Bugger the environment

Written By: - Date published: 6:42 am, January 22nd, 2013 - 41 comments
Categories: Conservation, disaster, national, sustainability - Tags: ,

Back in October it was reported that the government was canceling the standard five-yearly State of the Environment Report. Can’t have the messy facts making nonsense of the 100% Pure marketing campaign can we, so in typical Nat style they hope that the facts will just go away. Now we find (surprising no one I’m sure) that the Nats went against their own official advice in this:

Govt accused of ignoring advice on clean, green brand

The Government has been accused of going against its own advice over backing New Zealand’s clean, green brand with better environmental monitoring.

A 2011 report to the Ministry of Economic Development’s Green Growth Advisory Group, released to the Green Party under the Official Information Act, urged the Government to invest in environmental state and trend monitoring.

The Government was to have published its consolidated five-yearly State of the Environment Report later that year, but has scrapped the comprehensive survey. …

When it comes to beneficiary bashing, National trumpets the need for data and monitoring:

A valuation found those on benefits last year will cost a total of $78 billion over their lifetimes. …

Mr English said the valuation was an important “performance tool” and would change the behaviour of the Government by forcing it to confront the long-term issue rather than accepting it was an unavoidable cost.

The Nats have no intention of confronting the long-term issue of the health and sustainability of the environment, so a “performance tool” is just an inconvenience to be swept under the carpet.

41 comments on “Bugger the environment ”

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  1. One Tāne Huna 1
    22 January 2013 at 7:11 am

    Face it: the National Party is a danger to national security. They threaten our environmental, cultural, social and economic well-being, and have no loyalty to this country beyond their clients’ interests.

    • vto 1.1
      22 January 2013 at 8:06 am

      +1.

      money money money

      greed greed greed

      lust lust lust

      Hardly surprising – looks who their leader is. Says it all.

  2. Robert Atack 2
    22 January 2013 at 7:28 am

    Lets not forget the Green party are 100% behind fucking the environment to keep Kiwi Saver alive. Otherwise they would be telling people that Kiwi Saver is as bad for the environment as the National party.
    Kiwi Saver is dependent on growth, and growth has killed the environment. No growth = no Kiwi Saver profits. And Kiwi Saver is dependent on the whole economy growing, not just its ‘smart, so called environmentally friendly ‘ investments.
    The Greens are just opportunists bullshit artiest.
    Growth = new roads, more drilling, more mining …….. da get it ?????????????

    • tc 2.1
      22 January 2013 at 8:21 am

      ‘The Greens are just opportunists bullshit artiest ‘ so you’re in good company with themn then Robert.

      • Colonial Viper 2.1.1
        22 January 2013 at 9:00 am

        Robert is right though. If you are an investor looking for a good % return on your investment, you are psychologically and financially supporting ongoing economic growth on a finite limited planet.

        • blue leopard 2.1.1.1
          22 January 2013 at 12:19 pm

          This argument is not a reason to ignore the environment.

          It is an assumption that the Greens would not care about the environment if it were to threaten Kiwi Saver, and an unsubstantiated one. From observation Green members of parliament have done the hard yards, mentioning the unmentionable and being scoffed at for having done so, however I do believe that some of their approaches are actually becoming more acceptable for having been brave enough to speak this way for years I, thus, find the view that the Greens are “just opportunists” goes against what I have observed over the years.

          Rome wasn’t built in a day.

          How about address issues that have half a chance of being addressed, once people get introduced to new approaches, and see how effective they are, then they will (hopefully) become more open to more new approaches, including that of realising that growth is a pipe dream of a thing to base a society on.

          • George D 2.1.1.1.1
            22 January 2013 at 12:57 pm

            You’ll actually find that the Greens have consistently sought in Parliament to have the Super Fund divest of harmful asset classes, since its inception under Labour. They recognise this means lower returns, and consider it entirely worth it.

            • blue leopard 2.1.1.1.1.1
              22 January 2013 at 2:03 pm

              Thanks George D, that is good to hear and consistent with the impression I get that the Greens are attempting to shift things in a more conscientious direction.

              • Shaz …
                22 January 2013 at 9:48 pm

                i agree BL. What are the prospects of changing the national conversation on the environment so that the fact that the economy exists on the back of environmental resources and not the other way round is front and centre of the conversation? As things stand a party that took a deep sustainability approach would bomb at the polls and the media would have a field day.

            • Colonial Viper 2.1.1.1.1.2
              22 January 2013 at 10:31 pm

              They recognise this means lower returns, and consider it entirely worth it.

              A lower rate of exponential return on investment just means it’ll take an extra 25 years for us to run out of planet. I suppose you could consider that an improvement.

              • blue leopard …
                22 January 2013 at 11:34 pm

                That is an improvement and I think there is some linear thinking evident in your comment. It depends what is being invested in; how about if green energy was the investment? Or research (if you can invest in that). Any move toward positive investment could shift consequences in directions that are unseen as yet.

                When there is as little “movement” as there is now, I wouldn’t knock small shifts, you never know where they might lead.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  23 January 2013 at 12:04 am

                  I like your optimism and with regards to small shifts, if this was the 1960’s and 1970’s that would be enough.

                  • blue leopard …
                    23 January 2013 at 11:25 am

                    With the level of awareness and interest that I observe in my family and wider community combined with the state of our mainstream information sources, please let me know what is the alternative?

    • Robert Atack 2.2
      22 January 2013 at 6:51 pm

      I guess will just have to wait for the last laugh.

    • Paul 2.3
      23 January 2013 at 9:43 am

      Oh wow, that’s some grade A ignorance right there! The Green Party believes in sustainable growth. Within KiwiSaver you can choose ethical investment options – do you have KiwiSaver or are you speaking out of complete ignorance? Learn to spell too dude, your comment is embarrassing.

  3. Bunji 3
    22 January 2013 at 8:51 am

    Favourite quote from the linked NZ Herald article:

    “It is essential that improvements to the quality and accessibility of data in New Zealand are made so that we can debate the issues rather than the integrity of the data.” Environment Minister Amy Adams

    Except when the data tells us that we’re mucking up the environment, then the data must be scrapped, obviously.

  4. Bill 4
    22 January 2013 at 9:27 am

    Didn’t National also sack about 50% of NIWA staff in Wellington a couple of years back citing the reason as being costs related to the Ch/ch earthquake? And woudn’t that impact on the ability to gather and correlate info on parts of the environment (eg the ocean)?

