Aotearoa Says - No Diggity.
The Minister for Mining versus The Environment.
Strictly biz, don't play around
Cover much ground, got game by the pound
Getting paid is a forte
Each and every day, true player way
One month ago tens of thousands of Kiwis took to the streets to protest against the coalition’s Fast Track legislation. Concerned that it would prioritise some people making a lot of money over protecting our environment. Our 100% pure Aotearoa.
Those of us who understand that Climate Change is not a hoax and keeping fossil fuels in the ground is the best course of action. Despite false claims that renewable energy cannot provide for the majority of our needs.
People who enjoy our precious, pristine environment and would prefer to keep it that way. Not see it turned over to mining operations that will scar our landscape and leach chemicals into our eco systems.
Three men have been given superpowers to choose. Between commercial operations, who might sponsor a friendly MP, and native flora and fauna that are less forthcoming with donations. The choice is not difficult.
Our first hero likes to cosplay as a road worker. His name is Simeon and his multi billion dollar priority is fixing potholes. Because roads. Or more to the point, roading companies.
The second decreed that property developers, another fine source of funding, had been constrained too long. We’ll build tomorrow’s slums today, he declared. No minimum size, no balcony, it’s amazing how many people you can get to the square metre. Oh and if that’s not enough you can build urban sprawl forever - and rate payers will pay for the mandated infrastructure. It’s a win win - if you squint.
The third heard the ruckus of the protestors and declared - we will mine, and dig, and drill, screw the environment and screw those people.
It wasn’t simply that the Minister didn’t care about the planet, but he knew that as sure as there was gold in them thar hills there were votes to be had by pissing off the woke. Rather than listen to the concerns of the pesky protestors he could boost his own party’s popularity by showing those who cared the middle finger. Causing great delight among supporters who’d had quite enough of nature, and it’s followers.
Ironically the Minister for Mining Interests was himself being shown the finger in another of his portfolios - Minister for Over Fishing, with no pesky cameras watching.
While Jones, and NZ First, had a long history of even longer dinners with the fishing industry he felt that if the woke were really going to be taken down a peg he’d have to make things happen on the mining front. Preferably in the Conservation Estate.
So the great and terrible Kumara of the North wiped the kaimoana from his chin and headed across the Tasman. Those Aussies knew a thing or two, heck half their country looked like industrial scale mining had already taken place, with no annoying cleanup.
One wonders how Jones will set to wooing. Will he croon them with a tune? Or simply drop his trousers and say - come and get it big boys, all rules are off, do with us as you please? But don’t worry about NZ being left out, of course the great Northland sweet potato has a tune for enthusiastic donors this side of the Tasman.
Do you remember when National’s Melissa Lee set out to destroy Clare Curran over a missing entry in a ministerial diary? I do, it was disgusting, but I’m not simply holding a grudge, there’s a reason I mention this. How do you think the following compares with Clare’s crime of not recording a meeting?
“Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, who has been under fire for his close links to the mining industry, visited two West Coast mines and had a private lunch with mining industry representatives this week, without revealing the visits until afterwards, according to a Westport News report, republished by RNZ.”
Seems rather more suggestive of impropriety to me. Although I’m sure when it comes to Ms Lee there’s no question of her questioning someone like Jones.
“I’ve learned the hard way the best way to hide is in the open,” he told Westport News.
Asked if he was too cosy with those in the mining sector Jones said, “I would have thought I was more cosy with the fishing people ... I am a pro-industry champion. And I'm not too bothered by these political games of trivial pursuits, it's a relatively minor detail.
No New Zealander should doubt that I am the megaphone of industry in this government.
I met with the leader of the mining industry this morning, and when I go to the rugby or go have a beer or go fishing I may bump into people who have a connection with mining. And that's not going to change.”
Or in other words - the rules do not apply to the Grand Kumara.
This morning Jones was interviewed by Jack Tame on his plan to massively expand mining in Aotearoa. Doubling exports in the next decade. The Minister began by saying that the West Coast had the guts kicked out of them under Helen Clark. Proving beyond doubt that he is NZ First through and through.
Just as Winston has completely forgotten he was the deputy Prime Minister when most of the Covid regulations were brought in, so too does Jones apparently forget the fact that he was a Minister in that Helen Clark government. I look forward to both Peters and Jones pretending, sometime in the future, that they were never part of this coalition.
