GreenplanetFM Podcast

The Portfolios that Steffan held in the NZ Green Party were:

• Primary Production
• This Included Agriculture and Horticulture, which comprised Organics, Genetic Engineering & Forestry.
• Plus Fisheries (for a good time he held this.)
• Safe food for a period - (and there was some politics around that.)
• Biosecurity and food safety.
• Security and Intelligence for a while too.

In this interview many subjects were rapidly covered so as to give an overview of what are the possibilities of a free, truly green, healthy and independent country - one that is happily embedded in the biosphere.

Organic Food Growing

Steffan says that in relation to our small organic food growers - we have to make sure that they can survive as we are asking of them to grow the finest quality and healthiest, highest - nutritional food. So it is imperative that our growers survive economically too.

Steffan who for 15 years was an organic producer says organic growers have to be able to survive themselves and put a roof over their head and feed their children - and they are up against industrial food production which is produced cheaply by using in his words - some very ugly chemicals and ugly fertilisers as well.

These then degrade our rivers and that the chemicals are impacting on our health - that there are a considerable amount of chemicals in our food - so how do we compare our food? What is cheap food? Because the cost of these chemicals on top of our national health system and into our environment are not considered in NZ's industrialised retailed food prices.

Whereas, organic producers holistic perspective does not, in most circumstances pollute waterways or the air with chemical sprays - and there are no known health and hospital costs as a result of eating organic food.

Steffan says there is a problem with costs - but as an organic producer - he at the peak of the season for a number of weeks - could and did sell organic food at the same price of industrial vegetables. He also mentioned that industrial farming is also subsidised in the form of cheap chemicals.

Steffan produced capsicums, tomatoes, aubergines (eggplant) beans, cucumbers, basil and chilli peppers - these were his primary crop.

By blanket use of heavy chemicals across a whole farm - all pests as well as benevolent insects are killed - it's an easy fix. Whereas organic farmers target what needs to be curtailed and do this with traps, and other noninvasive chemical means.

Loss of Insects

There is a world wide decline of insects. Where 50 years ago if you drove 50 kilometers through a rural setting there would be huge numbers of dead insects splattered on the window screen of your car. Today - basically none - zilch.

Steffan says there are two reasons that he knows of.

1) Habitat has gone - bare earth actions be it farming and urbanisation - take away diversity - less trees, wetlands, shrubs, scrub and herbs.

2) Chemicals nicotinoids - the 'neo nix' - is what they are called for short - is known to kill bees and affect their health including other beneficial insects - plus there are also fungicides and herbicides as well.

France in Europe is an excellent example of push back against these sorts of chemicals - having kicked out Monsanto as they restore ecological balance to their environment.

France too has a huge number of organic food outlets right across the country - and are far more conscious of their food production and consumption. Food that is close to 'use by' date is never incinerated or sent to landfill - but sent to hospices and other needy outlets and possibly prisons etc = far less waste. Also Supermarkets will not buy from farmers who use nicotinoids. This is due to commercial outlets across France listening to consumer demands.

Steffan goes on to say that our NZ regulators - our 'environmental protectors' as in the likes of Government - need to say that we are going to do the right thing … and bring in the 'precautionary approach' but, instead - our regulators are turning away and ignoring their social responsibility.

Ministry for Primary Industries - need to have vision and courage.

New Zealanders have to keep the pressure on the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Regulators - where he says we need some major changes - especially in the Ministry for Primary Industries, particularly their lack of vision and their lack of courage in not standing up to industry There are also conflicts of interest - especially around GE & GMO's and the release of these materials. That some of these officials have actively promoted GE and promoted chemicals when their job is to be a watchdog - for our NZ environment!

Especially when they are actively wanting easier access for GE materials to be released into the NZ countryside - and this message is coming from the CEO of the EPA - which is extremely concerning.

The community and the environment have be at the forefront - before the economy.

Steffan then mentions that he has just been elected back onto the Soil and Health National Council again. https://organicnz.org.nz

Steffan talks about the recent breakthrough that brought about a 'GE Free Northland'. Plus the Soil and Health Association working with these Northern Councils enabling them - along with a huge number of ordinary NZers who volunteered their time to do submissions and rally to this cause - etc.

That the Soil and Health Association was able to get NZ's High Court to back them in making sure that Councils such as Northland, Hastings, Hawkes Bay and to a certain extent the BOP - Bay of Plenty - the power to keep out experimentation from GE corporations. These biotech entities always wanting to release GE organisms into the environment, any environment.