    • NoseViper (The Nose knows) 4.1
      23 January 2013 at 11:51 am

      Bill
      We are getting poorer all the time so can’t afford the trappings of the advanced nation no more. The only thing going for jobs growth and more business returns is the result of an earthquake. Roll on the next national disaster to inflate the economy. And the funding for much of the recovery comes from insurance that careful people have set up in the past, private and public. We only have to be hit by a foot and mouth or other scare, our customers close us out even temporarily and it’s goodnight nurse.

      Now there is talk about the banks doing more to assist the IRD and save costs. Casinos and alcohol service providers will extend charity and save us from paying for a social welfare system to respect.

      I think that politicians should be paid on a basic salary, some allowances, and a performance-triggered bonus. There is no incentive for these actors in ‘New Zealand Legal’ to change their performance – they can ignore their critics because their earnings are not related to the popularity and quality of the actual show. And the three-yearly performance of Punch and Judy appeals to nostalgia and juvenile feelings in the polity.

  5. NoseViper (The Nose knows) 5
    22 January 2013 at 11:15 am

    Dah dah Nick Smith will gallop in on his high horse to save the environment for National’s benefit.

  6. blue leopard 6
    22 January 2013 at 12:06 pm

    A link to Tasman District Council’s recent State of the Environment Report

    Judging by what the people who conducted this report said in a public meeting explaining the report, other areas of NZ are experiencing much the same issues. Things such as the run-off from farms causing sediment problems in the estuaries, and this while the farmers were praised in this district for their cooperation on planting along water-ways, however a TDC Scientist mentioned that that the plantings are not “working” as well as they had thought and they are really not sure why. More research needed.

    Mussel farms have been closed in this district due to the issue.

    I trust there are other State of the Environment reports available from other councils.
    I trust National know these issues and don’t want to address them.

    Much appreciation to the Greens for their consistent, research-based approach and awareness raising. This type of issue cannot be addressed without an informed public.
    Opposition parties need to be raising the awareness of the public.
    Thanks Greens.

  7. tracey 7
    22 January 2013 at 4:21 pm

    If you want an insight into how Key and his ilk think, look no further than Brash’s self-serving statement yesterday…

    IF he had a damaged home and it wasn’t being fixed in 2 years he would use illegal immigrants…

    NOTWITHSTANDING he has railed against people breaking laws for their own selfish benefit and indeed railed against those not breaking laws but just not employed enough for him (unemployed(.

    He has often accidentally let the truth slip out and in this one he spoke volumes, many on the right believe there are two sets of rules, one for them and one for all of the people in society who are a “drain” on them.

    I have listened to people my age go on and on about dole bludgers and welfare this and that for years but with full knowledge of their own children rorting the student hardship/allowance and loan systems they stand idly by…

    That’s why Key and Brash would mine and drill and pollute to their hearts content not because they care about the country but because money is their only motivation, they simply don’t understand anything else and don’t mix with people who understand anything else, so they think it’s normal to selfishly pursue money for its own sake.

  8. fatty 8
    22 January 2013 at 10:18 pm

    When it comes to beneficiary bashing, National trumpets the need for data and monitoring

    Weird how the Nats can come out with the numbers showing how much beneficiaries ‘cost’, but its way too hard to count the number of kids in poverty…oh, and they can compare schools with incomparable statistics.
    Reminds me of the song Strange Arithmetic by The Coup

    Economics is the symphony of hunger and theft
    Mortar shells often echo out the cashing of checks
    In Geography class, it’s borders, mountains and rivers
    But they will never show the line between the takers and givers
    Algebra is that unique occasion
    In which a school can say that there should be a balanced equation
    And then Statistics is the tool of the complicit
    To say everybody’s with it and that you’re the only critic

  9. Afewknowthetruth 9
    22 January 2013 at 10:27 pm

    All major parties endorse and support Fractional Reserve Banking, the charging of interest on money created out of thin air, the international bond market scam, the economic growth scam, the measurement of the economy by the fraudulent GDP method, the control and exploitation of society by corporations etc. All major parties endorse and support manufacturing, tourism, drilling for oil, coal mining, manufacture of cement, road, rail and air transport etc. All major parties are, by Mussolini’s definition, fascist.

    That is why the next generation has no prospect of making it through the abrupt climate change bottleneck: their prospects are continually sabotage by the criminals that inhabit parliament

    Of course the peak oil bottleneck will result in a fair number starving to death before the temperature of the Earth rises to the point of making it uninhabitable for humans, since none of the major parties want to talk about that either, let alone actually do anything (other than endorse fracking and deep-water drilling etc.)

    Those who govern us a re a pretty sick and evil lot, all things considered.

    • Robert Atack 9.1
      23 January 2013 at 7:26 am

      And even though the Greeds don’t actually come out with pro road, or pro mining statements, the simple fact they don’t say anything about Fractional Reserve Banking, and how Kiwi Saver is tits deep in that system … just hammers home their collective opportunism and bullshit.As FRB and KS are dependent on everything that destroys your children’s chance of a fucking future. But alas people are just to stupid, and gullible.
      You can’t fight Cognitive Dissonance

      • Paul 9.1.1
        23 January 2013 at 9:55 am

        Your argument is poor and one dimensional. The topic being discussed is the government’s handling of the environment and it’s reporting – you’re simply trying to divert attention from the topic at hand, and badly. Stop trolling.

      • blue leopard 9.1.2
        23 January 2013 at 11:35 am

        Agree with Paul,

        Robert Atack, I believe you are not addressing your own cognitive dissonance and doing your “cause” a disservice by flailing around attacking those that are most likely aware and friendly toward your point.

        How about addressing the point that Shaz makes above. How “if a party took a deeply sustainable approach they would likely bomb at the polls”

        I understand a bit about the state of our financial system, what an utter sham it is, not a whole lot of people or seemingly politicians do, if a party is going to have some influence they need to take many people “with” them, I think it unfair for you to label the Greens, the “Greeds” for the reasons I, and others, stated above.

        Perhaps you are happy in your smug disgust, however, I hope you realise by not engaging with those, such as myself, whom responded with some points of argument, you really are not doing your cause any favours. That is, if your cause is wishing to see some major awareness and shifts with regard to the rort that is happening in our financial system.