Probably in about 18 months from now, I’d imagine.
Jones told Jack a great tale of local people. As if he genuinely believed his actions were about helping the people of the West Coast, rather than mining companies.
The sad reality is that almost none of the money will come back to NZ, or those people. Yes there will be some jobs, but at what cost? I find it mind boggling that we’re even having a conversation at this point in time about doubling mining? There was even the suggestion that the extraction of minerals was needed to save the world.
As Russel Norman from Greenpeace Aotearoa said, “On the one hand, they deny climate science by seeking to expand oil and gas exploration and extraction. On the other hand, they tell us that climate change means that New Zealand has a global obligation to expand mining for metals used in the renewable energy revolution.
Their position is incoherent. Is their argument that climate change isn’t happening, and hence New Zealand should drill for more oil and gas? Or is their argument that climate change is real, and hence New Zealand should do its part in global efforts by digging up rare earth metals even if it harms nature? They can’t have it both ways, and neither position stands up to scrutiny.”
The reality is that NZ will suffer the damage to our environment while the profits are shipped offshore. It’s not that I’m suggesting this all points to corruption, I’m saying I can’t see any other possible explanation.
We’re going to give away our mineral wealth, trash the place for the privilege, and the only people benefitting, apart from the overseas companies making millions, will be those seeking re-election in a couple of years.
“Mother Nature’s resources are there to be used”, said the Minister when asked about the fact that we can only dig this stuff up once. Then he boasted about how happy he was with “exploiting the environment”.
The man is simply a buffoon. Play acting at being Donald Trump, and given unlimited power without checks or balances. Not by the 6% of the population that voted for his party, but by the weakest Prime Minister New Zealand has seen, Christopher Luxon, who has provided Jones with a blank chequebook.
Tame asked Jones how it looked having a Minister who made jokes about killing off native, endangered species? What would happen to our clean green image if there was an ecological catastrophe?
Jones simply didn’t want to know and said the current mining industry, along with the oil and gas industries, shouldn’t be held responsible just because of past failures. The Minister’s body language and expression yelled that he simply couldn’t care less as he blathered about “Doomsday Green Ankle-biters” having had it their own way.
I guess those “Doomsday” people are the tens of thousands who took the time to protest against just this. Whereas the people that Jones represents…
Well some are starting to ask questions as to what those who donated tens of thousands of dollars to NZ First might expect to gain from the Fast Track legislation.
The odour of the links between Jones and vested interests in the Fishing and Mining industries is becoming hard to ignore. For example one large donor to NZ First opposed cameras on fishing boats, and by a crazy coincidence the first thing Jones wanted to do was review the use of cameras.
Almost as if the Minister didn’t want the industry to disclose the number of dead Dolphins and Albatross, which they’d been greatly under reporting.
In my view the day Shane Jones left Labour was a great day for that party. This coalition though will be utterly tainted by his presence.
It might suit NZ First to give a middle finger to mainstream New Zealanders who value our environment, but it can only damage National if they continue to align themselves with the gleeful abandonment of things that many Kiwis hold dear.
Great read thanks Nick. Shane jones is a dinosaur who is stuck in the past and can’t get out. He is travelling to Australia to strengthen his case for mining however he needs to get with the times and look to Australia and how they are making amazing progress in moving towards renewable power generation. The Australians have worked out it is much cheaper to subsidise millions of people to install roof top solar than it is to build large scale power generation plants. They are however also investing in new solar farms and big battery banks to keep the lights on in power shortages.
Rather than make it more difficult to own an EV why are we not encouraging as many people as possible to get them and set up a smart power network that can tap into the excess power sitting in thousands of EV batteries. The technology already exists to ensure enough power is left in the EV for its daily transport needs. This system would work even better with rooftop solar coupled with battery storage. Sorry Mr Jones I know that is a paradigm shift way too far for you!
Regards Tim
Ive spent a fair chunk of my working life in the mining/oil industry, both here and overseas. The pay reflects the danger associated with the jobs, and wages are about the only return Aotearoa gets from mining. Look at the mining towns in Aotearoa, there is no sign of the $billions made from minerals, they are shanty towns with businesses more reliant on the tourist trade. If a mining venture can pass our environmental laws then it should be state run so the profits directly benefit our society.