Also covered. 'Gene editing and CRISPR, also called CRISPR/Cas9.' - etc so as to manoeuvre to find loopholes to let these experiments into the environment - but fortunately the EU has come out and said they are the same as genetic engineering! Which is a blessing for NZ.

The Precautionary Approach - is not anti science -

It takes our children's future into consideration.

Steffan goes on to say - he is not stalling innovation There are many ways that scientists can use these tools in labs to research both plants and animals that can be used in non GE settings - He said we must not release these products into our environment - it's very reckless to do so.

New Zealand can still be the clean green 100% direction that at heart - we want.

Our overseas consumers expect high quality food products - pesticide free - GE FREE - and leaving our country in a pristine state at the same time.

NZ organic production is growing.

Our growth in organics is increasing rapidly - and exports enable us to obtain premium returns.

As a result of regenerative agricultural systems, biological farming offers a prosperous future.

Bailey Perryman in Cultivating urban farming and Penelope Bundy have joined Organic NZ https://organicnz.org.nz so we can look forward to a sustainable drive towards organics here.

The Urgency of Training Soil Scientists

Hear how successive NZ governments have taken away the funding for 'soil science' in our major universities - and it is the soil that is the backbone of our country.

Air in NZ what is the quality?

Depends on where you live.

Marlborough for example - far to much chemical drift from viticulture - exacerbating cancers and degenerative diseases.

However in Marlborough there is now a significant growth in organic wines - so no chemical spray are used by them. HOWEVER - there is also an increase in non organic vineyards in the region as well, which continue to spray.

But there are now ample organic wines available to drink here in NZ.

Water

Rivers - nitrates and very poor forestry practices - or soil erosion have been deteriorating the water course right out to estuaries and sea. The fishing grounds are suffering major problems but as it has been politicised - it is now getting the NZ public's attention.

Education comes through time and again in this interview - education is the answer.

BioSecurity

NZ allowed a whole host of pests to be brought in the country 100 to 150 years ago and this has caused problems that still have to be urgently addressed.

1080 is a very cruel death … listen to Steffan, who does not like it. Listen

He is very concerned.

We need hunters to go out and cull pests and also utilise the skins and meat if safe to do so.

Mycoplasma bovis in cows - we needed to cull them straight away. It's a huge health problem for cows.Bio security was very slow at waking up to this outbreak!

National Security

5 Eyes Echelon listening and recording station in Blenheim - close it down is his statement.

It persists regardless of who is in Parliament. No NZ Government seems to have the power to close it?

Geo Engineering

Finally the air above us - what is Geo engineering - vapour trails, contrails and chemtrails?

The fact that analysis of the particulates are Barium, Aluminium and Strontium - what are these minute chemicals? And what is solar reflection? Solar radiation management (SRM) projects are a type of climate engineering which seek to reflect sunlight and thus reduce global warming.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11940711

Nov 5, 2017 - A new study has lifted the lid on chemtrails. ... The chemtrails conspiracy says that airliners are deliberately spraying chemicals.

This interview is definitely worth a listen. - Tim

That in most cases human health has been discarded or given a low priority. This rampant technological push continues to affect human health and wellbeing, influencing our very roots that connect us to nature - the source from which we spring.

Intuitively we know this, as our health is being affected and cancer and many other types of illness skyrocket. GreenplanetFM is by no way anti science - we are satisfied with 3G and 4G technologies - however when there is a constant push for more efficiencies overriding the health of the community - the inevitable push back occurs.

Corporate profits versus human health?

With humanity appearing to be the canary in the coal mine.

This very insightful interview tells us of what it is for a biological being having to live in an increasing world of oscillating frequencies that are continuing to intensify to the detriment of the natural world.

The vegetable and animal kingdoms are being affected. That means you and I and especially newborns, vulnerable babies, infants and children.

Humans are more than cellular bodies. The human body is composed of molecules, atoms and subatomic particles. There is a large body of literature that exists on the response of tissues to electromagnetic fields, primarily in the extremely-low-frequency (ELF) and microwave-frequency ranges.

In general, the reported effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation on tissue and organ systems have been attributed to thermal interactions, although the existence of nonthermal effects at low field intensities is still a subject of active investigation.

This means that as new technological frequencies are deployed across cities, countryside and whole nations etc - we are in many ways an experiments in real time. We are the proverbial laboratory rats, that like GE and GMO foods, we are test cases for new technologies.