        • Robert Atack 9.1.2.1
          23 January 2013 at 11:37 pm

          Russel Norman thinks we need an inquiry into the loss of manufacturing jobs, and not because it was only 40,000 and he was hoping for more, but because he wanted to find some way of bringing the jobs back??. The only way you can manufacture anything is via destruction of the environment, it would have been better if he had just kept his idiot mouth shut.
          Fitsanything was hot on tourism, and Rod said instead of mining the West Coast we could open it up to tourism, clearly Rod and Janette didn’t have a clue as to how tourists travel around the world. They also agreed that telling people about the eminent peaking of global crude oil was a good idea … back in March 2004, but we never heard much did we.
          And sorry to keep bringing up Kiwi Saver, it is not trolling, I’m sorry I have to keep repeating myself, I am after all a 4th form drop out, so sometimes I have trouble explaining myself.
          But by the Greens silence they are telling every Kiwi Saver investor that they will get a return from it, even the ones that will have to wait (and pay) 47 years.
          I would like to think the Greens know we are 30 years behind the effect of what has already been stuck in your children’s atmosphere. So we have another 30 years to see what effect nearly 400 PPM is going to have, and then, at the very least the planet will stay at ‘what ever’ for the next 1,000 years.
          Yet they voted in and continue to condone a retirement plan that is dependent on growth.
          So again if we stop the clock on emissions tonight, we will still see a worsening of the climate for at least the next 30 years, based on what we have all ready emitted. Ignoring all the positive feed backs that have started.
          Clearly the age of growth is over or bloody so close it doesn’t matter, there is not a 47 year future in KS, might be lucky to see another 5-10, then every $ you have smartly invested in KS will be worth less than a dead Dutch tulip.
          The heavily dependent on cheep transportable energy economy, has started its unstoppable decline

          So yeah bugger the environment, lets chase votes.

          • blue leopard 9.1.2.1.1
            24 January 2013 at 12:50 am

            Thanks for the reply,

            I’m unclear what the alternative is, given the current level of awareness and interest amongst voters…(…hmm and politicians too). Are you able to suggest a way forward for politicians who have a very thin margin of “acceptability” to work with? (Where anything too “radical” gets slated or, somewhat worse, simply falls on deaf ears…or both)

            With regard to my conclusions re awareness/interest/acceptability levels; an example: I thought Mana was talking in a very real way (address the poor, get revenue from the very wealth i.e financial trade) and would have picked up a huge amount of votes for doing so; the result indicates to me that people are either simply not following what politicians are saying at election-time, or that voters concerns are simply not very wide at all.

            Hopefully you understand where I’m coming from; that given the slow pick up rate of peoples’ understanding of environment issues combined with even less of an understanding of financial issues (including the concept of growth), I am viewing the Greens as doing very well, both at raising awareness and getting issues that used to be completely unacceptable, now talked about.

            My point of hope is that if even a watered down version of anything shifting the direction into a more environmental-sustainable approach can be “got through” then hopefully when that proves to show positive results, there will be a greater uptake in such approaches. (Which is why I am questioning your slating the Greens).

            • Colonial Viper 9.1.2.1.1.1
              24 January 2013 at 1:17 am

              The Titanic that is our civilisation is taking on water, after its officers determinedly ploughed into a long warned about iceberg field at top speed. The ship is only listing a little so far, but in about 3 hours the entire vessel is going to slide quietly under the Atlantic.

              Meanwhile, the Greens are onboard doing their utmost, strong principled people that they are. Stressing the importance of building ships with good insulation, better fuel efficiency and improved accomodations for 3rd class and stowage.

              All good, positive things, I’m sure you would agree. Gurgle gurgle gurgle.

            • Robert Atack 9.1.2.1.1.2
              24 January 2013 at 7:41 am

              (Which is why I am questioning your slating the Greens).

              As CV says we are listing badly and steerage is flooded.
              Even if we had Jesus H and Mother Teresa running the show nothing positive will come out of parliament, the main reason being that the people just do not want to know.
              So it doesn’t matter if the Greens are in parliament or not, if the whole front bench was “green” the ship would still be sinking.
              It would be nice if we could do something to help the ignorant masses, some how prepare them for 80+% unemployment, food and petrol rationing – to unavailability, and some how set up a self policing units or neighborhood watch groups, but as everyone is tits deep in denial there is nothing we can do.
              The only thing I can see to reduce future human suffering is to reduce the amount of people alive to suffer, and the most ‘humane’ way to do this is discourage breeding, having millions starving to death is not the answer, but will be.
              We should be looking to our leaders for leadership, instead we get bullshit ponzie savings scams, that are exactly what got us where we are, because if we had accepted the FACT that we are living in a closed environment … and that does include the sun … then we might have said 5-6 billion people ago ‘enough’, but no even at this late hour our so called ‘only hope’ ie a group of politicians who are meant to be environmentally aware and awake, continue to promote bloody growth.
              Look at the Greens spokesperson on energy, he has 2-3 under 5 year old children FFS, he is saying he thinks this system is going to keep functioning for the next 65 years (if he thinks at all about his children’s future), this so called environmentally aware group has managed to spew out the most amount of children ever from politicians over the past 14 years. They can’t even figure it out for the people they profess to love, let alone all the pled voters.
              So what are they ? Ignorant ? Corrupt? or just as stupid as all of us? One thing they are not …. leaders, unless standing at the edge of the cliff saying “this way” is leading.
              So having the Greens in parliament is part of the ‘brighter future’ bullshit
              If we had a leader like Castro, we might plunge off the cliff like Cuba did, but alas with John El Key we will go the North Korean of Somalian way.
              By continuing the bullshit game for as long as we can we just make the whole situation worse.
              Kiwi Saver, wind farms, land rights for gay chickens, chemical free lipstick, 40,000 manufacturing jobs, etc will not help.

              • blue leopard …
                24 January 2013 at 10:05 pm

                Was wanting to respond to this and have been staring at the screen for ages, blank due to being a bit tired from work, however must say that land-rights for gay chickens sounds like something that might catch on….

  10. BLiP 10
    23 January 2013 at 12:37 am

    .

    Yep . . . its that time, the ever expanding list of the John Key led National Ltd™ government’s actions against the environment.

    has been caught out repeatedly lying in the run up to and during the election campaign about its real intentions in relation to the environment

    celebrated the opening of the foreign-owned Pike River Coal Ltd mine on DOC land adjacent to the Paparoa National Park from which 1 megatonne of coal will be extracted per year for the next 20 years – Pike River Coal Ltd has announced that it has found additional coal in the national park

    cancelled a proposed efficiency standard (MEPS) on incandescent lightbulbs

    reversed a moratorium on building new gas/oil/coal power stations

    removed the bio fuel subsidy

    scrapped the scheme that would have penalised imported vehicles producing high emissions

    removed regulations for water efficient new housing by Order in Council

    renewed leases on sensitive high country farms which were meant to return to DOC

    reversed restrictions on the freeholding of vast swathes of land on the edge of the Southern Lakes

    arbitrarily excised 400 hectares from the brand new Oteake Conservation Park, including the most important and, ecologically, the rarest part of the new Park, the tussock and shrubland that went right down to the banks of the Manuherikia River, to enable future access to lignite

    said nothing to say in regard to the World Commission on Protected areas of IUCN’s severe criticism of its intention to investigate mineral resources and mining opportunities in protected conservation areas including our three UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Te Wahi Pounamu-South West New Zealand, Tongariro National Park and the Sub Antarctic Islands

    approved two prospecting permit applications lodged by Australian iron-ore giant Fortescue Metals Group subsidiary FMG Pacific lodged in June – areas covered by the two-year permits include an 8204-square-kilometre area of seabed adjoining the west coast from Cape Reinga to the Manukau Harbour and a 3798-square-kilometre prospecting area of land from Cape Reinga to the Kaipara Harbour including Ninety Mile Beach, the west side of the Aupouri Peninsula, Kaitaia and the Hokianga.

