Diary cock-up heaps pressure on fast-track ministers
Minister Shane Jones’ failure to declare a dinner with mining interests is just one red flag of many about the Government’s proposed fast-track legislation, Transparency International says.
Earlier this week, Newsroom revealed Jones, the Resources Minister, at a dinner on the West Coast on February 16, encouraged a mining company to write to National Party Minister Chris Bishop and ask to be included in the controversial fast-track regime.
The company, Stevenson Group – which wants to develop the open-cast Te Kuha coal mine near Westport, on the South Island’s West Coast – sent an application letter to Bishop the following week. Less than a fortnight later, Stevenson abandoned a Te Kuha-related High Court appeal.
Initially, Jones told Newsroom the February 16 dinner with Barry Bragg, Stevenson’s deputy chairman, wasn’t included in this ministerial diary because it was “last-minute”.
But the following day, after Newsroom asked more questions, the Minister revealed it had been pre-arranged, and was also attended by Bathurst Resources chief executive Richard Tacon, and Federation Mining vice president Simon Delander.
Jones called the slip a cock-up, and said his office would add the dinner to his ministerial diary.
Record-breaking increase in CO2 levels in world’s atmosphere
The largest ever recorded leap in the amount of carbon dioxide laden in the world’s atmosphere has just occurred, according to researchers who monitor the relentless accumulation of the primary gas that is heating the planet.
The global average concentration of carbon dioxide in March this year was4.7 parts per million (or ppm) higher than it it was in March last year, which is a record-breaking increase in CO2 levels over a 12-month period.
To gain those levels of c02 naturally in the biosphere takes accumulation of CO2 over hundreds of thousands if not millions of years.
We’ve done it in less than 3 centuries.
We know when the accumulation is is the hundreds of years that the flipping moments can take decades to go Fromm extreme heat to ice age.
It is these intense fluctuations of temperature that cause the mass extinctions because few things can adapt within the space of decades.
The solution here is renewables.
The solution here is better insulating our cold homes.
The solution here is solar panels on every roof and localised wind farms linking to the grid and powering that grid.
The solution here is to move beyond coal, petrol and gas because the enormous catastrophic weather events coming our way will require and demand a much more flexible adaptation capacity.
That solution is not the solution this hard right racist climate denying beneficiary bashing Government wants…
Government hypes gas crisis ahead of restarting drilling
Solar power is the cheapest form of energy in the Pacific but the Government says New Zealand’s only choices for keeping the lights on are gas or coal
…this Government is paid for by those representing the polluter interests of the status quo and they will not allow NZ to start a trend they can’t stop…
Shane Jones slams ‘woke-riddled left’ amid energy debate, Chlöe Swarbrick fires back
Resources Minister Shane Jones has come out swinging at the “woke-riddled left” during an energy debate in Parliament.
The NZ First MP accused Opposition parties of a “faint green vision” to “keep the lights on with unicorn kisses”.
It comes after the Government said earlier on Wednesday low gas production is threatening New Zealand’s energy security.
Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show production reduced by 12.5 percent during 2023 and by 27.8 percent in the first three months of this year – beyond what was projected.
The figures are concerning for those who rely on gas – such as schools, hospitals, universities, food and chemical processors and electricity generators.
It’s causing companies such as Genesis Energy to resort to importing coal, which has higher emissions.
“Today, industry sees the long-term consequences of the shallow, emerald, mannikin thinking that’s driven energy policy for the last five or six years,” Jones said. “Today industry throughout New Zealand is confronted by the fact as a consequence of that juvenile, woke-riddled, foolish belief that we don’t need our natural resources, that we don’t need our natural gas, that we don’t need coal – has been laid bare.”
“You voted for it” and “Look in the mirror” were among several interjections Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick made while Jones spoke.
Jones was referring to the 2018 decision to ban all new oil and gas exploration in New Zealand, except for onshore Taranaki. The decision was reluctantly backed by NZ First, which was in a Coalition Government with Labour at the time.
The current Coalition Government said it would repeal the present oil and gas exploration ban.
Jones, gesturing to the other side of the House, said left-wing parties are scaring away overseas investors for a “faint green vision that somehow we can keep the lights on with unicorn kisses”.
“Hopefully, these emerald manikins will retire and let the serious politicians address the unresolved issues in our economy,” Jones continued.
This maniac will doom us all.
NZ First have courted industry donations and those donations are getting policy that lower water safety standards, grant fast track powers for trans national mining interests and slash environmental protections.
Nothing these goons are pushing for recognises the danger we are in and only grants those causing climate change more pollution rights.
Late stage capitalism smugness has become an existential threat to our species.
NZ First must be destroyed.
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You loved fast track when it was used against LFOs, why so serious now?
What fast track? Are you confusing the specific fast track bill with parliament passing legislation under urgency?
Your misunderstanding of our democracy doesn’t mean you have a point lol
That cutting chunks out of a skyline is still a thing is bad enough, worse are the divs in town letting it happen because Jacinda, though obviously validates the election ad spend and mine backed stooge/fake candidate.
Put the pipes down, stop shagging your cousins and have a quick look at the mountains, so at least you’ll have a fresh memory to forget to go with your dignity and pride.
Unfortunately, mining and extracting natural elements for the production of energy is the only thing that is going to keep the lights on. That, or even better in terms of emissions nuclear power, but that is even more of an ideological no-go than the dreaded gas and oil that people with little understanding of how any complex society powers itself love to repudiate.
Maybe find out the energy we receive from the Sun and our dependence on it before making inane comments that fossil fuels are still the future. We need to adjust and denying that need will only make the process more difficult.
I thought it was just one movie. Clearly Jones is a porn addict lol. Wanker.
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