When Māori righteously sought their property rights interest in water (after John Key sold off 49% of our hydro generated electricity industry), the resulting 3 Waters legislation was decried as ‘da maaaarres stealing da water’ and it was framed as a disgraceful abuse of democracy by seizing water assets, when it was nothing of the sort.
Contrast that hysterical response to Māori having their water interests acknowledged with news last week that Chris Bishop and Chris Luxon openly talked about, over turning local council planning decisions and scrapping the Regional Councils to enable mass exploitation by developers.
When the Right punch local democracy in the face and shred our regional powers, no one says anything.
But when Māori seek legal redress to their water interests being ignored, suddenly it’s the end of the WestMinister Democratic tradition and the obliteration of Western Civilization as we know it.
Just so I have this straight.
When the Right crush local democracy and rob it of assets, that’s good and dandy?
But When Māori ask for their property rights to be respected and their input sought, that’s an existential race war against Cracker?
Glad we sorted that out.
Of course National and Taxpayers’ Union astroturf hate groups are targeting local councils now, their privatisation agenda requires local democracy to be wound back so that their developer mates can exploit the deregulated environment.
There is such a disconnect between the environmental realities of climate change adaptation…
Communities across the top of the South Island are dealing with a mega clean-up task ahead, following last week’s deluge.
Homes in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough have been let uninhabitable, roads are damaged and properties have been inundated with flood waters.
Rural Support Trust Top of the South chairperson Richard Kempthorne said the destruction was significant.
“The damage is looking huge, so there are a lot of people, particularly on the Motueka, but also the Wai-iti River where the river has gone wide and very high and caused a lot of damage.”
…and this Government’s ideological belief that cutting back the State allows the market to set in and do it cheaper.
To be able to do that requires local council and regional councils to be over run with Central Government demands.
It’s hilarious that National screams ‘decentralisation’ when in reality they want the excuse of decentralisation to not fund things, but they still want the power to make demands!
This is a rigged capitalism for the mega wealthy but because so many Kiwis are still clinging to their post-covid bitterness, they are prepared to become salves to corporations just to own the woke.
This is less about political culture now, and more to do with emotional masochism.
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Yes, where is all the bleating about local democracy now? I am sure there are some who are genuinely shocked that the wankers they voted in are not genuine at all, but I bet a lot hid behind the democracy argument when all they were really worried about was the Māori input.
The local know better what locals need is just a distant lie to these COC GOVERNMENT FELLAS NOW .Another in the long list of pre election lies .This is all about privatization privatization privatization .
Pakeha are now stealing the water and roads so they can now sell them off to their corporate mates .They term it as overseas investment .
You can’t be selective about this. This government and the last are 2 sides of the same coin.
Labour wanted to take the water assets of local people and vest them in the control of wellington bureaucrats and maori elites. Their version of RMA attacked local democracy and centralized decision making into 14 unelected Boards.
This government will hamstring Councils with requirements to fix water and control them through the interest rates on the needed debt. It will also attack local government independence with their version of anti- maori, developer friendly RMA using the false arguments of excessive regulation to centralize decision making.
Both regimes have proven to be enemies of the people.
Indeed, Sleepy
good, its not taxpayers job to fix or protect retards properties built on flood plains.
Very true