    approved an additional prospecting permit for Fortescue Metals in relation to 3568sq km right next door to the Kahurangi National Park where the Heaphy Track is

    was forced to release its Ministry of Economic Development (MED) report under the Official Information Act that proclaims “significant mineral potential” in the Fiordland, Kahurangi and Paparoa national parks – the report said the Waitutu area of the Fiordland National Park had sufficient petroleum reserves to be “worthy” of inclusion in a review of conservation land protected from mining

    secretly granted the minerals industry the right to veto proposed National Park boundaries and permission for any such vetoes to be kept confidential – in spite of recommendations from its own officials against any such a veto

    Minster of Conservation Tim Grosser, on 29 August 2009, called for caring New Zealanders to halt their “emotional hysteria” and recognise that conservation land should be mined for minerals and went on to say “Mining in a modern, technological way can have a negligible effect”

    Associate Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson, in an interview in “Canterbury Farming” (June 2010 issue now offline) rubished her own department, DOC, suggesting it was incapable of looking after the high country reserves and parks under its control

    gutted the home insulation scheme

    pulled $300 million out of public transport, walking and cycling schemes and added it to a pot of $2 billion to ‘upgrade’ state highways

    changed the law to provide billions of dollar in subsidies for polluters via the ETS casino which is now a target for scamming by international criminals

    begun a process of gutting the Resource Management Act to make it difficult/impossible for the public to lodge appeals against developers

    removed the ability of Auckland to introduce a fuel levy to fund planned public transport upgrades

    left electrification of the Auckland rail network up in the air without promised funding commitments and then came through with a dodgy loan scheme and then unilaterally reorganised the local government structure before finally setting about the privatisation-by-stealth model when busting KiwiRail.

    removed the programme to make Government Departments ‘carbon neutral’ and also began its first wave of public sector redundancies starting with the Ministry for the Environment which was responsible for the scheme.

    removed funding for public tv advertising on sustainability and energy efficiency

    pulled funding for small-town public litter bin recycling schemes

    displayed cabinet ministers expressing public support the bulldozing of Fiordland

    reduced Department of Conservation funding by $54 million over three years

    canceled funding for the internationally acclaimed ‘Enviroschools’ programme

    usurped the democratic role of local Councils of determining policies for their citizens by requiring the abandonment of the efficient and well-established tree protection rules for urban areas

    set about revamping Auckland governance in a way that is likely to greatly reduce the ‘Environmental Watchdog’ role of the the current Regional Council (since completely fucked it up with the SuperShitty)

    removed Auckland’s metropolitan limits and opened the gateway for unfettered urban sprawl

    defended internationally the importation of rain-forest-wrecking palm kernel and stood silent while Federated Farmers called Greenpeace “terrorists” and criminals.

    stood silent while Godfrey Bloom, a Member of the European Parliament and infamous Climate Change Denialist, publicly rejoiced in the 1985 bombing of the Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior – who was doing so while standing on a dock next to the replacement vessel

    took a 0% emissions reduction target to Copenhagen. Yes, seriously, that isn’t a misprint – that was the lower bound of their negotiation platform – then missed the 01/02/10 deadline for commitment to action it had agreed to – meanwhile 55 of the 80 countries which attended did make the deadline

    secretly cancelled the internationally recognised scheme for the mandatory labelling of exotic woods to ensure the timber has not been taken from rain forests in direct contradiction of its own statements made at the 13th World Forestry Congress in Argentina

    supported the Department of Conservation’s decision to open up the pristine Cathedral Cove to an ice-cream franchise

    gave the Department of Conservsation $1.7 million to further develop commercial activities on DOC land and started an “off set” plan allowing company’s to damage the conservation estate if they agree to improve land elsewhere – no monitoring regime has been suggested on put in place

    left DOC director-general Al Morrison to announce that DOC is to charge for services that had been free and, to soften the public up to the idea that there will be more “energy generation schemes” operating on DOC land

    took no action to reduce existing pollution pouring into the Manawatu River and is “leaving it up to industry” to come up with solutions to heal the river which was described by the Cawthorn Institute as “one of the worst polluted in the Western world”

    announced a $1.69 million industry subsidy to kick start marine farming without identifying no-go areas nor putting in place a consultation process for individiuals, communities, and other general coastal users

    was forced to release documents under the Official Information Act which confirm that DOC has “giving up” on ecologically valuable high-country land in the Mackenzie Basin because of funding cuts. The released documents cite “statements made by ministers”, “diminishing funding” and the Government’s new high-country policies as reasons for the changed stance – the comments from DOC were made after Land Information New Zealand (Linz), which manages the tenure review process, ignored DOC’s previous conservation recommendations for the farms

    used former National Party minister and current director of Open Country Cheese – a company convicted of filthy farming practices and found by the supreme court to be a dodgy employer – Wyatt Creech to head up an enquiry into Environment Canterbury which had been standing up the dairy farmers’ demands for more and more water resources and less and less regulation. The Creech report recommended the Environmental Canterbury be sacked and replaced with government appointments and the voters of Canterbury do without democracy until the water situation had been resolved. The Canterbury area holds 50 percent of New Zealand’s fresh water reserves and 50 percent of the water required for hyrdo energy. The Creech report said Environmental Centerbury put too much focus on the environment.

    Was subjected to international condemnation for knowing next to nothing about the parlous state of the New Zealand fisheries,

    bucked international trends and poured more acid on the 100% Pure brand and increases the bluefin tuna quota.

    Squirmed when New Zealand is subject to international criticism for its backing of commericial whaling which National Ltd supports

    Funded Government-owned company Solid Energy runs an essay competition entitled “ The role of coal in sustainable energy solutions for New Zealand” for school children. First prize is a trip to New Zealand’s largest coal customer, China.

