"Minister mouthpiece for dirty dairy" declares Gareth Morgan in his expose of the interference by Agriculture minister David Carter in the decisions being made by Horizons Regional Council to control industrial dairying in the central North Island.
"What is astonishing and truly sobering about the Horizons case is the
new low it has set for the willingness of Cabinet Ministers to use their
position to further the interests of businesses at the expense of the
public and to hell with the environment. Federated Farmers’ onslaught on
Horizons has been aided and abetted by David Carter, Minister for
Primary Industries. As a Cabinet Minister one might think Carter would
represent the wider public interest, rather than just the farming lobby.
However he has set out to undermine public acceptance of One Plan,
claiming that it will “dramatically reduce” the productivity (read
profitability) of farming and as a result be harmful to the public. He’s
said he’ll get the RMA changed – continuing a string of abuses on
environmental protection from National’s senior ministers of late who
can’t conceive of economic growth without accompanying environmental
destruction. It is a regressive view but one National, faced with a flat
economy, is wholeheartedly embracing."
Gareth Morgan is proving a constant thorn in the side for this business-supportive government and repeatedly hits both the nail, and National, on the head with his insightful columns.
Read the rest here.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
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