Written By:
- Date published:
10:02 pm, February 8th, 2026 - 9 comments
Categories: Christopher Luxon, Donald Trump, Environment, Mining, us politics, winston peters -
Tags: Critical minerals, JD Vance, NZ-US minerals, Rare earth minerals, US minerals agreement
This is an excerpt from the Mountain Tui article: Some spiritual leaders are creeps, and some political leaders defend the indefensible
It’s a busy world. And it’s hard to know which way to look.
Do we address how Israel bulldozed Allied World War 1 and 2 graves where at least 20 New Zealand soldiers were buried?
Something that our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by the Honourable Winston Peters, has remained strangely quiet about? (Instead, Peters is railing against criticism of X today)
Or do we deep dive into the fact that New Zealand will very likely sign a US-NZ Minerals Agreement, while the negotiations remain clouded in secrecy – in a move that commits our country to fast-tracking and expanding mining, largely to supply America’s needs?
US Vice-President JD Vance has rallied for the agreement, primarily to counter China, stating:
“We all face the same vulnerability [regarding] access to the things that protect our people and sustain our way of life.
“Everything from missile-defence systems to energy infrastructure to advanced manufacturing to emerging technologies — the fundamental supply chains that support these industries sometimes can vanish in the blink of an eye….
“We want members to form a trading bloc among allies and partners”
It was only five days ago that Luxon denied any minerals exchange conversation was taking place, while Seymour confirmed it was.
Then, Winston Peters riled the audience at Waitangi, suggesting that there’s a secretive “big event coming”, and they had better get on board “or else”, seemingly enjoying his power differential play.
It is true that Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) acts as an impediment to large scale mining and environmental degradation – and for that reason, some view it with hostility.
The US has been more forthcoming amidst it all – with multiple statements confirming:
“We (USA and NZ) are working to develop secure and reliable critical minerals supply chains…”
And today, from the US’s Under Secretary of State:
“We’re having conversations with New Zealanders [about the critical minerals ask] We actually just had a bilateral dialogue with the New Zealander Government, I think this last week.
And so those conversations are ongoing, where they span everything from mineral extraction to midstream processing.
They’re still very much in progress, and so we’re currently in the process of evaluating what the most economical and promising projects are in New Zealand.
But as you know, a big part of the evaluation of contributions to the supply chain, especially for minerals, really depends on the kinds of minerals, the ease of extraction, the purity levels. So there’s a number of different considerations that go into play, and so we’re currently evaluating those very closely.”
So much for transparency and honesty from our own government.
As it applies to the CoC – "for transparency and honesty from our own government." a classic oxymoron!
indeed. if they are having the talks tell NZers the details and keep us updated. If a deal might occur tell us what it would involve. If there is nothing to hide, then don't hide anything. If a deal is going ahead put in place robust legislation which ensures deals are done above board
Could the Labour and Green parties state that in the event of a change of government, these permits will be revoked?
IMO the opposition just need to calmly state they'll review them. No need for the hardline.
Thought the coalition loved economic development so why the secrecy.
Following up the India FT deal you get the feeling this is likely another shit deal for NZ.
No they cannot, I don’t believe so – not without serious consequences.
Think
Perfect timing of no rare mineral mining in the same week as this government crawls to Ttump with agreement to sell our minerals.
White House will see this dog don't hunt.
Prominent NZ materials scientist Professor Nicola Gaston has written a great piece of dialectical thinking regarding the debate about NZ minerals.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/02/07/critical-minerals-and-the-materials-we-make-from-them-are-not-the-same/
As a materials scientist, she states that we’re dependent on mining.
As a keen tramper, she argues that conservation land needs to preserved.
Then, she suggests that:
Instead of:
… relying on materials imported from elsewhere, extracted with greater environmental damage.
In addition, she makes an important distinction between “the minerals [and] the materials built from them”.
She mentions the circular economy solution of “extraction and refinement of critical elements from technological waste itself” because “elements already extracted from the earth can and eventually must be reused”.
Secondly, she mentions the “critical materials solution is to replace scarce critical elements in specific material classes by others, ideally more common minerals”.
Lastly, and related to the (critical) materials solution, she says that AI “will revolutionise the process of materials’ design and discovery” that “can help us to move beyond critical minerals”.
I like her thinking and admire her clarity of thought and I hope she’s even a little right.
There are a few political points peppered in her piece too.
Yipes
Well, first it’s under the covers here but appears to be public knowledge in the USA. A terribly bad look.
Second, the pesky business of ‘offshore mining companies’. Then the business of whatever contractual deal is put in place, and the ultra-sensitivity for us of issues such as ensuring environmental safety, how breaches are defined, prevented, addressed. Whether projects will be evaluated properly and extensively. Whether there will be oversight. Where they mine, how much they mine. Whether anyone is going to give a damn.
Then the royalties issue – I recall calculating that NZ asks for a tiny fraction compared with the juicy deals that Canada requires from offshore-owned mines. Perhaps governments here consider it a privilege to have offshore companies come and scour the life out of us. Proves we’re ‘world class’?
I also recall an American friend saying to me in about 2010 that NZ was the last great unplundered country, which the predators are eyeing fervently in the hopes of getting their teeth into us. Perhaps this is the moment.
To me the huge risk is this government’s seeming joy in presenting this country as being for sale to the lowest bidder, and framing this as a benefit. I recall too (third hit) thinking how NZ was becoming the cheapest whore in the South Pacific, and this was during John Key’s reign. Not a lot changes.
Forgive my dire cynicism and gloom. Maybe we all share it.
Thanks Tui
Susie
join a few dots here. Shane Jones wants to reinstate ministerial final decision making on fast track applications. NZ talking to trump about mining.
News today that nz is seen as becoming more corrupt under the COC (which I guess does not come as any great surprise) "New Zealand's reputation for low levels of corruption has taken a hit for the fourth year in a row. In global organisation Transparency International's latest Corruption Perception Index – a survey of surveys measuring how corrupt a country is thought to be – New Zealand's score has fallen two points.".
I would not want to see the "coincidence" of say, for arguments sake, a mining company or seafood company or maybe horse racing body get sign off for a project by minister, and then a political party disclose large financial contributions from the mining company, or seafood company, or racing body.