Smart Meters

The interview starts off with smart meters that are now becoming ubiquitous across NZ. Many people may not be aware that they are already in place at their power switchboard somewhere on a wall of your house. Your power company may have already installed one. Yet, certain people are very sensitive to the subtleties of a steadily increasing frequency spectrum and may not understand why they are unable to sleep or they may continually be restless. Reason being, that they are being affected by frequencies coming off their undisclosed smart meter.

There is no legal obligation for NZers to have a Smart Meter.

In NZ there is no legal obligation to have a smart meter … you can refuse to have a smart meter …If you have one - you can get them removed in NZ. It may require a change in company - but you can remove them. Though if you are living in blocks of flats or apartments there are challenges. There are a variety on 'non smart meters' on the NZ market so do not believe the company line that some power retailers may tell you! Get more information from Legacy Metering Group

legacymetering.nz/ or www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz

This is the best option.Smart meters have a lot of computer power basically, the equivalent of a modern mobile phone - and it is able to tell where certain lights and power plugs are turned on at certain times in a 24/7 cycle - like every utensil in the whole house. You are being monitored. Every electronic item use is being recorded. Check the web site: Environmental Health Trust

https://ehtrust.org/

Education, Research, and Policy to Reduce Environmental Risks.The interview leads into this; which gives you an understanding of how frequencies work.Frequency weapon systems called Active Denial A US system.

The Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal, directed-energy weapon developed by the U.S. military, designed for area denial, perimeter security and crowd control. Informally, the weapon is also called the heat ray since it works by heating the surface of targets, such as the skin of targeted human subjects.

https://www.rt.com/news/weapon-us-microwave-cannon-363/

What are 5th Generation Technologies?

They are more ubiquitous and powerful transmitter technologies!

A result of intensifying use of transmitting frequencies in telephones and complementary technologies - people can end up with electro sensitivity - or EHS electro hypersensitivity - or electromagnetic sensitivity - or EMS - or ES electro sensitivity.

The interview then covers the fact that the NZ Government - both Labour and National are wanting to phase out and take down copper wire telephone transmission lines. They now see them as an unnecessary cost, due to the roll out of fibre. But this means that people - especially older people possibly in rural areas will have to use mobile phones and it is known that there are instances of cancerous growths on the same side of the face that people hold up their smartphone to listen.

Katherine mentions the : save our landlines.nz - a petition …. www.saveourlandlines.nz/uncategorized/welcome/

Taking away copper lines - leaves us all open to either only fibre or mobiles …. Back to Five G technologies https://whatis5g.info/ - website

The 5th Generation Radiation Frequencies Influences all creatures of the living ecology.Birds are being affected so is urban wildlife, cats, dogs, guinea pig and pet rabbits. As for vegetation - over successive generations we will see for ourselves what happens.

https://es-ireland.com/5g-5th-generation-greater-dangers/

Over 240 scientists and doctors from 41 countries have signed a declaration to officials of the European Commission demanding a moratorium on the increase of cell antennas for planned 5G expansion. Concerns over health effects from higher radiation exposure include potential neurological impacts, infertility, and cancer.

Experiments in China - show that rats heavily irradiated - can basically be all dead in 10 minutes. Listen to the interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLXfegUXlyo 38 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AYRWvjiVg Only 3 minutes

The SCARIEST 3-1/2 Minutes EVER! - 5G will Weaponize Everything

Olga Sheehan - who once worked for the World Health Organisation wrote a book called "no safe place" - saying beaming microwave radiation from space - leaves all of life vulnerable.

https://olgasheean.com/who-harm/

There are 20,000 research papers on microwaves so there is no shortage of data - however there is a shortage of 2018 data going forward, which is understandable. Hence the precautionary principle.All biota is affected - except certain bacteria and microbes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwyDCHf5iCY Dr Devra Davis

Remember: We are dealing with a cascading multiple electronic microwave escalation - with wifi, cell phones, cell towers, smart meters, baby monitors and now 5G technology - We as a human race can be likened to living in a microwave oven that is slowly intensifying Up before the time that electricity and wireless technology came into being - our planet was near on - a paradise! Barrie Trower former Royal Navy microwave weapons expert says that the scientists who are producing this technology have absolutely no idea of the mathematics of the waveform that is being produced - but they know it is in the gigahertz range - he stated there are no safety tests on this tech but they know that these frequencies can interfere with the cellular structure of the human body - that it is not just one wave but several waves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGW62yuy7w8 Tom Wheeler - Active Denial the new microwave weapon - use for crowd control - to subdue an bring down crowds of people in a demonstration or rally.

https://www.ancientpurity.com/blog/5g-coming-soon

Neo liberal economics, turned loose on New Zealand by Roger Douglas and Labour in 1985 (and still adhered to by both Labour and National today) has failed. The results speak for themselves - hundreds sleeping on the streets, in cars, in sheds and garages, hundreds more living in taxpayer funded motel units because they have no homes, full time workers unable to afford their rent, a health system in crisis, inequality at its highest level ever, roads, sewage systems, water supply and other infrastructure in disrepair, our "clean green" country under threat.

