Goodbye Nick Smith, Hello Maggie Barry. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10584577/Maggie-Barry-comes-up-roses-as-a-minister
Any thoughts?
Particularly important issues which come to mind are:
* The review of Stewardship Land, which Nick Smith, Ruth Dyson and Eugenie Sage were all saying they'd proceed with pre-election.
* A possible pending decision on the Haast-Hollyford Road. Nick Smith has potentially meaningful qualifications like his PhD research in NZ landslips.
I'm not sure what to expect from Maggie Barry. Hopefully she's not another rubber-stamping Kate Wilkinson.
Do any national mp's care about conservation? None of them speak up for stronger protection of doc land. Just the opposite. That it should be used commercially for profit
It depends on the land. If the Stewardship Land review goes ahead then we can expect lots of land to get stronger protection than what it has presently, complete with many glowing government press releases about how wonderful that is.
It'll be more interesting to see which land doesn't get stronger protection.
It'll be good to know more about Maggie Barry's suitability. The sceptical part of me wonders if Nick Smith's been pulled from that role because he actually took it seriously.
This post has been edited by the author on 6 October 2014 at 17:34.
nick smith may well have saved us from a kate worth than death in turning down the routeburn tunnel and the snowden monorail which kate wilkinson may well have approved without the relevant technical knowledge nick possessed..
would maggie barry have arrived at the same conclusion as nick?
She has a sound head - Chairperson, governance & multiple awards within interview & current affairs roles. Don't know what particular path she'll follow, though.
Aug 2014 -
"A former deputy Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee, Maggie is now Chair of the Local Government and Environment Select Committee and sits on the Education and Science Select Committee.
She is a Chair of the Bluegreens Caucus - the National Party’s advisory group on conservation and environmental issues, which is committed to exploring environmental policy in areas such as biosecurity, conservation and outdoor recreation.
She is also the Prime Minister’s representative on the Lottery Grants Board."
During her 30-year broadcasting career she has won multiple awards in radio, television news and current affairs.
She also was a feature writer, and co-producer.
She is most well known for presenting Maggie’s Garden Show on TVNZ (which ran from 1991 to 2003).
Her governance experience includes being a two-term Director with Outward Bound and Chair of the NZ Book Council.
Maggie was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (formerly the OBE) for services to broadcasting in 1996.
Sorry to see Nick moved from Conservation. He is an outdoors man and has useful qualifications and, I believe, he really cares about the outdoors.
As for Maggie??????
I would agree.
Nick Smith did seem to give a damn, which is always a good place to start.
His monorail/tunnel judgement was considered and thorough.
Kate Wilkinson had a shotgun for a brain, as borne out by her stupid rehash of the track/hut intentions system. It needed more tightening up and refining, NOT less!
I have a positive feeling about Maggie Barry, but time will tell.
Also, additional significant issues with the Minister of Conservation:
* 1080 -- especially with NZ First having such a large showing in parliament now, and particularly with Richard Prosser being elected off the list, though not forming part of the government.
* Climate Change -- Lou Sanson stated a few months ago that he thinks it's one of the biggest future challenges which DOC faces.
This post has been edited by the author on 7 October 2014 at 16:21.
I have a positive feeling about Maggie Barry, but time will tell.
At least the ongaonga and bush lawyer will be well trimmed