    Supported access fees for entrance onto DOC walkways – fee introduced following cuts to DOC’s budget.

    Pressed on with PR bullshit about how New Zealand’s environment would profit from mining national parks, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson says.

    Department of Conservation director-general Al Morrison said the conservation estate created “opportunities to do a whole lot for a lot of different people . . . we’ve got to get away from this idea that somehow we have to protect one-third of New Zealand for a certain constituency and put it in a jar of formaldehyde and leave it.”

    Created random fantasies of abundant wealth to promote all forms of mining

    Ignored reports on sustained non-compliance with resource consents and worsening pollution of water ways.

    Ignored its own Ministers possible conflicts of interest

    Did nothing as both its own SOE Meridian and the Department of Conservation to withdraw appeals against an 85m high damn with a 14km long reservoir on conservation land.

    Granted Energy Resources permission to ship Australian yellowcake uranium ore through New Zealand.

    Apologised but does nothing else for breaching the Treaty of Waitangi by granting a mining exploration permit to Brazilian company Petrobras

    Continued to remove environmental protection powers from local authorities

    Totally reversed gains made in the protection of National Parks and other high-value conservation areas in the South Island.

    commenced a divide-and-rule strategy by attempting to paint New Zealanders interested in protecting the environment as outside of the “mainstream” and in defence of the fact that the media is catching to its bare-faced lies in the lead up to the 2008 election.

    Carried on with more lies by talking about modern mining like that at Reefton being carried out by Oceana Golds as being like “key hole surgery”

    Appeared to believe that the tourists it is attempting to bring to New Zealand are all blind and won’t see for themselves the impact of the dairy farming it is subsidising to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars

    Appeared itself to be blind when it comes to the Chairman of Fonterra

    Supported the Commissioner for the Environment’s decision to delay the release of a report into the ramifications for climate change in regard to lignite mining and proposals to convert the lignite into diesel.

    Employed financial sleight of hand in shuffling funds towards business interests and away from community groups looking to protect the environment

    Made more empty promises when a report showing that a third of New Zealand lankes have poor quality water is released.

    Backed down on promises to protect New Zealand children (and the environment cleaner by more informed disposal) from harmful chemicals by improving labeling and imposing mandatory standards on containers

    Ignored the findings by attacking the messenger when a World Health Organisation report confirms that New Zealand’s main centres have the worst air in Australasia and Auckland is the most polluted with twice the concentration of damaging airborne particles as Sydney.

    Studiously ignored so as to take piss about dire warnings concerning the quality of drinking water in Reidstone.

    Didn’t mention in its 100% Pure promotions that visitors to the Kerikeri Basin near the Stone Store – one of Northland’s iconic tourism and heritage sites – could come face-to-face with warning signs telling them the water is polluted.

    Didn’t mention in its 100% Pure promotions that tourists in the Coromandel could come face to face with New Zealand’s environmental standards when finding hundreds of dead snapper washed up on Beaches.

    Presented bogus evidence concerning air pollution

    Made more empty promises in relation to air pollution while also extending deadlines for local councils to reduce air pollution.

    extended deadlines for businesses previously require to reduce air pollution by 2013.

    Put tourism operators in Akaroa at risk by refusing to make the harbour a marine reserve . . . and then rubs salt into their wounds

    Done nothing after the United Nations finds that National Ltd™’s targets for reducing pollution are not consistent with the measures put in place to achieve those targets:

    Attempted to defend the Emissions Trading Scheme from comparisons with the Australian model while Environment Minister Nick Smith indicates there’s little chance of the two schemes being integrated any time soon.

    Then further slowed down the implentation of New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme:

    Allowed major retailers to reap the benefits of its earlier and secret decision to abandon the mandatory labelling of exotic woods after it is found that the retailers are contributing to the death of native Australian forests despite an independent, year-long investigation which finds otherwise.

    tried to keep a meeting between John Key and mininng company Anadarko’s boss secret. The company is responsble for a massive oil spill and is looking to to start drilling off New Zealand soon.

    Continued to ignore yet more evidence of farmers failing to comply with environmental regulations

    handed over $400 million to farmers to extend water storage and allow for more land to be used for dairy farms. No mention or provision is made for additional protections required to deal with the increased pollution.

    Didn’t point out in its 100% Pure promotion that tourists (and locals) should avoid the Opihi River along State Highway 1 because of the risk of exposure to toxins from phormidium.

    Didn’t point out in its 100% Pure promotions that tourists arriving at New Zealand’s “nuclear free” sea ports will be sharing the environment with up to 5,000 tonnes of radioactive yellow cake uranium.

    Lied about how bad the RMA is

    ignored top scientists and academics who point out that its underfunding of the Department of Conservation will send more species into extinction and hurt its 100% Pure image.

    Ignored John Key making an international arse out of himself in regard to New Zealand’s 100% Pure image:

    Carried on with its lies as New Zealand is identified as jeoparising its good name by allowing us to become one of a small number of states stalling progress in forming an international climate agreement.

    Kept stringing us along even after Next thing, New Zealand received the 2nd place Fossil Award for “proposing the most Flexible Mechanism imaginable with no oversight or review. Bring on the wild west. They want to be able to use any market mechanisms they wish with absolutely no oversight or international review! There would be no way to ensure that the units from one mechanism have not been sold two or three times to another such mechanism. This would likely unleash a wild west carbon market with double or triple counting of offsets and a likely increase of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.”

    Stood silent when Fonterra was caught out lying by overstating its farmer’s compliance on excluding stock from waterways by 100%.

    Put World class surfing waves and Maui’s dolphin’s at Raglan at severe risk by encouraging a proposed iron ore seabed mining in New Zealand’s coastal waters:

    Never followed up after the scientific models created by New Zealand and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to allow fishing are called into question:

    Sets the scene for our children heading down to the park to find an overseas’ owned company had set up a dairy farm in one corner. Over time the shit builds up

    Ignores data which shows the expansion of fish-farming in the Marlborough Sounds could cause unacceptable changes in the coastal environment.

    Strategically removed the word “environment” from the lexicon of local and central government.

    Didn’t tell the tourists it hopes to attact with its 100% Pure campaign that every year, New Zealand drops huge quantities of poison-laced food into its forest ecosystems; enough poison to kill its human population 4 times over, every year. No country has ever done anything remotely similar, on such a scale

    Didn’t tell the tourists it hopes to attract with its 100% Pure campaign that more than a third of Auckland’s beaches fail water quality checks and are closed for swimming

    Still ignored the closing of the beaches, this time as extremely high concentrations of the bacteria enterococci are identified.

