National’s complete indifference to climate change

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 pm, December 18th, 2023 - 18 comments
Categories: climate change, local government, making shit up, science, simeon brown, spin, uncategorized, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

This is the only possible explanation.  As well as celebrating all things car National has a pathological hatred of cycleways and walkways and public transport.

The latest evidence comes from Simeon Brown’s instruction to Waka Kotahi to stop work on anything designed to cut transport greenhouse gas emissions.

From Marc Daalder at Newsroom:

The Transport Minister has told officials to stop work on policies that would provide transport alternatives to private cars.

On Tuesday, Simeon Brown wrote to regional councils to advise them of changes he was making to speed limit regulations. He also put out a press release about the move and touted it in Parliament.

But at the end of that letter, he also revealed he had ordered officials at the New Zealand Transport Agency, Waka Kotahi, to end work on programmes that would reduce the number of kilometres travelled by passenger cars through providing alternatives like public and active transport.

“I understand that some local authorities have been developing programmes with NZTA and other stakeholders to reduce vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) by the light vehicle fleet, using funding from the Climate Emergency Response Fund,” Brown wrote, in a copy of the letter seen by Newsroom.

“I have given notice to NZTA to end its work on these programmes, and to not commit any further funding to local authorities (beyond existing contractual obligations) to develop these programmes.”

In legal terms the decision is very dodgy.  Under the Land Transport Management Act 2003 the Minister of Transport issues what is described as a Government Policy Statement on transport.  Waka Kotahi is then obliged to give effect to the GPS.  It does this by preparing and completing the National Land Transport Programme.  This is a carefully prepared document that sets out how the National Land Transport Fund is to be spent and feeds into all of the Regional Land Transport Programmes.  These have extensive input from Local Government into them.

And the current GPS is being consulted on.  There is no power for the Minister to direct Waka Kotahi to do anything let alone undermine an existing GPS.  And it is exceedingly bad form to send a directive out while consultation is happening.

This has not stopped Simeon from doing so.  But this sort of behaviour is intensely frustrating to Local Government.  Work streams take years to prepare and advance.  Chopping and changing like this just destroys the work flow and creates chaos.

And you have to wonder why they would do this.  After all I believe that we are in a middle of a climate crisis, even one that National has begrudgingly acknowledged is happening.

Walking and cycling have major roles to help the country meets its climate change goals.  We will not get there if there is not major investment in these areas.  Platitudes and thinking that charging stations will get us there is wooly thinking.

The problem is that National engaging in culture wars on cycleways may stir up support but it is totally retrograde, US Republican quality opposition to everything just for kicks and to rouse up the right wing base.  This is not what we need right now.  We need the adults in the room to set out what we have to do to do our bit to meet the climate crisis.

To meet our climate goals we are going to have to do it all, cycleways, walkways, compact cities, enhanced public transport, eating less meat, planting trees, engaging in less international travel, solar power, wind power, closing down coal generators, consuming less, making vehicles more fuel efficient, energy efficient light bulbs and shower heads and a host of other measures.  We do not need stupid debates about each of these measures.  We need to do all of them and more and then cross our fingers and hope.

The problem is that the right wishes to fight all of these measures for kicks.

The other problem is that without the wholesale acceptance of these measures the world is stuffed.

Over the past few years our emissions have peaked and have reduced.  The rate of reduction needs to be accelerated rapidly.  This Government is showing that it is not slightly interested in doing this.  And that it would be happy in the pursuit of culture wars to forgo these measures and to undermine them.

For political support.

And for kicks.

18 comments on “National’s complete indifference to climate change ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Bearded Git 1
    18 December 2023 at 9:32 pm

    Nicely put Micky….

    Luxon really has no idea.

    • ianmac 1.1
      18 December 2023 at 11:00 pm

      True BG. But I suspect that Luxon calculates that if he wafts pro climate change rhetoric, he can go ahead and do the opposite and no one would notice. He has a belief in just how clever he is compared to we peasants and anyway he has a supportive god in his ear.

  2. tc 2
    19 December 2023 at 6:26 am

    This is a bloke who happily admits to not reading reports or studies just plowing on ahead with the agenda.

    So we appear to have a boy racer mentality in our transport Minister combined with that born to rule arrogance in pushing their ideology.

    Good post Mickey.

  3. Thinker 3
    19 December 2023 at 7:03 am

    Some Nat-friendly people I know are waxing on about the mess the current government inherited and the consequent need to do the hard times before things come right again.

