A fascinating challenge facing today's environmental movement is how to best approach the reversal of past decisions that altered once-pristine environmental spaces for the sake of urgent man-made needs.

We all recognize that in recent decades many important achievements have helped create a cleaner healthier environment yet our national needs in environmental health are not being fully met.

New Zealand needs to balance its environmental responsibilities with its economic opportunities because the risk is that if you don't do that - and you want to lead the world - then you might end up getting unintended consequences.

Hydrogen holds great promise to meet many of our future energy needs and it addresses national security and our environmental concerns. Hydrogen is the simplest most abundant element in the universe.

I am going to confront the old-fashioned negative thinking which says that all government needs to do to generate growth is cut worker and environmental protections cut taxes on the rich and stroke 'fat cats' until they purr with pleasure. I'm completely repudiating the idea that government has to get out of the way.

Nuclear power will help provide the electricity that our growing economy needs without increasing emissions. This is truly an environmentally responsible source of energy.

I feel that education needs an overhaul - courses are obsolete and grades are on the way out.

I want to see far more decisions taken far closer to the patients the passengers and the pupils. Far more power for locally and regionally elected politicians who understand best the needs of their areas. And far more say too for the dedicated staff at all levels in health and education.

But the fact is no matter how good the teacher how small the class how focused on quality education the school may be none of this matters if we ignore the individual needs of our students.

When a woman earns a dollar the payback is higher. She'll invest in her children in their education health care and basic needs. The impact of a woman's role in the economy benefits society at large.