    Still ignored Ministerial conflicts of interest, this time involving John Key who is identified as shareholder in the Bank Of America which is backing mining in New Zealand and Australia . . . even when more information is made available . . . and more information . . . and more information

    Pressed on with additional policies that move away from the protection of the environment towards exploitation

    Limited , as part of its effort to cash-in on the environment, access to some of New Zealand’s most endangered species and isolated islands only to those who those who contribute financially displacing conservation staff and scientists.

    ignored a World Wildlife Fund report, Beyond Rio, which makes clear New Zealand now risks some of the highest rates of biodiversity loss on Earth unless urgent action is taken.

    Fonterra director Colin Armer is convicted and fined $72,000 for “fouling” a Bay of Plenty waterway after a judge found he could have prevented the pollution were it not for his “systemic” failure to monitor what was happening on his company’s farm.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/pollution/news/article.cfm?c_id=281&objectid=10815436

    National Ltd™ lies when it says New Zealand has the environmental laws and regulations to control oil and gas development on the continental shelf because thereis no equivalent of the Resource Management Act to control oil and gas activity outside of the territorial sea (12 nautical miles offshore).
    http://www.eco.org.nz/key-issues/oceans.html

    lied when it had already agreed coastal plans to allow marine farming consent holders in the Waikato and Marlborough to move from mussel farming to finfish farming without considering the additional environmental effects imposed.

    Put short-term business interests ahead of long-term consequences to New Zealand’s environment, particularly biodiversity by allowing damage in one area on the condition that it be “off set” in another creating a dangerous precedent in that such a provisin means that one part of biodiversity can be wrecked in return for “protecting” an area that was never under threat anyway.

    Promoted proposals that include include a plant producing about 2 billion litres of diesel per year, using at least 12 million tonnes of lignite per year and another producing 3 billion litres using 12-17 million tonnes of lignite annually. A further project would produce by 2016 1.2 tonnes of the nitrogenous fertiliser, urea, using 2 million tonnes of lignite annually.

    Documents obtained under the Official Information Act have revealed that DOC was intending to turn down Meridian (application to buils a damn on the Mohikinui River) and believed “the public conservation land within the Mokihinui River has such high value that it is most unlikely to be suitable for exchange at all.
    http://www.eco.org.nz/key-issues/energy.html

    National Ltd™ continues to ignore the slow-motion extinction of Maui’s dolphins:
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1206/S00386/protection-measures-for-mauis-dolphins-fall-short.htm

    Significant cuts to the Ministry for the Environment in the 2012 Budget are not publicly detailed or announced by Minister Amy Adams. She prefers to hide. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1205/S00478/cuts-to-environment-budget-explain-the-missing-minister.htm

    National Ltd™ ensures that New Zealand continues to ignore its international obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to “protect and preserve” the martime environment.
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1205/S00267/eez-bill-fails-to-protect-the-environment-and-nz-reputation.htm

    Despite long-standing recommendations from the Land and Water Forum, National Ltd™ continues to avoid setting national standards for water quality even after the Greater Wellington Regional Council released its state of the environment report. The report highlights the poor quality of many urban, lowland and Wairarapa waterways, and some rivers and aquifers being at their allocation limit.
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1206/S00207/strong-national-standards-needed-to-clean-up-rivers.htm

    National Ltd™ further weakenes protection for wild rivers in Canterbury with the ECan Act and indicates that further weakening will follow.
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1205/S00550/green-party-welcomes-pce-call-for-improved-river-protection.htm

    The Environmental Protection Authority rubber stamps a motorway project with no economic benefit and likely to waste over $1 billion of tax payers’ funds. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1206/S00336/epa-rubber-stamps-dead-duck-motorway.htm

    National Ltd™ is forced to admit that it has spent $1.67 million in a survey of minerals on the West Coast of New Zealand, including within the Te Wahipounamu South West New Zealand world heritage area. Te Wahipounamu is one of 183 natural heritage properties which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value.
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1206/S00355/world-heritage-areas-should-not-be-open-to-mining.htm

    National Ltd™ secretly ordered that world heritage sites on the West Coast be surveyed as part of a $3 million mineral study spanning more than 16,000 square kilometres. The survey was only puiblicy revealed after Green MP Catherine Delahunty asked for details in a parliamentary question:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/7168686/Mineral-study-marked-Coast-sites\

    The former interests of members appointed to the Establishment Board for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) make them unsuitable candidates for the job
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1103/S00071/epa-board-members-unlikely-to-protect-the-environment.htm

    Inexperienced managers, poor policy decisions and falling staff numbers are threatening New Zealand’s biosecurity.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7175215/Biosecurity-fears-voiced-in-staff-letter

    An independent report on the PSA virus outbreak was commissioned by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) following the devastation caused by the virus in the Bay of Plenty orchards with an estimated cost of $400 million. The report found New Zealand’s biosecurity system is fundamentally flawed and there is no way of identifying how the virus got into New Zealand and, thus, no way of preventing it from happening again.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/7224595/Govt-ignored-biosecurity-warning-Labour

    John Key hands over another $80 million to business and farmers to subsidise their pollution.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7208247/Nats-soften-emissions-blow-for-businesses

    National Ltd™ Minister Kate Wilkinson fobs off Save Fiordland protesters who point out that had the government’s own guidelines been followed consent for the Milford Dart tunnel and Fiordland Link Experience would never have been granted.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/7222907/Stop-the-Fiordland-tunnel-Wilkinson-told

    A National Ltd™ appointed advisory group has recommended a significant rewrite of the Resource Management Act, removing references to the protection of coastal areas, wetlands, lakes and rivers and indigenous flora and fauna.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10817613

    Documents pried from National Ltd™ under the Official Information Act show that senior government officials with serious concerns over projects in the Mackenze Basin and Waitaki Valley and hands out $180,000 of taxpayer cash. The decision to hand over the money was made by Nick Smith. More than half the cash went to environmental consultants – including about $88,000 to Ecologic, a firm run by Dr Smith’s friend Guy Salmon. Mr Salmon is also linked to the National Party ginger group the BlueGreens. The money trail shows: Ecologic consultant Guy Salmon: received $88,010 (includes $682 in restaurant and bar charges), Whanganui-based consultant Richard Thompson received $13,130 (includes $149 in restaurant and bar bills), the Environment Defence Society received $2256. Other expenditure included: restaurant and bar charges (at May, June and August meetings): $5495, and $30,800 for the production of two reports.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7327570/Money-for-mates-claims-to-be-probed-says-PM

