Hilarious
July 18th, 2012 at 8:59 am by David FarrarStuff reports:
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark has reacted with shock that a business award she gave was to India’s top tobacco company.
Clark, who is now head of the United Nations Development Agency, presented India’s largest cigarette maker, ITC (formerly Indian Tobacco Company) with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s (WBCSD) highest prize for improving the environment and removing poverty.
This drew an angry reaction from a leading Indian health advocate who termed it a travesty of justice.
In New York, UN watcher Inner City Press asked Clark to explain her award.
She replied with a written statement.
“I have worked tirelessly throughout my career to achieve a smoke free society in New Zealand, and was, thus, shocked to learn that a World Business Development Award, supported by UNDP, was given to a company which derives a substantial proportion of its profits from tobacco,” she said.
“Unfortunately the criteria for the World Business Development Awards did not exclude projects implemented by companies from certain sectors like tobacco. This has clearly been a serious oversight. “
Clark said UNDP would review its rules and regulations and ensure than an incident like it never happens.
“UNDP will not participate in these awards in the future unless companies like this are excluded,” Clark said.
Heh, I’d love to have seen the reaction when Helen found out. Rather unbelievable that you can present a major global prize to a company and not know what they do. A two minute check of their website or even Wikipedia would have found this out.
Anyway isn’t it a good thing a tobacco company is improving the environment and reducing poverty. While tobacco is a legal product (as it is in every country on earth), we will have tobacco companies – and isn’t it better they be encouraged to do good things such as reduce poverty and improve the environment?
Tags: Helen Clark, UNDP
July 18th, 2012 at 9:11 am
Helen Simpson should have been on top of this. Major FU.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 9:28 am
Priceless, but exactly the sort of thing I would expect from her. All hot air and no substance!
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 9:35 am
One would expect the business to be subjected to a very high level of scrutiny, before it was even considered for such an award. Clearly even the most rudimentary enquiries were not made. This raises the question; on what basis was the award given, if so little was known about the business?
I am certain this would not have happened had the business, not been in a “developing” country, or if it was run by Europeans. Clark has no integrity and neither does the UN and “sustainability” movement.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 9:36 am
When you consider how keen the international socialists are on massive population reduction, I would say tobacco companies — especially in India and China — would be getting all sorts of environmental awards from Helen and her comrades. Always embarrassing to be caught out of course, but nothing that a bit of dishonest righteously indignant denial won’t fix.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 9:39 am
> isn’t it a good thing a tobacco company is improving the environment and reducing poverty
Well, yeah, but culling the population to reduce poverty seems a little extreme.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 9:42 am
One has to feel sorry for the this comrade, Chardonnay socialist to the limit, ….not!
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 9:46 am
ross69
“but culling the population to reduce poverty seems a little extreme.”
Don’t worry Ross – they’ve got a far more effective method. Sex-selective abortion and female infanticide.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 9:56 am
True, but David Cunliffe proposed to fund half of the removal of GST on fresh fruit & veges through the increasing tax on tobacco – i.e. needing to retain a certain number of people risking their health in order to pay for (perhaps) slightly cheaper healthy food.
So culling the population to slightly reduce the cost of food is deemed a sensible policy within the Labour Party.
(Source – Q&A interview with Cunliffe)
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 10:07 am
So, will there be a consequence for this barren witch? Nope.
[DPF: 30 demerits]
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 10:18 am
This is a a lot more sinister than funny.
Note ” I have worked tirelessly throughout my career to achieve a smoke free society….”
Again the worst of the middle classes telling the rest of us how to live our lives.THese people are dangerous idealogues who care shit about democracy ,individual freedom and choice.
Vote:They bring their poison first to the national stage (after student politics,note the Auckland Uni free speech issue ) and then to the international stage.So many leftists get high office at the UN it’s frightening and it’s costing us the taxpayer big time with their lies and social control.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/217556/massive-cost-warning
July 18th, 2012 at 10:18 am
Feeling a little bilious this morning, OTGO?
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 10:21 am
She actually handed over the award to the Chairman without even knowing what the initials ITC stood for? Really? Somehow I doubt it. More like their donations were just too good to say no to.
“Starved of public financing, the UN agencies rely upon ‘voluntary’ contributions like donors, private philanthropies and companies. He said ITC and Brazil’s largest tobacco producer, Souza Cruz, were close to UN policy because of their funding.”
Not one for conspiracy theories but I find it difficult to believe she didn’t really know. More like she weighed up the donations against a slight embarrassment. So ‘take the donation, give the award, express surprise/shock/horror and then wait til it blows over’. Will she return ITC’s donations? Yeah right. That would be the true test of her shock/horror.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 10:29 am
When it comes to THAT woman bilious doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings mm.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 10:40 am
While working tirelessly to have even more NZers addicted to welfare, their livelihood’s at the mercy of vote-buying legislation.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 10:56 am
[DPF: 30 demerits] – always so sensitive when it comes to Ms Clarke!
Would she prefer that the company didnt exist? people were left with less, the environment worse off? all cause she doesnt approve of smoking. seriously, the left are messed up
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 11:04 am
Love it – foisted by her own petard.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 11:09 am
UNDP mandarins need significant imputs of capital to maintain their stature and lifestyles and dignity in the manner they are accustomed to. ITC have provided sufficient cash, so the UNDP have provided a reward.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 11:33 am
“…..I have worked tirelessly throughout my career to achieve a smoke free society in New Zealand…”
Key also said he is going to to this by 2025.
That’s BULLSHIT!
Key knows as tourism minister that this will never happen – the future of tourism is Asian.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 11:44 am
Harriet – it will probably be illegal for kiwis to smoke! Tourists will be allowed lol
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
DPF , was it “barren” or “witch” that earned the demerits? Or both in the same sentence?
[DPF: More the barren, but partly the combination. Witch by itself would not get demerits]
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Photo-Op trumps everything.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 1:43 pm
[Sarc on] Good to know we are indirectly contributing to this organisation controlled by a bunch of corrupt, anti-semetic mysogonistic, dictatorial countries and staffed by hardcore socialistic autocratic rejects.
Vote:Money well spend.[Sarc off]
July 18th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
DPF, is “barren” a politically incorrect word these days? My dictionary says that one of its meanings is “a woman who has not had a child.” HC has been called many things worse than being a woman who has not had children by accident or design.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
No Heather Simpson? Maybe should have taken Homer Simpson’s advice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhrfhjLd9e4
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
The United Nations is one of (if not thee), most corrupt institutions on planet earth. We shouldn’t be surprised. What sticks in my craw is that we (NZ), not only contribute to their corrupt coffers, but have to put up with their BS about how we treat the natives so badly, and how we must play with them better etc etc etc. God give me strength. The sooner this Institution goes the way of the Dodo bird, the better off we all will be.
Vote:July 18th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
I also disagree with the 30 demerits given to OTGO. His statement is literal and factual, our host likes it or not.
Vote:C’mon DPF, stop being so thin-skinned when comes to terms applied to comrade Clark.
July 18th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
Helen Clark is a proven liar, fact, so why would even the Inner City Press believe anything that this monster says.
She is so used to lying to a sycophantic media I’m sure she doesn’t even know she is doing it.
The US was in arrears for its UN fees for years because they recognised that the organisation was a joke ( Gaddaffi chair of a peace committe, please). Hopefully they are still holding out, starve the bastards out.
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