This Government is the most radical ‘anti-environment’ since 1980s – Big Coal is already influencing our politics

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Environmental group calls Government our most radical ‘anti-environment’ since 1980s

The Environmental Defence Society has called our coalition Government the most radical “anti-environment” Government since the early 1980s.

We need to understand there is a vast war against the environment being waged by National, ACT and NZ First across multiple fronts as donors wanting to deregulate existing climate change regulation so they can continue polluting and making profits.

We need to understand that media apologists for this Government (The Democracy Project, The Platform, Taxpayers’ Union, Kiwiblog, Reality Check Radio, ZB Plus, NZME and nyone on Mike Hosking’s Facebook friends list) will attempt to pretend this is all moderate when the list of abuses of power mount with every passing week.

Look at the multitude of examples of this Government’s contempt for the environment.

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The Atlas Network is a think tank for dark money from America to infiltrate domestic policy to stymie climate change regulation and their influence is clearly apparent in everything we see in NZ right now, including the coal industry directly intervening in NZ politics to get their coal pimps elected…

Big coal company bought West Coast election campaign

Unhappy with a policy banning more mining of conservation land, Bathurst Resources paid $32,600 for a candidate who knocked out the veteran Labour MP Damien O’Connor

…this as the Government intends to open up conservation land for Trans National mining interests while giving Shane Jones fast track powers for those mining interests while Luxon is calling for RMA changes to allow more dams because the Trans National mining interests need dams for mining!

The cronyism within the Fishing Industry is just as venal with Dr Pork Shane Jones once again allowing the fishing industry off the hook over cameras and trawling..

Shane Jones reviewing rollout of cameras on commercial fishing boats

Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is reviewing the rollout of cameras on commercial fishing boats, saying he wants fisheries management to be “better, more focused and robust”.

…bullshit!

He wants to remove the accountability after the fishing industry paid him.

When even America is criticising our plans to allow the fishing industry to trawl the South Pacific..

America says NZ’s change in Govt shouldn’t have undermined conservation work

Despite criticism from allies, NZ’s fishing industry says Shane Jones made the right decision backing out of South Pacific trawl restrictions

…you know our crony capitalism has probably gone too far  when even the American’s are criticising our naked acquiescence to the fishing industry.

It’s no surprise that Kiwis don’t trust Dr Pork as far as they can throw him…

New poll reveals widespread distrust in Shane Jones’ ability to do his job as Oceans and Fisheries Minister

Damning new polling data released today shows that only 15% of New Zealanders trust Minister Shane Jones to look after New Zealand’s ocean and fisheries, the job he’s entrusted to do in his Ministerial position.

The data collected by Horizon Research also shows that over half of respondents (57%) agree that Members of Parliament who accept donations from the fishing industry should not be the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries – a result that comes after a week where Jones wined and dined with fishing industry bosses who financed his election campaign.

Greenpeace oceans campaigner Ellie Hooper says the data speaks for itself.

“This polling shows the clear lack of trust that New Zealanders have in Shane Jones as the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries. They simply don’t believe that he’s going to look after the marine life New Zealanders hold dear, from deep sea coral to whales and seabirds,”  she says.

“New Zealanders are fair-minded, and they see it as a serious issue that Jones takes donations from the commercial fishing sector when he is responsible for regulating that industry.

“The data also confirms what we already know – that the vast majority of New Zealanders want increased ocean protection, transparency around what the commercial fishing industry gets up to at sea, and a ban on destructive bottom trawling in the South Pacific. Even those who voted for New Zealand First in the last election want better than what Shane Jones is threatening/offering.”

The data shows that 73% of those polled want bottom trawling banned in the South Pacific, despite Jones signing off on New Zealand’s position to block any further protections for vulnerable habitats in the area this month.

Hooper says Jones seems adamant to do the opposite of what New Zealanders – including New Zealand First voters – want.

“Look, the poll shows that 80% of New Zealanders want cameras on all commercial fishing vessels, yet Jones has already asked for a review of the cameras on boats programme, which, surprise, surprise, one of his major donors – the CEO of fishing company Westfleet – has called for.” 

This week, Jones reiterated to the media that he sees his role as being an advocate for the commercial fishing industry, as he dined out with industry heads.

“Jones has wasted no time getting to the fishing industry’s bidding,” says Hooper.

“The commercial fishing industry may be funding his political campaigns, but he’ll be losing voters who want to see more protection for the ocean.

“New Zealanders care about protecting marine wildlife from corals to dolphins, whales and seabirds like the Toroa. To protect the ocean and all the life it supports, we need leaders who put ocean health first, ban the most destructive fishing practices from where they do the most harm, and commit to keeping the industry accountable, not ones who pander to industry interests.” 

…the reeking environmental corruption that so many vested interests now champion inside this Government is sickening and a reminder of just how dangerous these climate change deniers are.

We have to rise up against these corrupt interests and fight back, because we are better than this Government’s diseased values.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. The trade union bureaucracy haven’t figured out yet that workers demand jobs for all, rising prosperity AND clean air with clear water. Not one or the other.

    Taking away the jobs of miners, oil drillers and autoworkers, and not replacing them with anything, is a guaranteed recipe for unpopularity and civil unrest.

    Unfortunately the liberal political machine, funded and controlled by the corporate mega-donors, has managed to corrupt the unions. Purging the labour movement of neoliberal nonsense can’t occur until their grip over organised labour is smashed.

  2. National fundamentally oppose clean air, clean water, and unspoiled natural vistas. They see every tree as an obstacle to profit. Take the West Coast. Countries all over the would would give anything to have something like that. But National, ACT and NZ First want to chop down every tree, poison every lake/river, and strip mine it, turning it into the embodient of hell.

    The environment will always come second to the profit motive. Destroy profit, and you save the environment.

  3. Environmental matters and extreme climate change are where this government is particularly, even fatally, vulnerable. As a government focused on redistributing wealth to the wealthy, anything that requires extending the tax base is abhorrent. The cost to a small country like NZ, in preparing for and recovering from, the effects of extreme climate change, will be staggering – hundreds of billions of dollars. The relocation of towns, cities and communities alone are several years income. Add in pandemics, changed farming zones, uninsurable zones, dislocated transport, loss of overseas earnings, refugees, water costs, etc, and there’s not one person under the age of 18 today, who won’t be so affected, they will curse this and previous generations. In their search for causes, they will troll back through various social media and identity who in their families, were responsible. Then, when they find them, look out. They’ll dig them up and cast them into the sea. Then change their names.

  4. Dr Pork is a sellout kupapa like his distance ancestor Tamati Waka Nene. Who’s gonna get these jobs when he fucks up our native forest sea beds etc..? Are many NZers gonna get employed or is this just for the chosen few?

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