    A further weakening of the already gutted resource consent process is being considered for foreign-owned mining companies, according to Energy and Resources Minister. Phil; Heatley.
    http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/resource-consents-mining-might-be-speed-heatley-ck-124676

    New Zealanders are locked out of the consultation process on the alloting of areas being made available by the National Ltd™ for resource exploration.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7366483/Oil-firms-first-to-seek-information

    National Ltd™ scraps government grants for solar water heating and Parliamentary Commissioner comes out against them:
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10822323

    National Ltd™ use the Navy along with police and Crown Law to bully environmental protesters in a legal case they knew could not be won.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10822405

    National Ltd™ puts out an international call for foreign companies to drill for oil and gas in 23 blocks of deep and wild waters east of Wellington and Dunedin.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10811689

    National Ltd™ consultants do a u-turn on the economic benefits of additional roading and then get handed a $200 million contract for further consultation work.
    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/doubts-worth-holiday-highway-4992534

    The Department of Conservation grants foreign-owned multinational mining company OceanaGold permission to destroy 55 hectares of beech forest so as to extend its Reefton mine to a total 81 hectares without public notification:
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/minerals/news/article.cfm?c_id=259&objectid=10818463

    As National Ltd™ prepares to ease the resource consent process for mining companies, the Minerals Industry Association starts putting pressure on local authorities to step aside.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10823321

    Economic commentator Gareth Morgan details National Ltd™’s ramshackle collection of underfunded agencies with no direction or policy for dealing with the vast marine resources of New Zealand:
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10823294

    A further erosion of New Zealand’s bio-security is highted when Christchurch Airport is found to have failed a survey:
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10823549
    National Ltd™ ignores Open letter to Minister for the Environment from the Environmental Defence Society, Forest and Bird, Fish and Game, Ecologic, Greenpeace, and World Wildlife Foundation New Zealand. Inter-alia, the letter points out that the removal of the directive terms “protect”, “preserve”, “maintain” and “enhance” from the RMA fundamentally weakens the legislation and introduces confusion as to its overall intent.
    http://www.eds.org.nz/content/documents/pressreleases/ENGOs%20letter%20re%20TAG%20report.pdf

    National Ltd™ ensures that New Zealand tax payers continue to subsidise 95% of big polluters’ emissions.
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1209/S00143/ets-changes-a-farce-environment-commissioner.htm

    Proposed marine reserves off the West Coast have been drastically reduced in size so much so that one advocate says they are “an insult” to those who spent years trying to establish them.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10835374

    National Ltd™ instructs its delegates at the world’s largest conservation conference, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s conference in Korea, to oppose any further measures to protect Maui and Hector dolphins in defiance of 117 other countries and 460 environmental organisations requesting New Zealand ban gill and trawl nets in waters up to 100 metres deep.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/116332/nz-votes-against-protecting-dolphins

    Emergy Minister Phil Heatley is caught out lying about the environmental impact of fraking.
    http://www.3news.co.nz/Taranaki-gas-field-contaminates-soil/tabid/1160/articleID/269871/Default.aspx

    Regional council are caught out not enforcing regulations, Government says no action is required
    http://www.3news.co.nz/Fracking-in-Southland-exposed/tabid/423/articleID/259325/Default.aspx

    National Ltd™ ignores concerns about fracking which has seen the practise banned around the world.
    http://www.tv3.co.nz/Mar-18—Meet-The-Frackers/tabid/2059/articleID/76270/Default.aspx

    National Ltd™ Minister Stephen Joyce twists the knife by exploiting news of redundancies at Solid Energy in a statement which claims opponents to a proposed mine are “getting in the way of” potential jobs.
    http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/publications/media-release/forest-bird-rejects-inappropriate-request-withdraw-appeal

    A High Court decision says the effects on climate change cannot be considered under the Resource Management Act (RMA) as updated by National Ltd™. The Court decision came after an appeal was made against an earlier decision to allow Australian-owned mining company Bathurst Resources (also known as Buller Coal) to build a 200-hectare open-cast coal mine on the plateau and mine 80 million tonnes of coal that, when burnt, will release about 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
    http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/publications/media-release/forest-bird-disappointed-climate-change-ruling

    The extinction of New Zealand sea lions is further ensured after fishing restrictions announced by the National Ltd™
    http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/publications/media-release/squid-fishery-decision-won%E2%80%99t-save-sea-lions

    The Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf Bill, as reported back from select committee fails to protect New Zealand’s marine environment and ignores our international legal obligations.
    http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/publications/media-release/eez-bill-bad-news-both-industry-and-the-environment

    More than half of monitored recreational sites on our rivers are unsafe for swimming, a report has revealed.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10841013

    Submissions to a select committee considering the Emissions Trading Scheme by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright’s, and those of thers, to a select committee reviewing the Emissions Trading Scheme are ignored resulting in a Trading Scheme which “will have very, very limited effectiveness and has locked in subsidies to to the worst emitters indefinitely.”
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/118536/commissioner-dismayed-by-emissions-report

    Environment Minister pulls out of participation in legal action to prevent more pollution being poured into New Zealand’s fresh water supplies.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7824674/Fish-Game-gets-hooks-into-minister

    National Ltd™ seeks changes to the law which will make it more dificult to get consent to build a deck onto a house than it is to drill for oil.
    http://www.3news.co.nz/Consent-for-oil-drilling-exploration-could-get-easier/tabid/1160/articleID/273254/Default.aspx

    New Zealand continues to avoid its international obligations “to ensure the conservation and management of sharks and their long-term sustainable use” while its fishers carry on with the barbaric practise of shark finning.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/blogs/in-our-nature/7848342/Shark-finning-a-national-disgrace

    Recent survey results show that two thirds of New Zealanders believer spending on environmental conservation is a good use of tax payers’ money. National Ltd™ responds with further cuts to the Department of Conservation budget.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/blogs/in-our-nature/7807524/Endangered-rangers

    Signatures from 30,000 people in a global email petition urging Prime Minister John Key to save the endangered Maui’s dolphin are ignored by National Ltd™ while the World Wildlife Fund points out that New Zealand was the only country to vote against more protection for the species at the world’s largest conservation summit.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/7793952/Indifference-to-dolphins-seen-as-blot-on-NZ-image

    Finance Minister Bill English begins the process of further gutting urban environmental protection legislation to speed up the building consent process for developers.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7874263/RMA-changes-mooted-to-speed-up-building

    The Government is stopping the five-yearly State of the Environment report. Put together by the Ministry of the Environment, the report is the largest stock-take of trends relating to land, water, air, plants and animals. The next report was expected in December, but the Government has decided instead to look at the basic data for each area.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/119350/state-of-the-environment-report-stopped

    New Zealand abandons the Kyoto agreement
    http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/john-key-defends-kyoto-decision-5209727

    A government lobbyist who attacted a prominent New Zealand scientist for speaking truth about New Zealand’s environment remains unrepentent in his efforts to silence the accurate reporting of scientific evidence.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10849308

    The New York Times highlights the fact that the pristine landscape featured in The Hobbit and used as the basis for the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign as fantastical as dragons and wizards.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/17/business/global/new-zealands-green-tourism-push-clashes-with-realities.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

    An international study measuring countries’ loss of native vegetation, native habitat, number of endangered species, and water quality reported in the journal PloS One shows New Zealand is 18th worst out of 189 nations when it came to preserving its natural surroundings. John Key remains relaxed.
    http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0010440

    Pulls out of Kyoto just weeks after the OECD reports that global greenhouse gas emissions could rise 50 per cent by 2050 without more ambitious climate policies, as fossil fuels continue to dominate the energy mix.

