The National Government knew of the need for a specially equipped and capable ship to deal with oil-spill emergencies at sea...and didn't act upon it.
New Zealand could have been well prepared for what happened on the Astrolabe Reef - the disastrous grounding of a large ship, the breaching of its hull and the consequent, ongoing spillage of toxic fuel oil, but because National - it's Prime Minister, Ministers and advisors chose not too prepare, not to purchase the purpose built, rapid response ship, we are in the middle of our worst-ever environmental disaster, and unable to act as quickly as needed. On John Key's watch. No surprise to those of us who have long claimed that National and the environment don't recognise each other. Having a gambling money-man at the helm of the country hasn't paid off and we all lose from it.
But most of all, the beaches of the Bay of Plenty, their wildlife and health, stand to suffer serious damage, immediately, with sea-birds washing up dead, oil-soaked and pathetic on the shores in their hundreds today, and in the long-term, with environmental harm we can only guess at.
John Key claims that this disaster will not hurt his election chances.
I think John Key is very wrong about that.
4 comments:
Rg, you are woefully wide of the mark here. Any government including a Green LED coalition would not have been prepared for a disaster on this scale. It is just financially impossible.
What I will concede is we are under prepared, but in the real world a reasonable level of protection would not have coped with the current scenario.
Unfortunately the lesson is going to be a harsh one. Scoring political points is also going to be part of this - a total waste of energy that would be better applied to solving ways of mitigating the undeniable and totally inevitable damage.
Blaming JK and the Nats is puerile and unbecoming of the person I believe you are. Instead ask yourself what would you have done differently and then campaign to have it done in the future. Then be like the armies of students, farmers, and many others that descended on Christchurch in their hour of need, and head to the Bay to lend a hand.
The your credibility will be restored.
Fred, here's what I, and I like to think, the Green Party, would have done differently. Bought a ship capable of rapid response.
How's that for an idea? Too expensive, you say? Nonsense! How much do you imagine this disaster is going to cost, Fred? The 'owners' are going to get off with paying a relative pittance, We, the taxpayers of New Zealand, are going to have to fork out. But it's the environment that will pay the greates price, Fred and it could have been prevented and or minimised by intelligent, forward thinking based on a real respect for the environment. National does not have that. Or would you like to argue that they do? Go ahead. I'm ready to engage in that debate.
....it could have been prevented............Rg, I would like to know how it could have been prevented, or even minimised for that matter. As I concede it could have been better managed on day one - but prevented/minimised I am perplexed as to how?
What would have been the motivation to "buy a ship capable of rapid response"? Were you expecting the Rena to make a fundamental navigational error?
Given the potential size of this calamity one ship would be a little like farting in thunder.
Now you have hit a 'nerve' with "getting off with a pittance". As Kiwis we need to pressure for a cross-part push to see this does not happen. Over!
Cross-party - every man and his dog
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