Names don’t matter --- loss of democracy does

The announcement today of the names of Commissioners to replace Environment Canterbury is not a sign of progress, but depressing confirmation that democracy has been killed in Canterbury, says Labour Water spokesperson Brendon Burns.

“The individuals named by Environment Minister Nick Smith and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide may all be noteworthy people in their own right, but they are being foisted on to Canterbury to manager affairs for the next three-and-a-half years,” Brendon Burns said.

“No matter how impressive their CVs, they cannot compensate for a loss of democracy on the scale, in terms of length of period, of what’s happening in Fiji.

“Nick Smith and Rodney Hide have told Cantabrians they can’t be trusted to get it right on environmental issues,” Brendon Burns said.

"That's because the Government has its own explicit agenda to rapidly create new water to stoke pre-election economic growth, without any capacity to introduce desperately needed new environmental controls.

“Sacking Ecan is one thing. Sacking democracy for so many years is another thing altogether.

“Canterbury deserves better than that. These two ministers are telling voters that we don’t trust you to get this right, that this is too complicated for ordinary people to get their heads around.

“What they are saying in effect is, ‘we’ll sort it out for you, and if you are lucky we might let you have your say back in 2013’.

“Their arrogance is appalling and their contempt for the democratic process and the people of Canterbury is unprecedented.”

ENDS

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