No Right Turn: Give the Rangitata back
If we want to protect our environment and ourselves, we need to scale this back. And the easiest way to do that is give the river back: remove or massively scale back those consents, and let the rivers flow.
ecan
Layers of Culpability
The huge tyre fire near Amberley in North Canterbury last Friday is in an area with a high water table, extreme fire risk in summer, two kilometres from a town of 2000 residents, and on the edge of one of NZ’s premier wine regions.
No Right Turn: Ending dairy in Canterbury
Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn writes: “Environment Canterbury has finally proposed nitrogen limits to stop dairy farmers from poisoning Christchurch’s water supply”
Aquifer recharge
Lifelong angler John Hodgson explains why the water table in Canterbury and what we are doing to it matters.
(post updated with recommendations)
Industrial dairying and blue babies
When you run an economy that sees harm to babies as acceptable risks that can be mitigated, then you are approaching society’s end game.
Mike Joy honoured and Ecan occupied
The inaugural Critic and Conscience of Society Award is given to Dr Mike Joy, and protestors take their protest to Environment Canterbury .
ECAN turning a blind eye
Is ECAN just another typical Nat party fuckup, or are they deliberately turning a blind eye?
Establishment appointed Council protects Establishment
So National’s appointed ECan (undermining democracy since 2010) has decided that leading business man Hugh Fletcher & Chief Justice Sian Elias shouldn’t be fined for their cows sh!ting in a lake. National were accused of taking voting rights so they could favour dairy over Christchurch, and this seems a good example. Canterbury has suffered enough – it needs democracy back.
NRT: Dictatorship in Canterbury, dictatorship in Parliament
I/S at No Right Turn writes on the continued suspension of democracy in Canterbury.
NRT: No democracy for Canterbury
I/S at No Right Turn on the continued suspension of democracy in Canterbury, and the Nats’ dump of their proposed “transition plan” under cover of the ABvSamoa game yesterday.
Megan Woods: Democracy isn’t “risky”, Minister
Nick Smith’s latest pronouncements on ECan are an insult to Cantabrians – and a chilling precedent for any other regional councils who step out of line.
National still attacking democracy in Canterbury
The Nats’ takeover of Environment Canterbury is the greatest attack on democratic rights ever seen in this country. They are about to extend the period of imposed rule, because a fully elected body carries “too many risks”. If you think the people of Canterbury can actually be trusted with democracy you can sign the petition.
NRT: Pillaging the Rakaia
No Right Turn with the latest on National’s ongoing annexation of Canterbury.
NRT: Not even pretending anymore
I/S at No Right Turn on the Nats’ contempt for democracy in Canterbury. Elections remain on hold so that the commissioners’ agenda can be completed without unwelcome input from urban representation.
NRT: National’s tyranny
No Right Turn on the overthrow of local democracy in Canterbury…
The Canterbury dictatorship
Puddleglum at The Political Scientist has written an encyclopedic and scathing critique of the Nats’ dictatorship in Canterbury.
NRT: Extended
No Right Turn on the Nats’ continuing contempt for democracy in Canterbury.
A permanent dictatorship in Canterbury
NRT on the situation in Canterbury, and the Nats’ contempt for elected democracies.
NRT: Voting against democracy
No Right Turn on another sad chapter for democracy in NZ.
NRT – A permanent dictatorship in Canterbury?
NRT continues to provide excellent coverage on the governance of Canterbury.
NRT: Making the trains run on time
Eighteen months ago, in what can only be described as a coup, the government disestablished the democratically-elected Environment Canterbury and replaced it with a clique of hand-picked dictators. Nick Smith says that the percentage of resource consents being processed on time has skyrocketed but is that thanks to the dictatorship?
Key, Creech, and the Dairy Investment Fund
The media has concluded that John Key’s trust isn’t blind. It owns an investment company that is in business with Wyatt Creech in dairying. Creech was getting briefings from National on its water policy long before it appointed him to conduct an ‘independent’ review of Ecan, which resulted in the abolition of the democratically-elected council to advance the interests of dairy.
Canterbury government in exile
Since the fall of Canterbury to the newly installed dictatorial regime, a few of the deposed representatives have escaped the closing net and set up a local government in exile. Vowing to “continue to serve you in your region”, this ragged band will fight to keep the flame of democracy alive.
Our Water Our Vote
Sunday saw another big protest against the government. An estimated 3000 people turned out in Christchurch for the “Our Water Our Vote” rally to protest National’s attacks on Canterbury’s democracy and environment.
You can’t drink shit
On Wednesday night John key was in Christchurch. He was met by protesters, angry at the abolition of democracy in Canterbury, and the plans of the newly installed dictatorship to allow over-farming to poison the water and kill the rivers. How did TV news handle the coverage? I think it’s fair to say that it was up to their usual standards…
Massive public outrage in North & South
Wow! An incredible 50,000 people have turned out in Auckland this May Day to protest the Government’s plan to open protected land to mining. I can’t think of another demonstration in New Zealand on this scale. If this isn’t the final nail in the coffin of the mining plan, then the Key Government has a serious death wish.
ECan protest today
Live in Canterbury? Value democracy? What are you doing today after work? Come to the ECan protest, 5:30 pm @ ECan office 58 Kilmore St. Because Canterbury is only the beginning…
Canterbury’s dictators
No Right Turn’s typically forthright take on the sacking of the ECan councillors and the makeup of the government’s appointed directors.
Lies strengthen case against David Carter
It’s the lies that get you. That’s what Agriculture Minister David Carter and John Key are learning as more details of Carter’s conflict of interest over the legislation that removed the Environment Canterbury councilare emerging. Carter and Key now have to explain why they have lied and misled, which will be tricky to explain if they continue to insist there’s no ministerial misbehaviour to cover up.