Category: ACT Party

Source: ACT Party

“Te Pāti Māori should swing in behind oil and gas exploration, they’ll need it to keep their jetset ways going. With one MP spending $3,000 a week on flights, Te Pāti Māori have managed to overtake the Greens, often the biggest flyers and climate hypocrites,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Just four days ago, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer was posting in support of Iwi opposed to oil and gas exploration. She even called hydrocarbons that could be found off the Taranaki coast—like jet fuel—‘twilight fossil fuels.’

“As it turns out, Debbie was burning them like nobody’s business. Her $39,000 bill flying around was more than all five of ACT’s non-Minister MPs, combined, for the quarter. It’s time for Te Pāti Māori to be judged for their actions, instead of their words. They should come out and tell their supporters they love fossil fuels, lots and lots.”

Source: ACT Party

The ACT Party is calling today’s speed limit rule a speedy victory for common sense, and for treating Kiwis like adults.

“Blanket speed limit restrictions with woeful cost benefit analysis were a very good example of how the previous Government infantilised all of us. They exercised power for their own ideals instead of the public good,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“ACT campaigned vigorously against snail-pace speed limits. Our volunteers put up signs all over the country after listening to the frustrations of New Zealanders. Being made to drive at comical speeds was insulting. Labour’s approach was more about ideology than any robust commitment to safety.

“ACT made raising speed limits a condition of coalition. Speed up the speed limits speedily, where it is safe to do so, our coalition agreement says. After less than a year of government, Kiwi motorists can look forward to making up for lost time, while being treated like adults again.

“The speed limit changes are an example of how ACT keeps the Government, and rapidly makes it better.”

Source: ACT Party

Responding to Hastings District Council’s decision to give voting powers to unelected youth councillors, ACT Local Government spokesman Cameron Luxton says:

“The Council seems to have given up on the whole point of democracy, which is that the people who have the power to take our money in taxes or rates should be accountable to the rest of us.

“The phrase ‘unelected representative’ is an oxymoron. These youth councillors will not be accountable even to their peers. Some are as young as 15, meaning they do not pay rates or even rent, and won’t have financial skin in the game when voting on major Budget decisions.

“It’s hard to blame the kids for trying to increase their influence, but the seven councillors who supported this move ought face the judgment of voters next year – including the Mayor who used her casting vote to get this over the line and was apparently swayed by an AI-generated letter. That’s just embarrassing.”

Source: ACT Party

“Today’s announcement of the proposed closure of the Alliance Smithfield plant in Timaru is a direct and unfortunate consequence of years of neglect by the Labour Government, whose policies devastated rural New Zealand,” says ACT Rural Communities spokesperson Mark Cameron.

While we recognise that natural market forces have played a role in the challenges our farming communities face, it is clear that the sharp decline in stock numbers is a symptom of the previous government’s relentless assault on Kiwi farmers.

“The confusion surrounding freshwater regulations, the uncertainty around Significant Natural Areas (SNAs), and the absolute debacle of He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) made it impossible for farmers to thrive. Instead of being supported, they became Wellington’s political punching bag.

“Labour’s rural policies were nothing short of a disaster which left our primary industries in disarray. The closure of the Timaru plant, impacting hundreds of workers and their families, is an all-too-painful reminder of what happens when Rural New Zealand is undermined.

“This government is committed to backing Kiwi farmers. While it is heartening to see confidence slowly returning to the regions, the damage done cannot be reversed overnight. Today’s closure is a harsh reminder that recovery takes time and, for the workers at Timaru, it has unfortunately come too late.

“We must ensure that NZ’s rural industries stop suffering due to political incompetence. ACT will continue to stand up for farmers, advocating for policies that empower rural New Zealand, the country’s economic backbone.”

Source: ACT Party

“Farmers are under serious pressure from Labour’s National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management 2020 and action is urgently required to provide them with relief,” says Ruawai dairy farmer and ACT Rural Communities spokesperson Mark Cameron.

“The coalition government was elected with a mandate to end this unnecessary burden. We’ve made excellent progress, but a significant remnant of Labour’s damaging policies still lingers: the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management 2020.

“Farmers have raised concerns with me about the proposed changes to the Otago Regional Council’s freshwater rules – rules which are being drafted in accordance with Labour’s NPSFM 2020.

“ACT continues to argue that the full repeal of NPSFM 2020 is the right approach.

“Short of achieving that, I have written to Environment Minister Penny Simmonds asking her to use section 25A of the RMA to allow the Otago Regional Council to remove any sections relating to freshwater management from their plan while allowing them to progress with other sections. This would provide consistency across councils and offer clarity for the farmers who have sought my help.

“Over the past six years, farmers have not only had to manage the day-to-day challenges of farming but also navigate a sea of red tape and costs imposed by the last Government. This onslaught has threatened one of our most efficient and productive industries.

“This policy introduced stringent rules, centralising control from Wellington, and elevating the vague concept of ‘Te Mana o te Wai’, the mana of the water. This principle has led to even more restrictive regulations being imposed on our farmers by regional councils.

“Today, despite the work of the Government, regional councils continue to integrate these stringent regulations and vagaries into their regional plans. Farmers face uncertainty and fear. This over-regulation not only stifles our agricultural productivity but also risks our entire national economy at a time when we should be empowering our most productive sectors.

