Public’s right to stop oil drilling must be protected Hone Harawira

MANA leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau

Monday 2 September 2013

“Not only is the government giving overseas oils giants an open invite to drill and mine our seas, they now want the deals kept secret from the public” says Hone Harawira, MANA leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau.

The government has tabled a proposal to enable oil and gas exploration applications to go through the Environmental Protection Agency as “non-notified” which would mean that the public isn’t notified and isn’t able to get to have a say.

“The government knows that most New Zealanders don’t want oil drilling – and this is their latest trick to try to keep us in the dark.

“We have to fight this; we have to be able to know what’s being planned in our waters.

“They’ve already banned us from being able to protest against oil drilling out at sea by turning it into a criminal act, and now they want to stop us from being able to question the paperwork that signs it off as well. Democracy? It sounds more and more like a dirty dictatorship to me.

“John Key is determined to not only bludgeon the poor, but also our seas, our fish, our beaches to keep his filthy rich mates on top – the very same mates that fund the National Party to keep them in power.

“Each of us needs to ask, where’s it all going to stop?

ENDS

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