Key loves lignite

Today's Southland Times editorial explores the Government's 'born too soon' energy paper and finds it soaked in oil and coal dust.

"Acting Energy and Resources Minister Hekia Parata is at pains to emphasise the energy strategy mistakenly published online is just a draft. But it would be only a slight misapplication of that word to read it as a strong indication of which way the wind is blowing. It certainly isn't a first draft"

Parata's first public task defending the indefensible is going to paint her black, despite the colour she was reportedly bringing to the coal lovin' Nats. This leak of the Government's energy strategy shows them ignoring all submissions and continuing their bulldozer-push toward digging up every resource they can get to - Southland lignite especially.

"As far as the lignite issue is concerned, Ms Parata hammers the point that "for too long now we have not made the most of the wealth hidden in our hills, under the ground and in our oceans. It is a priority of this Government to responsibly develop those resources."
Mine mine mine Ms Parata!
We had hoped you would resist the disease of greed, but seems you too have succumbed.