NZ government: Deep Contempt for Democracy

We have a government that is in denial of the financial and economic avalanche that is threatening New Zealand. It is wedded to the right-wing, neo-liberal policies of the last 30 years. It supports the worst and a most repressive policies of the United States and Britain.

It also has a deep contempt for democracy and human rights and has shown a refusal to listen to cooler heads from the public service or other advisors.

Government not worried by small turnout at water hui

The Government says it is not worried by a very small turnout at its first water consultation hui held in Hamilton on Tuesday night.

Radio New Zealand,

19 September, 2012

Only 15 people turned up and four were children, while iwi or hapu leaders from within Tainui were no-shows as they had promised.

The hui was the first of six meetings Finance Minister Bill English is holding throughout the country over 10 days after the Government decided to delay the sale of shares in state-owned company Mighty River Power until early 2013.

The meetings are being held hui to consult iwi and hapu on the Waitangi Tribunal proposal that they be given a special shareholding (known as shares plus) in the partially-privatised power companies and rights above those of other shareholders.

The Government rejects the proposal, but is still consulting iwi who have a specific connection to freshwater and geothermal resources used by state-owned power companies Mighty River Power, Meridian and Genesis.

Tuesday's hui was supposed to be by invitation only, but no person with one actually came and it was left to ordinary Maori to overcome a lack of real information about it, including where it was to be held.

After a powhiri and a presentation by Mr English on his plan to partially privatise state-owned power generation companies, those there could ask questions and debate the issue. The media were allowed to attend, but not record.

After the meeting, Mr English rejected suggestions that the hui was just a sop to consultation, saying the meetings are not just a symbolic exercise to tick the box of consultation.

The minister told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report programme on Wednesday that iwi are free to show up or not as they wish.

"Most of the points of view we'd expect to hear were articulated there, ranging from the considered through to the more aggressive and a bit of abuse."

Mr English says the Government is open to hearing views about ways of solving the water-rights problem.

Another hui will be held in Taupo on Wednesday morning, with another in Whanganui later in he day.

The spokesperson for the Kingitanga and the Maori King, Tukoroirangi Morgan, describes the hui as a non-event, and a waste of time and money. He says the people that did attend do not represent the 60,000 people in Waikato-Tainui.

Mr Morgan says Maori will not be sidetracked by the Crown agenda on water rights and are in the fight for the long term.

He told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report programmeon Wednesday that nothing Maori have secured over the years has been as a result of a brief encounter with the Crown.

"One thing is certain here is that we'll be on this side of the table, but come the next election there is no guarantee that the current government may be there. So we're going to be there for a long time until our interests and rights are determined and sorted."

Ngati Koroki Kahukura, one of the tribes from the Tainui waka, made it plan from the start it was not going to attend.

Chief negotiator Willie Te Aho says the tribe has no interest in obtaining shares in any state-owned power company - just interest in getting control them, particularly Mighty River Power.

ACT pledges supports for Banks

The ACT Party president says he sees no reason why the board wouldn't give John Banks its full endorsement if he wants to stand again at the 2014 election.

 

Radio New Zealand,

19 September, 2012

Opposition parties are calling for him to be sacked as a minister over donations to his Auckland mayoral campaign in 2010 that he declared as anonymous.

Police files released last week contain sworn statements from internet millionaire Kim Dotcom, his bodyguard and his lawyer, that contradict the ACT Party leader's insistence he didn't know the origin of two $25,000 donations.

Police found insufficient evidence to lay charges.

They did find he had signed off on a false return, but police said they were unable to take action because they could not prove he had done it knowingly, and the complaint had been laid outside of the requisite six months.

ACT president Chris Simmons says the board fully backs Mr Banks and will endorse him if he decides to stand for Parliament again.

"We're going to be looking very closely at how we develop a very, very good and strong team to put before the electorate in 2014.

"Who will be on that team is still up for debate, but I can be absolutely certain that John Banks will be right in the middle of that."

Prime Minister John Key says he has not read the police report, and has no intention of doing so, but says he accepts Mr Banks's word that he complied with the law.

However, Labour's deputy leader Grant Robertson says that defence is becoming increasingly untenable.

"The police file is very clear - John Banks knew that he got the donations, he solicited the donations, he knew where they were from, the police have found that he did breach the law.

"There is a lot more to go in this and Mr Banks and Mr Key will have to continue to answer questions because they have failed to set an acceptable standard for ministerial behaviours."

Carter defends bill extending governance in Canterbury

The Local Government Minister David Carter is making no apologies for extending the governance by commissioners of the Canterbury regional council until 2016.

Radio New Zealand,

19 September, 2012

The Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Amendment Bill passed its first reading on Tuesday with National, the Maori Party, ACT and United Future supporting it.

The Government-appointed commissioners have been in charge of the council since elected councillors were sacked in 2010.

Local body elections were to resume in 2013.

But Local Government Minister David Carter told Parliament the commissioners have made significant progress in resolving systemic problems within the Canterbury regional council.

Mr Carter said their job, made more difficult by recent earthquakes, is not finished and would have been irresponsible of the Government to have pulled them out early.

The minister says he has not received any indication that Cantabarians are outraged at the decision.

Oppositions parties say suspending council elections until 2016 is anti-democractic and shows a lack of respect by the Government.

The legislation will now be considered by a select committee.