    Associated with that is the need to do all this other stuff, just to help get the train on the rails quicker.

    It amazes me how short some people's memories are.

  4. Ghostwhowalks 4
    19 December 2023 at 7:18 am

    Luxon will continue to talk out of both sides of his mouth- without admitting any contradiction

    Climate change targets wont change- Climate change reduction spending will end.

    Its not a bug , its a feature. Indeed he will personally benefit where possible

    Tesla electric government funding…check

    Te Reo tuition government funding …check

    Flying on government VIP planes …check

  5. Mike the Lefty 5
    19 December 2023 at 8:17 am

    It is a case of revelling in being in power, sticking it to those vegan lycra-clad greenie whingers who have had too much power over New Zealand's transport system for too long.

    But I bet it won't extend to lower petrol taxes or lower registration fees. In fact I reckon the next move will be to extend RUC to EVs and double the costs, along with vehicle registration fees.

    Someone has got to pay for all National's road, by-pass and tunnel pipe dreams and that someone is YOU, regardless if you will ever use them or not.

    It will happen in the first half of next year, I predict.

  6. Grey Area 6
    19 December 2023 at 8:33 am

    Yes Mickey hatred of cycleways and walkways and public transport does seem pathological with National. It's not rational therefore people promoting alternative modes of transport will get no joy from this crew. I doubt there will be any reasoned debate as some hope.

    National has been a bit more inclined to a wider view of transport, in words at least, in the past. I saw a reference yesterday to when Gerry Brownlie was Minister of Transport which surprised me.

    People point to Shonkey's promotion of a national cycling network as showing National aren't totally vehicle focused. But a cycle trail network is about tourism and has little to do with alternative transport choices.

  7. Chris 7
    19 December 2023 at 10:09 am

    That National doesn't care about climate change is the one thing the opposition needs to focus on highlighting because it might be the only thing people will have in common after the National-led culture wars set in.

    • Mike the Lefty 7.1
      19 December 2023 at 1:34 pm

      Right but unfortunately there are a lot out there who don't give a continental about climate change, they are more concerned about what colour to choose for their next new Ford Ranger. And unfortunately their mates are in power.

      Climate change?

      Bah humbug.

      • Chris 7.1.1
        19 December 2023 at 2:22 pm

        Yes, sure, but as time goes on and the evidence mounts…even the most hardened will have to begin to wonder…like seatbelts.

  8. Robert Guyton 8
    19 December 2023 at 10:18 am

    The rationale for acting on climate change is wasted on the people who want to cut arts from education; their driver is the same – fripperies, unnecessary indulgences and the stuff radical protesting, undermining, head-in-the-clouds Lefties fixate on.

    Appealing to reason is a waste of our time; they will always default to the same position.

    Oppose their decisions, yes, but expect a rational repositioning, a reasoned response to the case we present? Forget it.

  9. Chris 9
    19 December 2023 at 1:20 pm

    That's a bit defeatist, isn't it?

    • Chris 9.1
      19 December 2023 at 2:25 pm

      Sorry, this was meant to be in response to Robert Guyton at 8 above.

    • Robert Guyton 9.2
      19 December 2023 at 2:45 pm

      I don't believe so, Chris. If we continue to hope that politicians such as Luxon and co. will "see the light" and change their ways as the result of our protestations and reasoned advice, we will be disappointed. Waiting for those leopards to change their spots will waste a lot of our time; time better spent making things happen. They may well sing another tune in time, but it won't be because they've heard our call; other factors, ones they respond to, will cause them to change.

  10. Ad 10
    19 December 2023 at 1:30 pm

    By

    – repealing the RMA replacement,

    – killing 3 Waters,

    – providing no alternative funding to local government,

    – putting a big 'review' through Kainga Ora or largest developer and landowner, and

    – reversing massive infrastructure contracts,

    National have essentially killed off New Zealand's large building and construction industry for most of this term. It takes several years to get the major projects up and running – a decade if they're not consented.

    If you were an investor looking for either real estate developments or major infrastructure to invest it, there is now no certainty to do so in New Zealand.

    National are pushing the GDP brake down hard.

  11. outofbed 11
    19 December 2023 at 2:10 pm

    And forcing a new tunnel (cars only) on wellington. That will teach the bastards to vote green. It's all about mp,s getting to central wellington easily from the airport, the cynic in me thinks

  12. Jack 12
    20 December 2023 at 7:53 am

    Dose anyone have information about the percentage spend on cycleways compared to roads? My guess is that the cycleway spend is infinitesimal when compared to roading.

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.