Sharon Murdoch did this cartoon in The Press Wednesday.
Sir Geoffery Palmer has a good article on the same theme on NEWSROOM PRO today.
Perhaps this could be posted as an attachment when it is available tomorrow. I made a comment this morning.
Peter
On Fri, Aug 23, 2024 at 4:05 PM <botonz@icloud.com> wrote:
Special Report
“Campaign Against Foreign control of Aotearoa” common known as CAFCA, has termed the government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill as Backward Facing Policy.Writing in the latest issue of CAFCA’s “Watchdog bulletin, Murray Horton said the bill was disreputable.“It removes vital checks and balances from Government decision-making, including counters to corrupt practice and should not be tolerated. Previous generations of New Zealanders fought for democracy; we should do the same. Otherwise, we may find, as Aesop warned, that 'we hang petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office'. Once this kind of corruption takes hold, democracies falter and fail,” he said.The Fast Track Approvals bill will open the floodgates to “developers” who are keen to “get things done”. The developers will be big business and the biggest of them are the transnational corporations (TNCs).“This is a Government that does things by threes – it is headed by the Gleesome Threesome of Luxon, Peters and Seymour. Now it has given three other Ministers – Chris Bishop, Shane Jones and Simeon Brown – the power to decide all projects that fall under the ambit of the new fast track approval legislation.”The bill covers a sweeping range of projects, from roads to aquaculture, housing to energy plants and mines, basically, plunging far back into the past to the old days when “development” was bulldozed through, ignoring any other considerations.Muldoon’s Cackle“I swear I can hear the posthumous cackle of delight from Piggy Muldoon at his Think Big philosophy being resurrected nearly 50 years later. There's even the same use of two-word slogans. Piggy had Think Big; this crowd has Fast Track,” said Murray Horton.Fast track is part of a bigger picture, but a very important part.“And some of the details of the china shop don't get noticed while all the attention is focussed on the bull. One that is of great interest to CAFCA is the foreign investment approval and “oversight” regime. Act got this in its Coalition Agreement with Nationa to amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 to limit ministerial decision making to national security concerns and make such decision making more-timely, in other words, remove the need for Ministerial approval of foreign takeover in all except a tiny minority of cases.”No MandateWhile the sponsors of the Fast Track bill persistently claim a democratic mandate for its provisions, that is not correct said Murray Horton.“In their 2023 manifesto Blueprint for a Better Environment the National Party told the electorate:- 'National is passionate about safeguarding New Zealand's unique natural environment, abundant native biodiversity, pristine waters and spectacular landscapes for future generations. These are the cornerstones of our Kiwi way of life'”.The Fast-track Bill, overrides more than 40 years of environmental legislation, has been condemned by many authorities including the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, a former National Cabinet Minister, as a radical breach of these commitments he said.Since National is by far the majority party in the coalition Government, with 38% of the votes, while the party sponsoring this bill won just 6%, it is squarely on the shoulders of the Prime Minister and National Party MPs to deliver on their promises to the electorate. To do otherwise is yet another assault on the democratic process in New Zealand”.Footnote: CAFCA's full Charter is at http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/Charter2008.pdf
Fast Track Approvals Bill is against democracy. Why should three ministers, with delusions of grandeur, have the sole say and the public none?
They have no mandate from the election to do away with the select committee process.
But the people let them get away with it because far too many are timorous to challenge these public servants. As Abraham Lincoln observed:- “Elections belong to the people. It is their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
— Abraham Lincoln
Well put Frank Henry. As American political activist Abbie Hoffman said “Democracy is not something you believe in or a place to hang your hat, but it’s something you do. You participate. If you stop doing it, democracy crumbles.”
Democracy has been steadily eroded by politicians since the 4th Labour government and Rogernomic neo-liberal policies. But it has accelerated during the John Key National government, particularly during the Ardern/Hipkins Labour government and now it is happening with the present coalition government. The arrogant audacity of Shane Jones and Chris Bishop is a slap in the face for democracy, the public interest and environment.
We are all in favour of sustainable economic development. The issue here is that many of the checks and balances are by-passed. Most Kiwis I speak to are very keen on passing on a healthy environment to future generations. This Bill really puts that hope at risk. The special report summarizes the concerns very well.