Reports have emerged that John Key and his ministerial colleagues may have been a bit premature when they started boasting that he would be playing a star role in a BBC debate on climate change later today. It seems Key has been dumped in favour of Aussie PM Kevin Rudd. Perhaps the BBC wanted to avoid the spectacle of a lead panelist doing an “aw shucks, I’m pretty relaxed about it actually” routine…
lets see .. they had a choice between NZ who are minor players with a plan or OZ, a big polluter with no plan .. a no brainer Chris. Spin away
You’re doing it wrong. That headline should read:
“Key relaxed after being dumped from climate debate”
That’s quite a pity actually.
Instead of having a PM from a country that actually has an ETS (you can argue about the merits of it elsewhere on this blog) they’ve gone with a PM that is probably going to hold a snap election before they get anywhere near implementation.
the word on the street is we are going nuclear. 2 sites. 1 north. 1 south.
really?
Key had to have his arm twisted to go. You can’t be the belle if the ball if you spent most of the time leading up to the ball saying how sucky it’s going to be.
There is always Top Gear.
@Simon – Bleep no
Spud- I don’t think we should be so quick to dismiss Nuclear Power. However, I don’t think our nuclear free policy should be “gone by lunchtime” either. Maybe a moment to consider it’s merits… I see OZ is debating wether or not to sell uranium to India for nuclear power. It would be great for the planet if they did.
I actually started laughing when I read this headline. I think Groser said that he knew why the BBC had dumped Key but he would let them explain. I don’t think the BBC is going to tell the truth which is that NZ’s phony ETS would make for grim viewing so they cut him. I am also kind of relived because this means that Key can’t go on international television and embarrass the country any more than he already has. Can you imagine, the interviewer would have eaten up Key and his “I’m relaxed about it” line for lunch….. This is now twice that NZ has been ridiculed internationally for it silly ETS. Thanks John, you make us all look like idiots…:@
nOexit, I want some of what you’re on. Have you any idea how much a nuke power plant costs? Even the mega utilities in the US won’t touch them. OMG.
The BBC try not to host people who promote apartheid.
when the Govt announces they will promote nuke power then you can download on them .. I will join you. Where on earth did this come from??
what I have found over the past couple of months is that there are people on both the left and right who are so blinded that they see evil only in the opposite side. It maybe hard for you guys/gals to believe, but much of what the Nats are doing under huge financial strain is pretty good in the same way as much of what labour did was as well.
When you are anti everthing your political opponents do, you lose credibilty.
@nOexit – Rich says nuclear fusion is a long way off
I just think of all that nuclear waste. 
Why don’t we (NZ) just buy some land in the outback, build a plant, pay aussies to run it and run a transtasman cable. Just think even if we do mess it up it wont affect us.
copenhagen is about appearing candid and completely open while concealing as much as possible. why do u think the greens have been led to believing co2 is the issue when its not.
Too far off thread Deleted Trevor
Don’t follow off thread comments Trevor
The reason the BBC dumped him is quite simple really. The world can at least understand what Rudd and Wong say, whereas Key is so full of rehearsed buzz-speak all slurred together in the broadest Kiwi twang that only Kiwis are able to interpret. By the time most people have deciphered what it was he said (or rather didn’t say) things have moved on. The lag eventually gets so big its counter-productive to even try. Even his former colleagues in the banking sector didn’t understand what the bleeding hell he was on about half the time but like most New Zealanders seem to be doing at the moment in some vain hope “change” means something for the better (just because its a change), they indulge him.
Paul .. I guess he slurred his way to making $50 mil
@ Thomas, Phil, Simon, ghost, Dominic, Jeremy, n0exit, murray, and Kiwi r eader Merry Christmas!!!
@jennifer, j, abba and Paul – Merry Christmas
@j, abba – have a drink for me
I think John Key will be very pleased he no longer has to front for what will be a farsical debate on the biggest scam this planet has ever known.
I do wonder if he was kicked off of there were behind the scenes negotiations to get out of it as this will be a lose lose situation for him as no matter what Key would have said in the debate, lefties and greenists would have used it to their own advantage from here to every election until 2017 when National finally lose the government benches.
Actually Jennifer As of 2008 in the United States, there are 104 (69 pressurised water reactors and 35 boiling water reactors) commercial nuclear generating units licensed to operate, producing a total of 806.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, which was 19.6% of the nation’s total electric energy consumption in 2008.[1] The United States is the world’s largest supplier of commercial nuclear power. Also As of 2008, India has 17 nuclear power plants in operation generating 4,120 MW while 6 other are under construction and are expected to generate an additional 3,160 MW.[2]
There are many developed and developing countires already using and thinking about using nuclear power. I’m not for it or against it, I just think that we shouldn’t be so quick to judge. But yes, Fusion reactors are still a while away…
1.Nuclear Energy Review, US Energy Information Administration, June 26, 2009.
2.http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSDEL16711520080818
Even proponents of nuclear power who look at NZ find very quickly it wouldn’t work here. Cost very high and the need to build redundancy into system makes it prohibitive.
Then there are all of safety and regulatory issues.
Trevor is spot on. We couldn’t afford even a small plant, and then we would still have the nuclear waste problem. Everybody, apply your minds to nuclear fusion over the holidays, and the world’s problems would be solved in one hit.
Have a very merry Christmas.
And a very Merry Christmas to you Richard, hope you have a great holiday.
Merry Christmas Sean
You too Rich.
Merry Christmas Spud. Hope you’re getting a break somewhere nice.
Merry christmas all – I see we now have two pauls – so merry christmas to that paul as well!
As for nukes – I have yet to hear a good reason to convince me that our country should embark down this road – and as for Key – having just watched the news, it would appear his bungling about will I go or not is what stopped the bbc taking him on.
@monty – Nats losing at 2017 – you may be right but I certainly hope its not that long.
cheers spud – perhaps I should start with a 1 at the top?
Yeah that could work