We need an economic system that works for people and the country, not for a favoured few. Such a system exists. It's called Social Credit. It has been tried before in New Zealand and other places and worked brilliantly. It is being increasingly talked about internationally. It could work for us again.

"Funny Money", once used in a derogatory way to describe Social Credit, is a term that would best describe the stupidity of our government borrowing the money it needs from private financial institutions when it could borrow from the country's central bank (the Reserve Bank), which it owns.

This means that $4,500,000,000 of taxpayer money every year goes to pay interest when it could go towards things that benefit Kiwis.

Social Credit is committed to fixing that, and putting in place a financial system that works for New Zealanders.

Imagine if the government could create all the money that is needed.

"Our own history offers us one of the most important instances of this being done. In the 1930s in the middle of the Great Depression, the great Labour Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage authorised the creation of new money so that thousands of new state houses could be built, thereby providing jobs for the unemployed and homes for the homeless and – incidentally – an income-producing asset for the government."

Quote from Brian Gould, "Creating Money for the Good of the Country".

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/thecountry/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=12006636

Chris Leitch is Leader of the Social Credit Party and its finance spokesperson.

Has been a campaigner for monetary reform since 1972.

He stood as candidate in Whangarei in 1984 and 1987.

He became the Party's National President in 1989.

After his party joined the Alliance, he became the first ever Alliance Candidate to stand for parliament – in the Tamaki by-election in 1992 after Rob Muldoon stood down, coming in second. He and the team reduced an 8,500 majority down to just 1,200.

Elected to the Auckland Regional Services Trust in 1992, Chris fought efforts by the government to force the Trust to privatise and was successful in keeping revenue-earning assets in public ownership.

Elected to the Waitemata Electricity Trust, Chris helped resist attempts by a foreign company to get full ownership and asset strip the company.

He has served as Board Chairman of the Whangarei Youth Centre, and the Onerahi Primary School.

He has been deputy leader of the party for two periods, once commencing in 1993, and again in 2014.

He was elected leader last month.

Social Credit's web site is http://www.socialcredit.nz

Crime and family breakdown is seen as Gross Domestic Product

Household and volunteer work is seen as Gross Domestic Product

Pollution and its consequences is seen as Gross Domestic Product

Long term environmental damage is seen as Gross Domestic Product

Even War goes through the books as Gross Domestic Product!

So all of the above, don't really benefit society at all - as they are all major losses yet, Governments globally have always classified these as a measure of economic growth!

In this interview which becomes quite riveting in the end - Dr Coleman talks of the challenges of putting GPI in place within the government economic apparatus. That prior to the 3 term National Party Key administration, that Labour Minister of Finance Michael Cullen was very interested in this concept - but Labour was voted out of office - and he was not able to follow through in taking this forward.

But in the meantime these losses are costing society and the country dearly!

Genuine Progress indicators is a 'holistic' way of seeing a more integrated bigger economic picture, that factors in the environment, as well as the community as a whole.

Holism

A holistic way is to view all the various facets to life in a more homeostatic way. As in a integrated whole of interconnection and interrelationships. In this interview he mentions that when he engaged the leaders of the NZ Maori Party they instantly and intuitively grokked his reasoning as applying to our planet - Papatuanku as alive - or the earth acting as one great superorganism.

This was then extended to the Whanganui river being classified recently by the NZ Government as a living entity that has a vast catchment area of some 7,000 square kilometres. - The next question is, do we have the will to see the far larger picture as we further our knowledge of the interconnection of life. (James Cameron in the blockbuster movie Avatar, introduced the moon Pandora as a living being and that all the tree roots interconnected in one vast - neural network). See the Gaia Hypothesis - James Lovelock

One of the larger challenges is that both in business and in Government there is compartmentalisation. Where there is very little to no 'cross fertilisation' or sharing - people are often in positions of 'need to no only' so they only understand a very limited perspective of how the whole organism/organisation works. That the company or the Department is not acting as a 'dynamic whole' and thus efficiencies as well as enthusiastic participation - is throttled back. When in a very connected electronic world - the imperative is energetic team spirit, that on a grander scale then spontaneously engenders novelty and innovation.

