We live in this kind of dystopian hell hole
What kind of dystopian hell hole do we live in?
Since this government squeaked into power they have consistently abused democratic processes to push agendas that the majority of New Zealander’s did not vote for. Some early examples are their passing of Bills under urgency when no urgency existed, thus avoiding public scrutiny and comment, and the Fast Track Bill itself — a Bill which would override 10 Acts of Parliament and previous rulings of the courts. It is legislation designed simply to bypass the normal checks and balances expected in a democracy in order to fast-track access to the riches of New Zealand for various corporate interests.
It sets the scene for one of the greatest thefts of public resources this nation has ever seen.
Now the "anti-regulation" government is interfering with local councils’ ability to manage local resources as we have seen with the Otago Regional Council’s Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) and with Wellington CIty Council.
Our elected officials are not allowed to perform their duties without interference and our ability to have a say in our region is withdrawn. Regarding halting of the vote on the ORC LWRP, it doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that a "public private partnership" which has us paying privately owned multinationals for our water is on the horizon.
We now live under a system of Corporate Fascism TM where we are powerless, and no-one is accountable.
James Hegarty
Dunedin
On the other hand
The inevitable has finally occurred for the ORC.
Minister Simmonds has been gently prodding the ORC towards accepting the reality that there has been a new democratically elected government for over a year.
This government also signalled from their get-go that freshwater management will change from the Green Labour government legislation — something the majority of the ORC chose to ignore .
Millions of dollars have been spent by the ORC as the chairwoman Gretchen Robertson and her fellow wanderers wilfully ignored the minister’s advice. The ratepayers of Otago now have 18 million reasons to expect / demand the resignation of Ms Robertson and deputy chairman Lloyd McCall.
It’s called accountability and or consequence. Thank you for your service Gretchen, but you must now move on.
Gerrard Eckhoff
Alexandra
[Gerrard Eckhoff served three terms as an ORC councillor. Editor.]
All that work
Spare a thought for our friends and neighbours who work at the Otago Regional Council. Some 250 or so staff have worked for years getting their best draft Regional Land and Water Plan ready for the council to consider, and then, at the very last minute, the government pulls the rug out from under them. It must be gutting, but of course they are model public servants and can’t comment.
Abigail M Smith
Dunedin
Cold heartedness
In the letters to the editor column I was astounded to read a letter from someone feeling sorry for terrorists being injured and eliminated from the absolutely brilliant IDF tactic of explosive pagers and walkie-talkies. As for it being cold-hearted, cruel and malicious, these are exactly how the terrorists do their work, and I hope the brilliant minds at the IDF have plenty more James Bond-ish plans for eliminating all terrorists.
Peter Hall
Lawrence
Luddites bagged, keep work close to home
Just like the Englishmen who opposed cotton processing with fancy new machines, so Greenpeace have opposed wind farms, green hydrogen production and us producing our own urea from our own gas, in favour of importing it from halfway around the world and funding more wars in the Middle East.
This country will always run at a loss and with ever increasing deficits with the likes of Greenpeace able to oppose home production, self sufficiency and security of tenure by manipulating the consenting and environment court processes with their Luddite thinking.
We have the lowest green house gas (GHG) emission exported dairy and agricultural products in the world, yet they would lower our production and increase the world GHG’s with their Luddite thinking.
Stop funding these idiots.
Dave Stanton
Geraldine
Get a haircut and...
So Mr Musk has sent a rocket up and then down. Whoopee.
It has over 30 methane engines.
And they want to lambast Kiwi farmers for farting cows.
Go get a real job. Hypocrites.
Frank Pepers
Broad Bay
March on
The recent 1News poll shows New Zealand First right on 5% — that means that they will need every single Otago and Southland vote to get back into Parliament. Yet we didn’t see anyone from NZ First at the march for the new hospital in Dunedin, not Winston, not Mark Patterson, people who we expect to support older voters’ needs, all conspicuously absent. If you voted for Winston in the past now is the time to write him a note. Tell him you won’t vote for NZ First unless the Dunedin hospital is built in full as promised.
Paul Campbell
Belleknowes
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
