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Parliamentary submission on RMA replacement

Below is the oral submission Don Brash made today, August 26, before the Environment Select Committee of Parliament. You can read the written submission here.


Mr Chairman/Madam Chair, Ladies and gentlemen,


You will have gathered from my written submission that I believe the Minister has totally failed in his objective of replacing the RMA with something better. On the contrary, I believe the Bill under consideration would, if enacted in anything remotely like its present form, make matters vastly worse.


In the press statement announcing the release of this draft Bill, the Minister said that, when enacted, the new law would contribute to the affordability of housing and the productivity of our economy.


Certainly improving the affordability of housing should be one of the Government’s very highest priorities – it is the absurdly high prices which prevail in all our cities which explains a large share of the extreme financial stress which afflicts both those who rent a home and those who labour under an enormous mortgage if they have recently bought one. It is also the absurdly high price of housing which has produced a marked increase in wealth inequality over the last decade or so.


Perhaps the first Bolger Government could have been excused for not initially recognizing what a disaster the RMA would be. But it is 30 years since that law was passed, and the median house price has gone from something like three times the median household income when that legislation was passed to eight, nine, or ten times the median household income now, depending which city is considered for the comparison. Governments of both the Left and the Right have failed New Zealanders.


It is my considered professional opinion that the Bill we’re discussing would, if enacted in its present form, make housing even more unaffordable, thus causing even more social distress. And it would certainly do nothing to improve the productivity of our economy.


The Bill envisages giving enormous and unfettered power to the Minister for the Environment, and to unelected Planning Committees all over the country, committees which would be required to develop comprehensive plans to “protect, restore or improve” almost everything – words which leave scope for endless debate and, potentially, litigation.


Ironically, though the Bill requires the Planning Committees to include “mana whenua representatives” (plural), requires the usual deference to the so-called “principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi” and makes frequent reference to Maori interests, the Bill actually overrides Article 2 of the Treaty in depriving all New Zealanders of their property rights.


Sir Hugh Kawhura’s translation of te Tiriti has Article 2 stating unambiguously that “the Queen of England agrees to protect the Chiefs, the Subtribes and all the people of New Zealand in the unqualified exercise of the chieftainship over their lands”. Nobody could claim that this Bill would protect all the people of New Zealand in the unqualified exercise of the chieftainship of their lands.


Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to send this Bill back to the Minister and ask him to start again.

 
 
 

15 Comments


Tony Lewis
Tony Lewis
Aug 27, 2021

The RMA needs reform but this isn't it. In fact has anyone produced anything worthwhile?

I'd like to see it.

Tonray

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Janine
Aug 26, 2021

Don, I admire you and what you stand for. I believe now though the best thing you can do for the New Zealand people is to encourage the National Party, as a former leader, to promise the country that they will reverse all the racist policies this government is putting in place. A piecemeal approach is no longer tolerable to many of us.


Judith Collins needs to address the people who would normally support her. She can no longer be wishy washy. She does not require the MSM to do this. I don't agree, as some say, that she wait until just before the next election.


Peaceful protesters have been arrested. This should not be tolerated in a Western democracy.…


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Janine
Aug 27, 2021
Replying to

I think Judith could be a good leader. The message I have from Judith is one of frustration. The party has too many different factions in it. I think the time has come for a new political party though now as I really can't see these factions within the party coming together before the next election, Chris Bishop seems a very pleasant person but is too woke. If people want that they should vote Labour.


I contacted one National MP in a " very blue" seat and could not get a straight answer on her attitude towards removing Churchills portrait and the country's name. A faction appear to agree with what Labour is doing on much of this Maorification.

We…


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Unknown member
Aug 26, 2021

Fully support the views set out in your submission Don . A further example of governing for (at most) only 15’percent of the population , yet again , seemingly to deliberately misinterpret the provisions of the Treaty of Waitangi for political advantage purposes. Hugh Perrett


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rmuir263
rmuir263
Aug 26, 2021

ALL citizens of New Zealand are equal. There should be NO place in ANY legislation that allocates power by race. The proposed RMA and He Puapua are turning New Zealand into another South Africa.

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lancemitchellnz
lancemitchellnz
Aug 26, 2021

Up go the red flags with mana whenua representatives and their nefarious agenda

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