RMA backdown?

32 comments on “RMA backdown? ”

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1. Kevin 1

   30 March 2015 at 1:02 pm

   And all Winston had to do was get out of bed this morning…

   Off to a flyer!
   • Kiwiri - Raided of the Last Shark 1.1

     30 March 2015 at 2:02 pm

     Yes.
     Northland did vote out John Key and his fellow puppets, and vote in Winston.
     There must be further groundswell on critical issues like TPPA, spying laws, …
2. Clemgeopin 2

   30 March 2015 at 1:07 pm

   My instinct is that there must be a few National party MPs in the caucus who have seen the writing on the wall about the beginning of the end for Key and have privately withdrawn their support for RMA reforms and other pro wealthy. pro capitalist stupid policies.
   • Lanthanide 2.1

     30 March 2015 at 1:21 pm

     “and have privately withdrawn their support for RMA reforms and other pro wealthy. pro capitalist stupid policies.”

     Which means what, exactly? You’re saying that suddenly National MPs are going to cross the floor?
     • Tracey 2.1.1

       30 March 2015 at 1:33 pm

       Good call on Winston not going further with the name suppression issue.
       • Skinny 2.1.1.1

         30 March 2015 at 1:48 pm

         No Key is already putting distance between himself, Joyce and Osborne. There was a high enough percentage of kept in the dark nat voters that protest voted Peters or refused to vote altogether.

         Best drag slippery Key back to the pig pen with Osborne, Joyce and Bennett, hog tied if he continues ‘squealing its all Osborne’s fault’,as he is already doing about the 40 hours at ever single opportunity.
         • Tracey 2.1.1.1.1

           30 March 2015 at 1:51 pm

           how does that relate to my congrats to Lanth for predicting Peters wouldn’t go further on the name suppression issue?
           • Skinny 2.1.1.1.1.1

             30 March 2015 at 1:59 pm

             Oh well I can’t read between the lines can I. A slight reprieve it is firmly on the cards.
             • Tracey …

               30 March 2015 at 5:11 pm

               Thought I was quite clear about what I wan congratting lanth for, sorry to confuse you.
       • Lanthanide 2.1.1.2

         30 March 2015 at 6:58 pm

         The only place where he wouldn’t break the law in doing so, made it very clear that no such discussion would be permitted.
     • Clemgeopin 2.1.2

       30 March 2015 at 2:02 pm

       “You’re saying that suddenly National MPs are going to cross the floor?”

       While there is a remote possibility of that happening, I think in the short term, it would be more likely to be in the form of pressure being put to change direction in terms of some policies and agenda.
       • Lanthanide 2.1.2.1

         30 March 2015 at 6:57 pm

         You think National caucus members have influence over the party policy?

         Only the front bench of the cabinet would have any real sway.
     • Tracey 2.1.3

       30 March 2015 at 5:13 pm

       A couple, 1 even, who now see joining NZF as a possibility to stand up against National but not lose a career perhaps? Nats have been involved in leaking stuff to Hager for many years, the notion that all 59 sit on the Joyce/Key side of the party is a little statistically unlikely. Peters is conservative in the traditional National sense, there may still be some of that ilk in there.
     • Clemgeopin 2.1.4

       30 March 2015 at 6:48 pm

       It would be interesting to see how Key and National deal with or deal to Northland during this term.
   • mary_a 2.2

     30 March 2015 at 2:51 pm

     @ Clemgeopin – undoubtedly there has to be. Can’t see all of Key’s minions agreeing with him. Of course unless under threat of a fate beyond their imagination will befall them if they don’t go along with him!

     All it would take to see the demise of John Key as PM, is one, only one Natsy MP to turn against his/her boss, spill the beans and speak out about the deception, lies and duplicity which has been consuming this country over the past seven years of this odious government!

     The prospect of this becoming a reality, grows as Key, Joyce & Co begin the much anticipated decline back into the sewers from which they came! No MP, Natsy or otherwise will want to be associated with these sewer rats, once they have seen the signs that there is “trouble at the mill.”

     Sabin issue
     Winston taking the Northland seat from National with a good majority
     The proposed backdown from the RMA change plans

     The Natsies are losing it. Not looking too good for the scurrilous Key and his henchmen is it? Great. Bring it on 🙂
3. Tom Gould 3

   30 March 2015 at 1:14 pm

   I get the sense that Key is playing politics as usual. Neither he nor his henchmen have discussed the proposed RMA changes with Winston, according to Winston, so the National Herald’s “Winston won’t play ball” headline looks to be more 9th floor spin dutifully reported. What would Key and his cronies do without scapegoats and craven chooks?
   • weka 3.1

     30 March 2015 at 1:20 pm

     The announcement today also makes National look reasonable and congenial (rather than a bunch of losers that just got smacked down).
     • Kiwiri - Raided of the Last Shark 3.1.1

       30 March 2015 at 2:05 pm

       True and like Tom, many will roll their eyes and pick up that Key is on his usual auto-pilot mode of deception, convenient forgetfulness and other bullshit.
   • mac1 3.2

     30 March 2015 at 1:27 pm

     Worth a question in the House. On what occasions had the PM or his ministers had talks with Mr Peters about the RMA and what discussion lead them to the conclusion that Mr Peters “won’t play ball.”

     The trouble for National is not that Winston won’t play, it’s that Mr Peters has got the bloody ball, and is in front of an empty goal, ready to shoot.

     To continue the football analogy, Key and National scored an own goal with their succession of poor decisions which led to the by-election and Winston fielding a team with himself as striker.

