What now Paula?

Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, June 7th, 2016 - 20 comments
Categories: climate change, ETS, global warming, national, paula bennett - Tags: , , , , ,

It would be nice if overhwelming scientific consensus and facts were enough to shape policy, but in the absence of that I suppose we have to take what we can get:

Pacific visit an ‘eye-opener’ for Bennett

Visiting small island states affected by sea-level rises has been a reality check, Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett says.
…
The mission visited Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Kiribati and Tuvalu. Mrs Bennett said climate change was a big topic everywhere she went, and seeing for herself the problems the Pacific Island nations were facing was an eye-opener.

“I think this has been a dose of reality, that you can read about it, you can hear the stories, but when you’re faced with it in reality, it is incredibly stark.”

That rhythmic thumping is the sound of climate scientists bashing their heads on their desks. Maybe Paula Bennett would like to visit Australia next:

Sydney storms: Millionaire’s row on the brink of collapse

A “millionaire’s row” of some of Sydney’s most luxurious waterfront homes is on the brink of collapse after a low pressure system covering the entire NSW coast dealt a killer blow.
…
Describing the storm as “monstrous” and “ferocious”, Premier Mike Baird vowed to fast-track natural disaster assistance: “We are doing everything with local councils on the ground to assess the damage. We will then get (a natural disaster declaration) signed off.”

The Insurance Council of Australia yesterday declared an official “insurance catastrophe” after insurers received more than 11,000 storm-related claims in the space of 48 hours. …

So what now Paula? Given that our emissions are soaring, in violation of the Paris agreement that you signed, what are you going to do?

It’s a tough question for sure. But at least you’re blessed with an opposition that will cooperate, instead of trying to whip up people’s fears and obstruct progress for political gain. So there is that.

fart-tax-mad-cow

20 comments on “What now Paula? ”

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  1. Sabine 1
    7 June 2016 at 9:14 am

    well i guess she earned her wage this week then.

    as for the millionaires row, could not have happened to nicer people, or they should not have build there. (is that not what is being said to poor people that loose their houses to floods, fires, earthquakes and the likes?)

    So shall we bet a dollar on whom the governments of this world are going to bail out? The millionaires or the poor people from the pacific?

  2. Ad 2
    7 June 2016 at 9:19 am

    She also toured coastal development projects now under construction, some of which strengthen and heighten port infrastructure for increased tourism and also for massive storm increases.

    The PM will get the same message on his Fiji trip.

  3. shorts 3
    7 June 2016 at 9:51 am

    things Paula has learnt this week

    1) the islands are charming this time of year, shame about the poor people
    2) best holiday in the islands now before they disappear
    3) isn’t life wonderful

  4. Chris 4
    7 June 2016 at 11:17 am

    Why did it take a visit for her to understand what’s going on? Can’t she read? If that’s what it takes perhaps she should visit the homeless in South Auckland and elsewhere? Or spend a day at the AAAP? She’s even dumber than I thought.

    • esoteric pineapples 4.1
      7 June 2016 at 11:23 am

      You’ve got to be grateful when conservative people see the light – even if it is late in the day.

      • shorts 4.1.1
        7 June 2016 at 12:09 pm

        she only saw some of the light – this is not the change we are looking for

        “Mrs Bennett said she did not think all the problems the islands were experiencing were due to climate change, but it was definitely one of the factors.”

    • katipo 4.2
      7 June 2016 at 11:30 am

      Minister of Climate Change in a National Government must be the involve the least amount of work of any portfolio as most of them don’t believe in it or don’t want to do anything about it.
      She was probably sent away on this trip to help divert the pressure from the media finally deciding to highlight the failings of her social housing portfolio crisis.
      oh well Stephen Joyce & Judith Collins will be pleased with their increased chances of being the one to topple Key.

    • AB 4.3
      7 June 2016 at 11:08 pm

      Maybe like the Apostle Thomas she has to poke her fingers into the wounds to believe it?
      In my experience it is common for people or a rightish persuasion to require that suffering is concretized and personalised before they can respond to it, The higher-order ethical state of being concerned about the welfare of people you don’t know and will never meet somehow eludes them.

  5. save nz 5
    7 June 2016 at 11:53 am

    How long before Paula comes up with another pearler like offering $5000 to leave the Islands and $3000 for the poor of Auckland to live there?

    • Hayden 5.1
      7 June 2016 at 3:01 pm

      She could pay the homeless $20 to carry a bucket of sea water from the Pacific to the Tasman.

      • AB 5.1.1
        7 June 2016 at 11:20 pm

        I think $10 – wouldn’t want to lower the Pacific and raise the Tasman too much eh?

  6. TC 6
    7 June 2016 at 2:34 pm

    Time to look like you care as there may be votes in it. Cynical as always from the gnats is my view.

  7. AmaKiwi 7
    7 June 2016 at 4:14 pm

    What a fantastic form of government where the Minister for Climate Change knows jack shit about the subject.

    Repeat and insert whatever Minister for . . . . . you want. You’re spoiled for choices.

    It’s a brilliant management/business model. Appoint the most ignorant to lead the department.

    No wonder the country is floundering.

  8. srylands 8
    7 June 2016 at 5:56 pm

    Can you cite any evidence of an increased prevalence or severity of east coast lows in NSW?

    They have been happening forever and they are not getting worse, unless I am looking at different data to you, e.g.

    http://hardenup.org/umbraco/customContent/media/1153_EastCoastLows_1846-2009.pdf

  9. srylands 9
    7 June 2016 at 6:02 pm

    “So what now Paula? Given that our emissions are soaring, in violation of the Paris agreement that you signed, what are you going to do?”
    __________________
    Well I would suggest quite a heavy dose of those international market mechanisms that are provided for in Article 6 of the Agreement.

    ‘Paris Agreement rings in new era of international carbon trading’

    http://carbon-pulse.com/13339/

  10. greywarshark 10
    7 June 2016 at 6:50 pm

    Went to The Wilderpeople last week. Rachel House was a knockout as Paula, a Child Welfare Officer, very officious and official. Mantra repeated often ‘No child left behind’.
    In her department that was probably adopted after a story decades ago, of a child left at the beach when two cars of family members drove home without it, each thinking that it was in the other car!

    I thought that her name being Paula was in honour and esteem to our previous Minister of something social, who has now moved on to higher and bigger things.

  11. reason 11
    8 June 2016 at 8:28 am

    Whats Paula going to do with the $200 million worth of fraudulent carbon credits we were undermining the system with.

    New Zealands carbon credits are sub-prime ………… or even sub-sub-prime

    I’m sure the fact we have a merchant banker PM and we tried a wall street like scam to cheat our international pledges and obligations fighting global warming are totally unrelated…………..

    Regarding pit bull Bennett who laughed about child poverty in Parliament not that long ago ….

    The predictable results from dog whistle bennett and $2000 dollar a day Dame Rebock and their welfare ‘reforms’ is being paid for by disadvantaged children and their poor parents living in overcrowded housing …. or cars & damp cold garages….

    Social welfare will only help them if they agree to become sub-prime debt on the governments books ………..

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