."
Later he asks
"Is this what our SOEs have become? Revenue-generating engines that externalise our environmental and cultural heritage so that the current government can offer bribery - tax cuts - come election year?"
Welcome to political purgatory Anton. Nothing hurts more than the truth. We have been in the same state for a while and it isn't all that bad.
Anton's article is on A9 of the Wellington version of the SST. It is well worth a read. he also looks at the operation of the RMA, the lack of a well thought out energy strategy, and the relationship between Meridian and Rio Tinto. This is all interesting stuff.