Bhutan

This subject came out of the blue in that I was wanting to see what country was further along the 'conscious journey' of seeing the world in a more futuristic and caring perspective. So knowing that Bhutan was a country that had a 'happiness' indicator I threw in a the comment - what about Bhutan?

Well Ron came back to me and said he had lived there for 5 years - and so could tell us far more than virtually anyone in the West has heard.

He said that they had a fairly enlightened King who wanted to gauge the feelings of the mainly Buddhist inhabitants of that small kingdom. With initiating a Gross National Happiness (GNH) goal.

What comes out of this discussion is that the Bhutan government wanted to float this idea through the UN so that other countries could participate. When this happened - and though a lot of countries thought this was a good idea, there was pushback especially as this would have had to deal straight at face value - with other countries poverty and all the other contingencies like clean air, water, land and food production, housing, education and health. You name it.

Synchronicity with what's happening in New Zealand

Fortunately, this goal is still alive and well today and the present NZ government is putting a lot of attention into it..

The Government's plan to announce the world's first "wellbeing" Budget next year resonates with business people if a big Waikato Inc turnout to hear Finance Minister Grant Robertson is any gauge. NZ Herald 10th July 2018

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12086507

Then Ron takes his attention to what's happening in the biosphere and the overlapping challenges and tipping points as to what we as a humanity are doing to our planetary 'life support system'.

Bangkok under water by 2033, which I question him about - because Al Gore said that the Arctic would be ice free in summer by 2013, and it has not happened. Yet, the warming continues - see the temperatures in Europe over the last month.

Shift in planetary consciousness - The interview moves on to talk about planetary leadership and there is a vast vacuum in all governments globally. The fact that people are rebelling against neoliberalism and the status quo and that of the whole Brexit domino situation etc etc. Listen

Empowering Youth and Women

There is an acute need for empowering of the worlds youth and especially woman (and their reproductive rights) - to nurture their/our common future. Plus, for them (that in this somewhat tumultuous world) to be in a healthy position to make this change possible. This is an area that we all intuitively know that as a human society, we need to engage in - and urgently.

Though we still have to trust that the top down model of leadership 'may' engage the population with an enlightened approach - the thrust of this whole interview is about grassroots movements. An energised bottom-up regeneration and metamorphosis movement. This interview carried on to include many small towns, villages and regions in NZ consciously coming together as small focussed communities. See main page GreenplanetFM.com

These are about farmers markets acting as a catalyst to bring the community closer together so as to have access to cheaper, healthier organic food as well as to network together plus organising a of time banks. Especially that volunteerism can be rewarded by time bank credits.

Other Initiatives

In Auckland the Manukau District Health Board now has worked alongside the championing of 70 community gardens in the area. The benefits are many, and this can only encourage the community to healthily become more engaged and connected.

This was a very lively and empowering interview. We both came away 'happy and empowered.'

This subject of the horrors of child abuse has not been covered by GreenplanetFM, as this program is basically premised on environment, health and consciousness.

However a 'chance' meeting of Ludovic C. M. Romany the author of the book 'Innocence' shifted my perspective so as to tell the NZ public that there is a major problem 'lurking' under the radar across this most fortunate yet unknowing nation.

With challenges coming to us daily via the worlds media - Child abuse - is an overwhelming subject and when we are bombarded with all the other horrors that the world media-corporations seem to hurl at us, I felt to go more public on this important issue.

When a baby is born into the world, we at heart, want that baby to be loved and cherished, to be wanted, by both its mother and father - however if this baby is unwanted and is instantly perceived as a burden - this can become hell on earth for this newborn. This in essence - is the story of Wi.

However there is a happy ending to this interview of Wi, coming through this harrowing journey in his 47th year - he is healing a broken heart and a shattered upbringing. This allows us the public to realise that we can always in the end, save the day. That against the odds, we can all come out - 'sunny side up'

A profound account of how a little boy can come through this saga and still carry love in his heart gives us hope for all children who may have been born into a world of abandonment and suffering.

REVIEW

Jim & Helen Moriarty

In one solid committed sit down, I was able to ingest the weight, the daunting but inspiring tasks of opening myself to the Mauri of Innocence.

Innocence without question is a testament to the mana, the resilience, the survival of Wi Peepe in post-colonial New Zealand, against a backdrop of an upbringing, that defies belief. A New Zealand where the horror of Wi's childhood, the guilt and blame is attributed to none other than the monster, the demonic force that is his father. So graphically detailed and truthfully portrayed.

