Government gives itself new RMA powers to override councils
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NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Oil and gas ban repeal: Ministers get power over decommissioning costs
The Labour Government in 2021 introduced a law to prevent the Government being lumped with such costs again in future. Resources Minister Shane Jones has vowed to restart the oil and gas industry. He said the aim of the amendment was to close a loophole in that 2021 law. 'It did not seem correct or moral that the Crown should be left with that liability and the people [at fault] – with some very shrewd manoeuverings of script – would escape liability. We have solved that problem,' he told the House. The amendment addresses decommissioning responsibilities, following the costly Tui oil field cleanup. Photo / Supplied The changes replace the process of going through the list of previous permit-holders to figure out who pays for decommissioning, instead putting that decision in the hands of the Resources Minister and the Finance Minister. The amendment also removes several clauses from a previous amendment the minister made to the bill, which itself amends the Crown Minerals Act. Labour's Energy and Resources spokeswoman Megan Woods led the 2021 law change in response to the Tui Oil Field debacle, and told Parliament the changes showed the Government capitulating to the industry's wishes. 'They have bowed to the suggestions of the oil and gas companies and done what they wanted. They have further bowed to the interests of the oil and gas companies in taking eight months to sit with them, find out what they wanted, and then bring a bill back to the House. This is not a government that is putting New Zealand first.' Labour's Deborah Russell pointed out the Regulatory Impact Statement referred to consultation with affected stakeholders. 'Those consulted preferred ministerial discretion to the current act and approach in the bill. In other words, these shadowy participants in the oil and gas industry – a dying industry – who we don't know who they are, much prefer to be able to lobby a minister.' Labour MP Deborah Russell. Photo / Mark Mitchell Jones was unapologetic about those he consulted with. 'Why would you not engage with the stakeholders, the risk-takers, the providers of what precious little gas we have, ruined by the cancel culture.' He was unapologetic about a lack of consultation with others, including iwi. 'So in the future, the engagement will happen. This highly technical matter was not the subject of consultation in a detailed way, it was dealt with with a great deal of confidentiality. And in terms of providing a Māori dimension, I interviewed myself.' The amendment passed with the coalition parties in support, with the opposition parties opposed. The third reading, which would see the oil and gas ban repealed, is expected on Thursday. A gas company warned investors would be cautious about coming back to New Zealand without broad political consensus – and with the opposition parties currently staunchly opposed that consensus seems vanishingly unlikely. The Government also has a $200m fund set aside in this year's Budget to allow the Government to co-invest in new gas fields. It last month pulled out of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, an international coalition for phasing out fossil fuels, in a move the local World Wildlife Fund called an 'international embarrassment'. That was despite the Climate Minister, Simon Watts, previously saying New Zealand would not need to exit the group.
NZ Herald
4 hours ago
- NZ Herald
What the Government's passport decision says about priorities
Behind the bureaucratic brushing-off lies a choice with cultural weight: English back on top, te reo Māori quietly repositioned. Photo / Getty Opinion It's official: ' New Zealand ' is being bumped back to the top of our passports, before ' Aotearoa '. Let's applaud the Government's focus. Amid the cost-of-living crisis, record wait times in healthcare, and a beleaguered housing market, we've taken a bold stand ... on passport wording. Because what better way to
1News
8 hours ago
- 1News
Police Minister says record high gang numbers 'highly concerning'
For the first time, the number of patched gang members and gang prospects has surpassed 10,000 — with Police Minister Mark Mitchell acknowledging the figure is highly concerning. The number of gang members has been steadily growing in recent years. There were 9270 gang members on the National Gang List at the time of the 2023 election. As of July 10, there were 10,009 — an increase of more than 700 gang members and associates. The National Gang List counted patched members and prospects identified by state agencies. Police officer numbers are failing to keep up with the national gang member list, Benedict Collins reports. (Source: 1News) Mitchell told 1News today that the Government's tough on crime policies were working and gang numbers were now growing more slowly. ADVERTISEMENT "We're going after the gangs, we're making their life as difficult as possible," he said. He repeatedly blamed the rising gang numbers on the previous Labour-led government and their policies. "We're not going to reverse what happened under Labour [for] six years, where you saw a massive increase in gang numbers. "We're heading in the right direction." In an answer to a Parliamentary written question, however, Mitchell acknowledged the issue was alarming. "I acknowledge that it is highly concerning to see gang membership grow to this level." ADVERTISEMENT Labour's police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said the Prime Minister and his Government were failing to make New Zealanders safer. "Not only have gang numbers increased but methamphetamine levels have skyrocketed under their watch," she said. However, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today maintained his Government was "smashing the gangs". "I'm proud of the progress that we've made, I mean putting the gang patches [ban] in place — many people said that couldn't be done." Criminologist Jarrod Gilbert said the gang patch ban may actually be leading to an undercount of gang members now. "We can't identify the gangs anymore because insignia has been banned so, perversely ,we might see numbers come down on this list, it's not reflective of anything that's happening on the street it's just that the gangs are more invisible." When in opposition, the National Party repeatedly attacked the previous Labour government over rising gang numbers. Data from the Police Minister's office shows that when Labour came to power in 2017 there were 5343 individuals on the National Gang List. By the 2023 election, there were 9270 — an increase of nearly 4000 over six years.