     Team coach Stephen Joyce got his team out late onto the paddock, pissed off the local supporters and tried to bribe the ref instead of getting in some training and a decent team. Even the flash harry ring-in off the bench late in the second half, John Key, blew his chances with poor footwork and took off for an early shower and a new location. He didn’t stay for the awarding of the Northland Cup and support his team in its choking defeat.

     Of course, it was the fault of the opposition that they won, six goals to four.
4. Skinny 4

   30 March 2015 at 1:17 pm

   Yeah Cosby Textor straight into attack mode setting up the bait, wait for it when Key regroups on the 6pm news. ” well actually it makes it hard for us too improve people’s lives in Northland when the changes to the RMA we have been trying to make are flushed down the toilet now the jacked up NL by election see’s all our good work undone. ”

   Dumping the further mining exploration rights in the North & New Plymouth is timed so the Nat’s can spin to a gullible Kiwi public. I hope they don’t buy it.

   Peters will go “now lets get back on the real topic and stop these diversions, what was the reason for the by election.”
5. Rosie 5

   30 March 2015 at 1:22 pm

   It’s really hard to trust that Peter ‘willing seller, wiiling buyer’ Dunne won’t change his mind and go ahead and support RMA reform, even if he has signalled in the past that he won’t support it.

   Here’s a crack appearing already, couched in his typical sensible shoes style

   “Mr Dunne said he and other parties were prepared to support changes to the law to make it easier for affordable homes to be built.”

   And

   “Mr Dunne said he was still willing to talk but had not heard from the Government on that since January.”

   http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/269693/dunne-suspects-secret-agenda-on-rma

   Or maybe he just like the sound of his own voice.

   Even if the RMA reforms don’t end up going through we have another potential disaster in the form of the Special Housing Areas Accord. This is a government accord that a number of councils around the country have signed in an attempt to speed up the process for intensified housing developments:

   “Special housing areas will have fast-tracked consenting conditions, no or limited public notification and limited appeal rights.”

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/67443896/Full-council-to-vote-on-adding-13-housing-areas-after-mayor-steps-in.

   I don’t know enough about the accord yet but this sounds like a localised version of removing RMA protections for the environment and communities.

   Either way, our government has already scored a win for it’s developer mates in the form of the SHA accord.
6. McFlock 6

   30 March 2015 at 1:30 pm

   That sounds a bit like key is performing manual labour.
   The only reason key would rip up the RMA plans is if he is terrified of having cutting tools anywhere close, for fear a loyal cabinet colleague will place them firmly in his back…
   • Tracey 6.1

     30 March 2015 at 1:34 pm

     remind me of national’s ideas/policy for NZ over the next few years???
     • Kiwiri - Raided of the Last Shark 6.1.1

       30 March 2015 at 2:12 pm

       nats govern secretly, with hidden agenda, and bullshit press releases along with cronies in the media.

       Wake up, Aotearoa New Zealand!
7. Sacha 7

   30 March 2015 at 1:39 pm

   The worst of the RMA changes they proposed won’t get through now, which is a relief. Even Labour has said they will back other ones. There will be some sharp backroom dealing going on with several parties about how far the Nats can go.
8. AUDNZD 8

   30 March 2015 at 2:00 pm

   On the RMA issue: Peters is completely irrelevant, the problem is with Dunne, who needs to be convinced, read bought out.
9. ianmac 9

   30 March 2015 at 2:16 pm

   There are some elements of the RMA that need improving. Wealthy firms who want to block opposition to their own company can mount challenge after challenge. Sometimes over 10 years of obstruction for selfish purposes.
   • vto 9.1

     30 March 2015 at 2:20 pm

     I agree. And large corporates that intimidate small councils. And large public organisations that intimidate people. Sometimes even in cahoots with large corporates. All using big loopholes in the current RMA. These parts definitely need patching up.
     • ianmac 9.1.1

       30 March 2015 at 3:04 pm

       Agreed vto as long as the patches do not diminish the Envronmental protections. It seemed that National wanted to make the commerce./industry needs trump the environmental needs. No way mates!
10. Sookie 10

    30 March 2015 at 5:44 pm

    The RMA is not working properly in a number of areas, and there is too much leeway for Councils to write crap, lazziez faire plans that locals, reasonable developers and environmentalists don’t have the power, interest or money to challenge. However Part 2’s fundamental principles do provide a last ditch means to stop inappropriate garbage getting consented, so I am very pleased the Nats are backing down on that.
11. Saarbo 11

    30 March 2015 at 10:24 pm

    LITTLE/LABOUR’S VICTORY…WELL DONE.
12. saveNZ 12

    31 March 2015 at 9:08 am

    Good news already.

    The RMA is a scape goat for the corruption and incompetence in council which must stop.

    The RMA needs to be strengthened to protect the environment and to make polluters MORE accountable.

    Look at the headlines yesterday. Mobil heavily contaminated the tank farms in Auckland but got off and the public is PAYING COSTS to Mobil of 1million, because they claimed that other groups also contaminated it.

    Anyway very sad news for the environment. You can pollute for years, (but like tobacco) just avoid responsibility by claiming you were not the only polluter!

    Not to mention the Ports of Auckland just got consent to steal approx 1km of Harbour with the blessing of the Auckland Council.

    The debacle with Kaipara council also helped Winston as the rate payers are left with the legacy of debt from that failed secret council venture (all audited with flying colours by the National government),

    I hope NZ First, Labour and Greens get together to work out how to protect our country from polluters and also put in legislation to protect the environment and polluters MUST pay to clean up their mess not get away Scott free with the tax payers paying for the clean up.

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