This is a harrowing, yet ironically beautiful account of Wi's deep connection to his wairua, and emancipation from a life that leaves many dead in its wake. That the occasional right kind word and action, amidst his nightmare existence coupled with a deep knowing of the healing, found in the constant of the river and nature, were enough to feed the soul of a child. A child who fought the complexities and distortions of those around him, themselves products of post-colonial alienation and cultural disenfranchisement….It is a window into Wi's determination to fix the things himself and be accountable, into societies shifting lens around the intolerable, and at times over zealous reporting and response to family violence and harm. 'Thank God for that.'

In the end, it is about Wi's purotu, the magic within, that never deserts him. That equips him along the way, that is part of his whakapapa, that is recognised and supported by others, who could see beyond the battered exterior into Wi's loving sacred self.

Thankyou Wi and to your whanau for letting us in.

Nga mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa.

Jim and Helen Moriarty

https://www.romany.co.nz/

Though overstated, it has also given New Zealander's a wake up call - as to what do we want for our families and particularly our children in our country so as to make our communities more resilient, and viable, but more so - economically, more friendly, as well.

Towns, Villages and City Suburbs are becoming closer and safer.

From 'transition everything' to, farmers markets, time banks, permaculture, holistic health, homeschooling, garage sales, and food buying co-ops - Communities are realising that localising as much as possible especially around food, learning and backyard growing activities …. Is making small towns, city suburbs and small rural villages far more cohesive and enjoyable. People are discovering their neighbours and creating deep connection and relationships.

It's about innovation and integration of small business modals and setting the template for a regenerative 21st Century where families and communities can thrive together.

New Zealand hasn't been a social-democratic paradise since Rogernomics' deregulation, selling off public assets, and slashing state investment.

"Over the past 30 years, more than $350 billion has flowed out of New Zealand's economy to overseas banks and foreign owners of our assets.

At the same time, the share of the economy going to working people has fallen from over 50 per cent to just over 40 per cent, cutting NZ $20 billion a year from pay packets.

That's not a coincidence. Reducing employment rights and, more specifically, reducing the rights of New Zealanders to build economic power has led to a massive transfer of wealth away from the majority of Kiwis - our families, our communities and small businesses."

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11987935

New Zealand needs to move away from our reliance on a low-wage economy where companies compete by paying people less.

We need to remove the temptation to throw more cheap labour or longer work-hours at a problem, and make investment in skills, productive capital and innovation the better option.

The situation that New Zealand currently is in can be directly related back to the National government's Employment Contracts act of 1991.

The Employment Contracts Act (ECA), once it passed, had a devastating effect on workers' rights and living standards in New Zealand. It dealt a body blow to the trade union movement, one from which we've never recovered.

Union membership almost halved between 1991 and 1995, with union density going from 41.5% to 21.7%,

The ECA gave employers the right to refuse to negotiate with unions, and made it much easier to use lockouts and 'scab' labour or migrants to break workers' resistance.

It eliminated hard-fought reforms like compulsory union membership, compulsory employer-employee bargaining, and unions' special place in this process.

Listen to Robert's interview including a shocking revelation about how New Zealand employers have been caught treating migrant workers, that feels like the final nail in the coffin of assuming New Zealand is the world's best place to live and work in.

Robert Reid is President of the 28,000 strong FIRST Union after retiring as General Secretary in November of last year.

He talks about his life, his work in trade unions, the community and the role of trade unions today.

Robert has recently been appointed to the NZ Government's Welfare Experts Advisory Group.

From school age Robert was an organiser, forming a Students Union while still at High School, starting the Organisation to Halt Military Service to get rid of conscription during the War on Vietnam and becoming the International Vice President of the NZ University Students Association in his first year of university.

Dropping out of university and starting a family at a young age, Robert worked at General Motors in Petone for 10 years where he learnt his trade unionism until, like tens of thousands in the manufacturing industries was made redundant as Rogernomics named after Roger Douglas the radical monetarist Minister of Finance in the 4th Labour Govt. With its neo-liberal trade policies kicked in.

Robert spent the next period of time working with unemployed and community employment groups until returning to union work with the Council of Trade Unions as a regional organiser out of Palmerston North.

With the Employment Contracts Act of 1991 decimating the trade union movement, Robert worked in Asia for 6 years helping in the establishment and growth of independent and genuine trade unions across the region.

Robert came back to the NZ trade union movement helping to rebuild it again by being part of the formation of Unite and with roles in the Trade Union Federation, the Footwear Union, the Clothing Union and then as President, then General Secretary of the National Distribution Union which together with the Finance Union FINSEC, became FIRST Union.