    New Zealand has received two “Fossil of the Day” – first-equal and second place – awards on the first day of international climate talks in Doha, Qatar.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10850322

    Hobbiton – Waikato – is a major source of pollution within the Hauraki Gulf yet is at the centre of the John Key led National Ltd™ government’s 100% Pure campaign
    http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/representativesbodies/haurakigulfforum/Documents/hgfstateoftheenvreport2011.pdf

    The use of the “fraking” technique in oil and gas drilling/exploration is given the go-ahead by National Ltd™ despite the Parliamentary Commissioner for the environment pointing out there exists no effective regulations in case of disaster nor the ability to enforce what regulations are available. Instead, monitoring and reporting and adherence to existing legislation is being left entirely up to foreign-owned multinationals doing the drilling.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10850431

    http://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-fact-and-fantasy/?p=276592#post276592

    lied, obfuscated and used government resources to attack and undermined local authority plans to improve water quality

    sanction an unnamed foreign-owned multinational to go ahead with a major road through pristine South Island National Parks

    employed disingenuous gobbledeegook to defend its decision to withdraw from the Kyoto Agreement.

    turned a deaf ear to calls for New Zealand to assist pacfic island nations by taking a stronger position on climate change

    displayed contempt for existing agreements and Environment Case law by approving new salmon farms in recreational areas within the Marlborough Sounds

    refused to investigate the impact on increasing use of neonicotinoid pesticides which is likely to be a major contributor to the sudden and dramatic decline (aka colony collapse disorder) of the New Zealand honey bee population, National Ltd™ also refused to consider the development of a strategy to protect what is left of the honey bee population.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10858064

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10857992

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10857798

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/climate-change/news/article.cfm?c_id=26&objectid=10856154

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/climate-change/news/article.cfm?c_id=26&objectid=10855149

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/125522/sanford-pollution-%27will-blemish-nz-image%27

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/125649/apache-pulls-out-of-second-oil-exploration-phase

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10860411

    • Dv 10.1
      23 January 2013 at 8:13 am

      Thank you Blip for that telling summary.

    • rosy 10.2
      23 January 2013 at 8:51 am

      Wow!

      Who are the opposition spokespeople on these things? And where are they? What a feast that is sitting on the table. They’ve barely touched the starters with protesting offshore drilling.

      No wonder MfE and DoC funding has been cut.

    • blue leopard 10.3
      23 January 2013 at 11:47 am

      Yes, thanks BLiP, good to have such a comprehensive list, must have taken a lot of research!

  11. Robert Atack 11
    23 January 2013 at 7:33 am

    People love to be told lies, the latest load of crap is Obommer being likened to MLK, when the only simile is they are both black.

    • Afewknowthetruth 11.1
      23 January 2013 at 9:39 am

      Practically every aspect of the present system is a lie or is founded on a lie.

      What is interesting is that the system is now collapsing, commencing in places like Spain and Greece. So how does the system respond? By presenting even bigger lies. Western nations are re-invading Africa ‘to bring freedom and democracy’, not to take control of the last untapped energy a mineral resources, of course. .

      George Orwell had it all worked out in 1947, when he wrote ”1984′. ‘The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lies became the truth.’

      Fortunately for ‘the controllers’ the bulk if the populace is scientifically illiterate and financially illiterate, and has no knowledge or understanding of history.

      Motor racing and rugby, with perhaps a bit of golf for the better off, till it all implodes.

      • Jenny 11.1.1
        12 February 2013 at 6:16 am

        I disagree. People are not as stupid as you make out. Most people just think the problem is to big for them to deal with. So that it is better just to get on with their lives.

  12. Caroline 12
    24 January 2013 at 2:19 am

    Wow what a staggering list, thanks for posting BLiP. Makes me feel sick at heart for the country I am coming home to.

    These policies are all nice and good now and will no doubt line the pockets of a few of the decision-makers and their friends, but what happens in 20 years when we have sold/privatised all the family silver, widening the gap between rich and poor and damaging our reputation with tourists, let alone if something goes wrong in one of these great gambles. We saw what happened with BP in the Gulf of Florida, and that was with all the publicity and the full weight of the US pushing them to sort it out. Any hit like that here will be much more messy and protracted, and will be fatal to the expensive and carefully constructed branding. While those who benefit will be able to distance themselves from the fallout, this privelege will not extend to most kiwis who will have to live with the cost of these decisions.

    We are headed for real problems if we don’t take a long term view in dealing with environmental and transport issues, and these seem to be bottom priority for these guys.

    Mining, drilling and fracking, while a nice way to make a quick buck from your term in power, are completely at odds with the 100% pure brand they have constructed. We have the brand, we need to either rise to it or stop investing in it, rather than attacking those who challenge us to do better by drawing attention to our misrepresentations (after other means of trying to get the government to protect our waterways have not succeeded).

    The way fuel prices are going, an family on average salary are unlikely to be able to afford to run more than one car in 20 years time, so can we stop building roads of national importance based on forecasts of ever-increasing car ownership and develop decent public transport and active travel links so that people nearer to the bottom can remain economically active as fuel prices continue to rise? Over the 20 years it will be of infinitely more benefit than a grand flyover which shaves three seconds off the time it takes to go from one traffic jam to the next (however you measure it: $$$, journey times, public health,..). And can we slow down the import of rubbish cars which spend 5 years emitting more carcinogenic fumes than is necessary, before being sent to the scrapheap? Please?

    This government are not thinking of what the future will look like, but looking to the past and holding us there. All the while, squeezing the most financial benefit from their term, while nationalising the costs and making us look like a bunch of small-minded environmental vandals on the world stage.

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