On 5AA Australia’s Across The Ditch bulletin this week Selwyn Manning and Peter Godfrey discuss how the National-led Government looks likely to lose a key piece of legislation that paints it a failure. We talk RMA reform + Labour’s leadership primary.
Also, the Labour leadership campaign intensifies this week with its conclusion on Sunday. What does it really mean?
The National-led Government is set to fail reforming laws that protect New Zealand’s natural resource and environment.
The Government has been under pressure by key business and developer stakeholder groups to reform New Zealand’s Resource Management Act. The law was brought in in the 1980s and was intended as a method to make sure development and industry in New Zealand would be sustainable.
But in recent years, the Law has been criticised for bogging development down in bureaucratic red-tape while failing to protect the environment.
The National-led Government wants to reform the law and make it easier for business, agriculture and construction sector to gain consent for development. In real terms that means more trees being cut down, more environmentally sensitive areas being affected by development.
To get the legislation through Parliament, National needs the Maori Party or United Future party to back its plan. But both refuse.
Also discussed, Labour Party’s primary contest for its new leader will conclude this weekend. The three candidates are beginning to look battle-wary but among the population David Cunliffe is the popular choice. The question is, will the Caucus, The Membership, and the Unions agree with voters…
Also, the All Blacks play South Africa’s Spring Boks at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday night. It promises to be a hard tough match that will indicate what team really is the best in the Southern Hemisphere…
Across The Ditch broadcasts live weekly on 5AA.com.au and webcasts on LiveNews.co.nz and TheDailyBlog and Live.TheDailyBlog.co.nz.