During this period Robert also completed a Graduate Diploma in Economic Development and worked in the Green Party Parliamentary office for 2 years on the Buy Kiwi Made campaign. Robert has also served on "industry good" boards such as Textiles NZ and the Forest Industry Safety Council.

Robert lives with his partner, Maxine Gay in Mangere Bridge and is a doting grandfather to 6 grandchildren.

It's about individuals coming together to localise, in creating business around farmers markets, food growing, timebanks and cooperating at numerous innovative tiers and levels.

Many more NZer's today are talking among themselves that there has to be a far better way for us to live, especially for our collective planetary future.

Up and down and across New Zealand, many 'kiwis' are slowly but methodically going about integrating with their local community - wishing to share at a deeper level, values that are expressed from the heart and from a place of honesty and courage.

From little villages, districts, towns, to suburbs in cities, farmers markets seem to be a key 'nodal point' where people can congregate and cross pollinate news and views of how community can come together - so as to become self reliant, and resilient as well as creatively taking innovation to a new art form.

Are you one of these cultural creatives? Who enjoys meeting people to talk deeply about how we can address the urgent needs within the biosphere of today. I trust that you are as the following interview I feel, will fill you with optimism and dear I say it, joy, which as you inherently know - we need to experience far more of - especially if we are aware of current world news.

Juliet Adams became a volunteer in Lyttelton (just beyond Christchurch) in the South Island, just after the earthquake that affected so many people's lives. This came about because Project Lyttelton had a 'Time Bank.'

A Time Bank - is a system that helps people to help each other, without money changing hands.

To join a local time bank - there needs to be a basic program on a small computer system so as to record what exchanges are being made. When you join you list the 'skills' you can offer towards the community and any other ways of helping people in the community to do things.

Plus, you will also 'have some needs' as well where you would like some help.

For example if you spent one hour minding a friends children, they will credit you 'one hour' on the time bank records. Then you can use that credited 'one hour' on your account to pay someone to do something for you. Like fixing the broken fence or mowing the lawns. etc.

So it's a matter of people exchanging their abilities and their time to help one another - without money changing hands.

What 'time banks' do is bring people and connection much more closer together. Where as money can be over convenient as in the human equation it may not play a 'closer quality' in reaching out to people and their inner needs. i.e good relationships that are far more healthy … where you spend time talking and making sure that everyone is warmly satisfied with the 'transaction'.

In Lyttelton there is over 750 members in their time bank - so if these 750 people congregated all togther in a hall - there is huge potential and possibility with the collective skills that are there. Thus a time bank like this has 'vast social capital' that can be unleashed and put to good purpose.

Community Treasure Chest.

The 'community treasure chest' - is where people who belong to a time bank, donate and credit their 'one hour' to the community treasure chest - which allows other people who are going through a tough spell and need a hand up, can avail themselves of accumulated gifted 'one hour' credits from the Community Chest.

So that people who are not even time bank members can receive community assistance.

This is the difference between a system that is built around people - rather than money.

Project Lyttelton is based on many projects.

Having many community gardens - you give some work time and you can walk away with some of the fresh produce.

Garage Sales - about 4 or 5 a week - are all organised through Project Lyttelton - having a well organised, publicised outreach.

Saturday Farmers Market - which is a huge success - and this is where town and country meet and much sharing and networking takes place.

Helen Dew of Carterton and and Living Economies, North of Wellington and Margaret Jeffries of Lyttelton went to ITHACA in New York in the US many years ago and learnt about 'time banks' and brought the concept back to NZ. http://livingeconomies.nz

Today more and more Councils and Central Government are actively supporting communities to assist them to become more cohesive and healthy to improve the lives of their citizens. Healthy, happy people, as a result are not dependent on health services and do not draw down on the community or economy.

Locally there are Time Banks in Christchurch, Sumner and New Brighton areas.

Minimisation of Waste

Saturday markets - you can borrow a cup - take it away full of a hot drink or soup and carry it with you, refill it and later on in the day drop it back at the market and one of the staff will happily wash it at the end of the day.

Same for plates, knives and forks - you can enjoy food and have no concern about disposing anything in the rubbish - food scraps go for compost etc. A very clean thought out action plan to minimise waste. The idea of washing up is easily achieved and you have no concerns either.

Festivals

Many festivals are run in the town that bring people together.

Group Truck

Bertie the truck, can be hired off Project Lyttelton PL for localised use.

Fruit and veggie crates of fresh food are available every week.

They have a Library where many leading edge books on community building, finance and success stories of what is happening around our planet are available. This is where Juliet volunteers her time. As volunteering is a large part of PL.

