Labour sells out Kermadecs to gain power

Stuff reports:

New Zealand’s biggest ocean sanctuary is dead in the water, in a Winston Peters deal that has blindsided the Greens.

The 620,000 sq km Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, announced by John Key at the United Nations in 2015, was hailed around the world and passed its first reading in Parliament unopposed.

But fishing companies and iwi bodies filed legal action opposing it, saying the sanctuary would deny them fishing rights agreed in Treaty settlements.

Even though basically no-one actually fishes there!

NZ First, whose senior MPs are close to the fishing industry and whose campaign was partly bankrolled by players in the fishing industry, demanded Labour stop the sanctuary.

And it is understood Jacinda Ardern agreed a Labour-NZ First government would not progress legislation to establish the sanctuary in this three-year Parliamentary term.

So Jacinda did a deal with NZ First to appease the NZ First corporate donors!

The Kermadec sanctuary was one of the dealbreakers that swung negotiations in Labour’s favour.

So they sold out the world’s largest marine sanctuary in order to gain power from Mr 7%. How does that fit with the values they talk about so much.

She told Stuff she was not aware of the Kermadec sanctuary being killed off. “We have yet to see the coalition agreement between Labour and New Zealand First,” she said. “I’m not going to comment on speculation and rumour.”

So we have a Mickey Mouse Government of three parties where they don’t even know what each party has agreed!

But fishing industry spokesman Charles Hufflett, a shareholder in family fishing company Solander, said the industry had lobbied NZ First to stop the sanctuary.

A big win for the fishing industry and a blow for conservation.

NZ First leader Winston Peters and senior MP Shane Jones are intimately involved with the fishing industry. Fishing industry players associated with Talley’s, Sealord, Simunovich and Vela Fishing have all donated to their campaigns, either this election or previously.

Winston is loyal to his donors.