Nick Smith supports Dictatorship

Canterbury people lost their democratically elected Council to the National Government's ideological hunger for dictatorial power, when Nick Smith dismissed the Council and installed people of his own choosing. Canterbury people were justifiably incensed that a Government would over-rule the will of the people, but soothed their anger with the thought that they'd be able to elect a new Council when the rest of New Zealand held their local body elections. But no. That won't happen. National is to keep it's boot on the throat of the people of Canterbury and refuse to let them choose for themselves, according to Nick Smith, speaking at the Land and Water forum recently;

Canterbury doesn’t need another dysfunctional elected council making decisions on water, former Environment Minister Nick Smith says:

As a cabinet minister, he sacked elected Environment Canterbury councillors and replaced them with commissioners.

When their term expires next year, he hopes they will be replaced by a mixed council of elected and Government-appointed representatives.

In Ashburton on Thursday at a Federated Farmers water forum, he said there were some big water decisions ahead of Canterbury, including bulk storage and tapping into alpine rivers protected by Water Conservation Orders.

He said a fully-elected regional council making those decisions would result in the same “dog’s breakfast” left by the previous council, with views polarised into urban and rural camps."

Welcome to National's 'One ring to rule them all' style of politics, everyone.
There are unpleasant names for this sort of governance.

Green whips Blue

Russel Norman handed Nick Smith his *rse on Q&A this weekend. It was a joy to watch Smith struggle and fail to defend the indefensible - freeing agriculture from its obligations to manage greenhouse emissions - and Russel did it in a manner that would have delighted every National Party devotee, had their man Smith shown the same adroit grasp of economic matters.
Over on the Dim-Post, this comment summed-up the debate nicely and Danyl posts well on the Paul Holmes mediated demolition of the Minister.

Matt Nolan +1.
Dr Norman is becoming a formidable opponent as he speaks with knowledge and practical common sense on many economic issues. It is becoming untenable for opposition parties and the media to dismiss him as a “loony green who doesn’t understand how business works”. Probably not going to stop most of them though…."

Don't say Dirty Dairying

That's the message from Nick Smith who believes that the public don't want to hear that kind of dirty talk. He's told Bryce Johnson of Fish & Game NZ to give up the old battle to clean up the rivers and just trust the Government. National, says Smith, has sternly told regional councils to get it sorted and by golly they will...eventually, but the F&G chief executive is not convinced and neither is anyone else who has been watching the deterioration of the rivers (Manawatu anyone?) and the explosion of dairying throughout the country. Here in Southland, we're in for it - our cow numbers have shot up frighteningly - we're now supporting six and a half times as many dairy cows as we had six years ago. Waituna is testament to what can result from that sort of development.
"No natural system can support that number of cows."
Many rivers, including the Manawatu, Rakaia and Waikato, were under threat, Bryce said.
Federated Farmers water issues spokesman Ian MacKenzie said farmers were as keen as any group to improve water
quality.
"Nobody wants to see Lake Taupo turn into a cesspit."
However, pollution came from many sources, including industry and urban development.
"This just seems to be grandstanding."

Grandstanding indeed.

Labour's water spokesman, Brendon Burns, said the report made a mockery of Government promises to improve water quality.
"Nick Smith has ripped the guts out of the inquiry advice, and ... his handling of this actually means water quality across our streams, rivers and lakes will continue to get worse."

The Greens signalled the same thing well before the release of the national policy for freshwater management. "Toothless" was a phrase that seemed to suit and that's seemingly what we've now got - a direction to get on with the job and a set of gums to do it with.

The Stuff report is here and it's well worth reading.

Kickin' Nick

Best stop-him-in-his-tracks question at tonight's 'Meet Mr Smith Meet' went to the lovely lady from Lumsden, who asked the Minister (who had just described how important the Government felt it was to follow Best Practice with all mining and drilling projects in NZ, based on overseas models),

"Minister, can you tell us, where is the world's best practice example of lignite mining?"

A stunned and awkward silence enveloped the Minister before he claimed that he 'wasn't willing to say'.

The complimentary bag of dirty ol' lignite goes to Chris Henderson for both the quality of the question, and the timing!

Smith to go head to head with dairy farmers

Yeah right! But as I predicted, Nick Smith has taken the opportunity presented by the news that the Waituna Lagoon is on the brink of collapse, to haul his undies on over his suit trousers and swing into super-action, to save the day. What a feather in the Government's cap it would be if Nick Nitro could halt the Ecological Disaster unfolding in Southland - and all in an election year!
Hoorah!
I sincerely hope his is able to save the lagoon.
Vaughan Templeton and his dairy farming 'environmentalists' will be quaking in their gumboots!

Grim find

Not feeling especially effervescent today so here's something that reflects my mood.
I discovered this gruesome scene as I was walking through the carpark at a Bluegreens conference. One of those heartless Tories had collected this tiny bird with the front of his SUV.
Probably Nick Smith.

Forestry - an excuse for farmers to do whatever they want!

"The proposed NES for Forestry could more aptly be called the ‘let the farmers do what they want’ standard. Not only does it enable just about anything to do with harvesting plantation forest, it also makes any earthworks or quarrying within the rural environment a permitted activity (not subject to the resource consent process), except when it is in an area prone to erosion. This would mean all farmers can use the NES to bypass earthworks controls aimed at protecting landscapes and water quality, regardless of whether or not the earthworks or quarrying is for forestry purposes."

James Henderson, writing for The Standard sounds the clarion for all councils and those people who value a truly clean, green environment and points the finger straight at Nick Smith. Most interesting is his description of the sneaky manner in which this NES was presented - 'in between councils' during the change-over period we are in now.



"Nick Smith knew that this wouldn’t go down well with Councils who regulate forestry activities with the aim of protecting water quality, biodiversity, and landscape values. So guess what, the consultation period for the new NES is during the local government elections recess period, i.e. the NES was proposed after Councils could formally consider it, and submissions close in mid October, before any new Councils have had their first meeting of the new triennium."

Rotten.

Nick Smith's 'One Ring' plans

Nick Smith's floating a National Environmental Standard for forestry that reeks of Anne Tolley's abortive attempts to impose a national standard onto schools. In Smith's case, he's seeking to remove localised decision making from councils and pass the power to Central Government, so that industry will benefit.

He says:

“It does not make sense that some forestry activities require consents in some areas but not in other council jurisdictions"

Well Nick, local decision making does make sense where conditions are peculiar to that locality. Local authorities have specific and detailed information and experience that can provide the basis of appropriate decision making. Your Wellington-based wonks are not famous for having that ability.

"These proposed standards are part of the Government's broader resource management reforms of proper, stronger central Government direction on environmental protection and reducing compliance costs for industry."

Industry will be further delighted by your proposal, as if they aren't rubbing their hands already!

What an easy run they are getting under the cloak of this government.

Look out environment, here comes Smithy!