Volunteering is the glue to keeping the community cohesive and flowing.

They also have shares in a health food shop that is owned as a coop called 'Harbour Coop -, Selling healthy and organic food see - harbourcoop.co.nz

Project Lyttelton is a wonderful fulfilling experiment of people working and playing together.

It is also emotionally healthy as well as providing physical health for ones body.

It in many ways is the microcosm of the NZ macrocosm - where ideals and warm hearted values coalesce into unfolding a better tomorrow.

https://www.lyttelton.net.nz

NZ prides itself as country that has been a prolific food bowl for fresh quality food produced from family farms for over 130 years. 'It's in our bones.'

Now with the increasing rush of new technologies, many of these developments are being pushed on to 'the market' with a good number not being tested over a longer period of time or over a succession of for example seven to ten generations. (Glyphosate and GE organisms being the case in point).

This is where ethical considerations are being left behind in the haste to profit at all costs and in the process - overtaking or bypassing the code of - duty of care and the precautionary principle.

Farmers and people who work the land are by their nature conservative and do what they know has successfully worked for them in the past - and they are weary of smart young technocrats who may have never got dirt under their fingernails, selling them yet another device or method that takes them further from what they intuitively feel is natural.

So the saga of GE and GMO's is now taking a turn for the better in NZ, especially for consumers in our country, as well as globally and in particular the ecology of this country.

This dialogue with Mark is a continuation of interviewing NZers around the country based on 'pulling the strings of localised community together' and linking them across the nation.

Mark is a passionate change agent and realises the importance of having robust and resilient communities founded around: Farmers markets, permaculture, organics, green dollars and Time banks as well as building shelter and sustainable buildings, holistic health, homeschooling, mensheds and women's cooperatives, plus other regenerative initiatives.

That all of these connect the community into a vibrant, self reliant organism.

For many years in some cases decades there has been a growing awareness by NZers - especially away from the largest cities that in small towns and villages across the country, people still have a sense of community.

That people seeking both better connection, and environmental quietness away from the pace and size of urban conglomeration have gravitated to the rural setting, that is always accompanied by being close to the sea or ocean in some way.

So apologising in advance, I trust that you forgive me and advise me accordingly if I have committed your town, village of region below.

From Kaitaia up North, to Kerikeri, Hokianga, Whangerei and …..

To Thames Coromandel, Raglan over to Gisborne, the Hawkes Bay Hastings region. To Wanganui, Masterton

To the Soul Island of Nelson, Motueka, Takaka and Golden Bay, to Kaikura and Lyttelton, the West Coast and further South - people have steadily built a cooperative commercial understanding around markets and now farmers markets are a key hub to community getting to gather to cooperate in other ways as the threads of community tie in so many other aspects from holistic health, to shared working bees, permaculture, organics, recycling etc see list at the bottom of this article.

Marks interview on what is happening in the Thames Coromandel starts with how people are addressing housing and shelter.

Having many differing forms of life style, and various forms of building homes - Cobb houses , rammed earth, straw bale, lots of permaculture permutations - people living 'off grid' and largely self sufficiently - other people living semi on grid whilst developing organic businesses - green businesses, lots of sole traders - that is sort of going on at one level.

At another level also grappling with how to connect up with other parts of the community that are more traditional - who have come there to retire and live in peace by the sea but are now becoming alarmed by sea level rise and climate change - eroding roads as over the last 18 months massive storms have come up the Firth of Thames and the Coast road up to Coromandel has been taken out. Plus lots of flooding on the other coast and at Whitianga as well.

There are some intentional communities, as well as spiritual communities that are rarely well integrated into the larger community running meditation courses as well as extending into town as a shop presence.

People looking at ways of cooperating to group together on the land and adding tiny houses etc

But in a sharing of care, Mark mentions there is also now on the other side of the situation about 30 homeless people living in Thames - sleeping in cars - or sleeping out at the back of the community garden etc and some of them have various addictions of some kind or another so there is still growing challenges around the dispossessed that needs to be addressed.

Why? Because these people don't have that sense of community and connection … and access to the resources to be able to change their lives - like to buy some land you are talking half a million dollars so there is definitely a different social strata

around different degrees of wealth, resources and affluence involved and amidst all this correct choices that have been taken.

Mark shares from a humorous perspective how the people strive for success and then laughingly asks how does one define success?

He says how do we equate neo liberal economics with half a dozen people sleeping in a car outside your house …?

That neo liberal perspectives are so interwoven into our society that often we all don't realise how embedded we really are inside this economic model. Like a goldfish may have no concept of water!