What’s the worst part about National’s plan to spit in Supreme Courts face for the Ruataniwha Dam?
Is it that the Government intends to ignore the separation of powers to legislate over the top of our Supreme Court?
No.
Is it that the Department of Conservation are prepared to break their own rules by handing over precious conservation land to buy up farm land for lis bloody damn?
No.
Is it that more bloody irrigation for more bloody farms is the exact opposite thing we should be doing to combat climate change?
No.
The worst fucking part of this bloody damn is that National privatised our energy companies and provided huge taxpayer sweetners to those who bought the shares to fund these irrigation plans.
That’s right. The $400million irrigation program that National have embarked upon to convert every square inch into bloody dairy farms was funded from the privatisation of our energy assets…
The Government has tagged up to $400 million in cheap finance for big water storage and irrigation projects that would otherwise not be viable. Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd (CIIL) is charged with deciding which schemes to invest in, and so far the Government has tipped $120 million into its kitty. CIIL hasn’t managed to spend much yet – only $6.5 million, invested two years ago in Canterbury’s Central Plains Water scheme – but the Ruataniwha project looks likely to open the financial floodgates.
…so National have been allowed to privatise our energy assets, to pour $400 million into irrigation programs to help their dairy industry mates at the cost of conservation land, water quality, the rule of law and climate change.
How National voters can look themselves in the mirror is anyone’s guess.
The sleepy hobbits of muddle Nu Zilind are still deep in slumber.
It’s always puzzled me that it is possible for a temporary administration to sell assets like those hydro dams as if they themselves owned them. They use an enormous natural ecological resource, justifiable when it was for everyone’s power , could only have been done by the nation as a whole. It should never have been legally possible to sell them. There is a terrible flaw in our structure.
D J S
“That’s right. The $400million irrigation program that National have embarked upon to convert every square inch into bloody dairy farms was funded from the privatisation of our energy assets…”
Yep Martyn,
Now they want to use local government planning instruments to build more roads for trucks!!!!!!
NZTA – New Esk valley road considered????? Subject; HB Today 8th July 2017.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11886917
Our community response needs to be included here. – put the money up for Napier residents long awaited truck noise & pollution mitigation first before planning another truck road Government – NZTA-HBRC.
Funny that government are pushing local councils to give the nod to new truck roads when Government at the same time are closing down regional rail!!!!!!
Guess what Government!!! see that the Manawatu gorge road may now be forced to close permanently we are told by NZTA today on RNZ!!!!
Then the Waioeka gorge is now as this morning also closed from Gisborne to opotiki with yet another massive slip.
Funny that as roading engineers tell us is is the heavier trucks and volumes that ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FRACTURING THE CLIFF FACES ABOVE OUR ROADS NOW SO RAIL IS NOW THE BEST CHEAPEST OPTION YOU STUPID POLITICIANS.
spot on David Stone. I’ve always imagined our transient mps were the guardians of our assets/resources, NOT the owners of them. When you sell something that does not belong to you, isn’t that theft?
‘$6.5 million, invested two years ago in Canterbury’s Central Plains Water scheme’ And didn’t Amy Adams admit a conflict of interest with her private financial advantage in the CPW?
100% j.
Martyn – I think leading up to the election we really need some rally’s around the country, “Time for Change” to get people on the streets showing their dissatisfaction with the govt and what they have done over the last 9 years… People can have banners highlighting whatever particular issues they want, but most importantly, there is a public sign of outrage and the need for change. Maybe one every month? Get some momentum. Arguably, this should be more important that TPPA protests, because if we don’t get rid of National, who knows what else they are going to do to degrade the country.
It would be very compelling viewing on msm – and would highlight the wrongs from the govt and would also be a signal or call to those voters who think they can’t make a difference, that perhaps things are turning and they can change the government.
Can some of us on TDB help make this happen? I’d be happy to help, but don’t know where to start.
100% Dougal.
I support rolling rally’s for showing our rage at what this evil Government. have done and what will they do given three more years, it is painful to think.
“It would be very compelling viewing on msm ”
Uh, sorry but the mainstream media helped to sell off the assets. They are only going to either ignore your suggestion or create some distraction. If these demonstrations start to gain momentum, they will do a character assassination on the leaders. No, you can’t depend on MSM. It has to be grass roots and the Internet needs to be used to spread the word.
United Peoples Movement New Zealand is standing for all of this. We all need to stand up together to take control of our futures.
What National REALLY wants to do is to pass the equivalent of the German 1933 Enabling Act.
National could then do anything they wanted, at any time without consulting parliament or recourse to the current laws – not so far from what they do now really.
The scariest thing is that the sleepy hobbits would probably support this.
Critics – “This reeks of Nationalism.”
Nat Supporters – “Well duh, of course it’s Nationalism – It’s the National Party!” (Cue endless rants about bloody liberals, and a speech about how getting a job is the only way to truly liberate them. Let’s call it “Work will free you” or something like that.)
Since the projects are described as ‘not economically viable’ and since the beneficiaries are mostly National voters why could an incoming government not simply make the water from the dams ‘user pays’ just like the way it is applied to the rest of New Zealand. Proceeds could be applied to buying back our energy companies. Don’t expect this from Labour though, they don’t want to let down a group who will never vote for them anyway. Too many concerns about triangulation.
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