National still attacking democracy in Canterbury

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, March 20th, 2015 - 10 comments
Categories: Conservation, farming, local government, national, water - Tags: , ,

In 2010 National did away with democracy in Canterbury, and in 2012 they extended their dictatorship for a further 4 years. The Press:

Black day for democracy in Canterbury and the nation

The brief statement announcing the continued suspension of democracy at Environment Canterbury will take a place in New Zealand history. It outlines the most radical denial of voting rights that this nation has experienced in recent times – a fact that disadvantages Cantabrians and besmirches the Government.

For another four years voters will be unable to elect ECan councillors, meaning a basic right will have been denied citizens for more than half a decade. In that time, ECan will have gathered something like $450 million in rates and spent it without the input of the providers.
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That the Government has prolonged this system – it is called dictatorship – is deplorable and foolish. It not only denies the province healthy administration but it strengthens a backlash against National in the province.

Taxation without representation for Canterbury. 2016 approaches, and full democracy will still be denied to them:

Democratic ECan “carries too many risks” says Nick Smith

The Government wants a mixed governance structure for Environment Canterbury (ECan), with some members elected and others appointed, it has announced.

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Associate Local Government Minister Louise Upston released a discussion document on the proposal on Wednesday.
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“We considered other options of a fully elected council and alternatives that involved substantive changes to council functions. “Our preliminary view is that these carry too many risks given the critical stage of work on the Canterbury Water Management Strategy and the earthquake recovery. “It may be appropriate to consider these options beyond 2019.”

Green MP Eugenie Sage, the party’s Christchurch spokeswoman, said the Government had “broken its 2010 promise to restore regional democracy by 2013”. The mixed model proposal was “a significant wind back of local democracy”, Sage said.

Got that Cantabrians? You can’t be trusted with the power of democracy. National knows best…

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10 comments on “National still attacking democracy in Canterbury ”

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  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1
    20 March 2015 at 9:18 am

    Will the National Party and its owners simply be allowed to get away with this criminal offending?

    Confiscate all the proceeds of this crime.

  2. ianmac 2
    20 March 2015 at 9:25 am

    Beats me why the people in Canterbury are not furious. Water is given freely to farmers in order to make their profits. And at the risk of the up to now the purity of Christchurch’s magnificent water supply. Rise up people before it is too late!

    • Pat 2.1
      20 March 2015 at 8:33 pm

      beats many in Canterbury why the rest of the country is happy to believe the spin about the EQ recovery….including the opposition parties who are strangely silent. Rise up people before your turn comes.

  3. Sable 3
    20 March 2015 at 9:34 am

    Nothing democratic about this Fascist bunch.

  4. tc 4
    20 March 2015 at 10:02 am

    The vote pattern in canterbury given this, the chch rebuild/EQC etc just make one shake the head at wtf must go through sheeples minds when they vote.

    Then I observe granny, TV news, radio rantland and it’s all so clear.

  5. ghostwhowalksnz 5
    20 March 2015 at 10:40 am

    I bet the next stage of the plan will be to carve Christchurch out of the regional council and give the farmers a majority.

    You couldnt make this stuff up. White gold and corrupt politicians , who would have guessed

  6. RedBaronCV 6
    20 March 2015 at 8:14 pm

    So how long is it before they decide The Auckland super city” carries too much risk” and any of the other super cities they are proposing?
    There couldn’t be a better argument than this for resisting amalgamation – what is happenning in Canterbury is obviously the end game for all the amalgamated bodies.
    And too much risk of what?
    Nick Smith not getting his own way – poor diddums ..

  7. philj 7
    20 March 2015 at 9:13 pm

    Is this another public private partnership?

  8. Puddleglum 8
    20 March 2015 at 9:25 pm

    This move was prefigured when the government decided to extend the rule of the Commissioners at ECan.

    At the time, Margaret Bazley and the Commissioners had favoured full return to elect councillors in 2013 and officials favoured an interim ‘mixed model’ of part democratically appointed and part appointed members, as the Law Society submission on the bill to extend the period of Commissioners till 2016 makes clear:

    “Earlier this year [i.e., in 2012] ECan Chair Dame Margaret Bazley advised the Government that the commissioners recommended a return to democratic elections by 2013. Officials also recommended a transitional mixed-governance body, made up of elected councillors and government-appointed members.

    The Law Society believed the bill to extend the Commissioners’ rule till 2016 itself should not have proceeded.

    And now this eeking out of the term of non-democratic governance happens.

    Just so predictable – ordinary people should have no say over matters considered of real importance; the ‘national interest’ is too important to be endangered by New Zealanders.

  9. philj 9
    21 March 2015 at 7:24 am

    How can you attack ‘ Democracy’ in the Canterbury Regionif it’s already non existent?