“The concept of ‘Te Mana o te Wai’ is not only vague but replaces scientific benchmarks with subjective interpretations. This isn’t about environmental standards, which are necessary, it embeds a subjective idea of the mana of the water that leads to co-governance and unequal treatment based on who someone’s ancestors were. The broad and often ambiguous interpretation of this principle by councils and courts adds to the confusion, diverting from a clear, science-based approach.

“ACT is dedicated to real change. We cannot continue with a policy that burdens our farmers unnecessarily. We campaigned on a complete overhaul of this policy to remove subjective concepts and ensure that our freshwater management is scientifically sound and adapted to the needs of local communities.

“We are continuing to advocate for repealing the NPS-FM and allowing district councils more flexibility in how they meet environmental limits.

“It is time for urgent reform. We must protect our farmers from the ongoing effects of what has effectively been a war on our agricultural sector.”

Source: ACT Party

The first reading-passage of the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill is a step toward prosperity, says ACT Energy and Resources spokesman Simon Court.

The Bill delivers on ACT coalition commitments to repeal the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration and promote the use of Crown minerals.

“Taking full advantage of the mineral resources at our disposal will boost foreign investment, create high-paying jobs, and offer hope to young people looking to remain in New Zealand for work and family,” says Mr Court.

“Restoring oil and gas exploration is a crucial step to deliver energy security. A high-wage economy depends on affordable and reliable energy. We came far too close to blackouts this winter, and ACT is determined to restore energy security so homes stay heated and factories keep running.

“We support oil and gas exploration so the Greens can have jet fuel for the planes they fly to Parliament. We support mining for the minerals in iPhones so Greenpeace can livestream their protests. Above all, we support harnessing the untapped wealth beneath our feet so New Zealanders can prosper and enjoy happier, warmer lives.”

Source: ACT Party

“The Greenpeace protestors who have locked themselves in the Wellington offices of Straterra are nothing more than thugs harassing productive Kiwis who just want to build a wealthier country”, says ACT’s Energy and Resources spokesperson Simon Court.

Greenpeace protestors have occupied the Wellington offices of the mining group Straterra. Three protestors have locked themselves inside the building, and two more have climbed onto an awning at the front of the building.

“Not content with holding up renewable energy projects in court, Greenpeace have moved on to harassing the people representing one of our critical industries.

“Greenpeace opposes mining anywhere and everywhere in New Zealand. Their anti-mining position is actually anti-progress and anti-humanity.

“New Zealanders who wonder how they’re going get ahead in life and are considering mining as a career have only one option: move to Australia. New Zealanders need better jobs and higher incomes and that is what mining offers.

“Greenpeace activists should consider doing something constructive with their lives instead of harassing productive New Zealanders who just want to get ahead.”

Source: ACT Party

The Haps

ACT MP Todd Stephenson has picked up the End of Life Choice baton. David Seymour’s original bill did not restrict access to people terminal within six months, but he would have had no bill without adding the restriction. That political compromise has meant some of the people who suffer most – especially those with long, slow, degenerative diseases like Motor Neurone Disease – are denied choice and control. Stephenson explains how his new bill would put this compromise right on Q&A, here.

Three cheers for Simon Court

The most important thing this Government does in three years may be what’s happening quietly in the background of resource management reform. Last week Court announced, beside Chris Bishop, that the Government is replacing the RMA with two laws based on property rights.

If you’re a long-term Free Press reader, all of this will sound very familiar. The difference is that this time it is happening. It is now official Government policy with a series of dates by when legislation will be drafted, introduced to Parliament, and passed into law.

At the heart of New Zealand’s problem is that it’s a beautiful, isolated piece of land. It has a mild climate that beats Canada’s skin-freezing cold or Australia’s blood-boiling heat any day. It’s filled with resources that make it one of the richest per-capita in the world. Climate change will probably actually make New Zealand even better off compared with the rest of the world.

When a group of people have such a wonderful inheritance, they have two choices. Either make the most of it, or pull up the drawbridge.

Making the most of it would mean making it easy for each generation to build a home. That would mean making it easy to build the infrastructure that connects homes together, forming towns and cities. It should be easy to farm the land, and extract resources that make human life long and happy (just not while they’re left in the ground).

This seems like an obvious choice, but enter human nature. For the last few decades, the net result has been pulling up the drawbridge. You can’t do bloody anything, home building has only once reached the levels of the 1970s, when there were only three million people. There are probably more Kiwis working in Australian mines than New Zealand ones.

The result is a generation who feel hopeless. Born into the best place on the planet where it’s needlessly hard to get a place of your own. Why not vote for a politician who promises to tax the rich? Better still, cut out the middle man, join a gang, and do it yourself. Then there’s those who leave.

That is the result of the RMA. The simple diagnosis is that it’s a bureaucratic nightmare, but it’s more than that. It is the legislative expression of a people’s desire to enjoy what they have and bugger anyone else.

The central concept in the RMA is sustainable development, to provide for current generations without taking from future ones. Because nobody knows what future generations want, or what technology they’ll have to achieve it, the best way to achieve this is to do as little as possible, which is pretty much what’s happened.

Too many people have too many grounds to object to too many activities meaning nothing gets done. It’s not unusual for it to take longer to get permission to do something than to actually do it. The range of criteria Councils must consider under the RMA is everything from climate change (but you already pay under the ETS for whatever you do) to the ‘intrinsic values of ecosystems’ (how can you know them if they’re intrinsic)?

David Parker’s RMA reforms, replacing it with three acts, introduced a new central concept ‘te oranga o te taiao.’ Nobody knows what that means in the context of resource management decisions. By the time the Courts figured it out, Indonesia would have overtaken us in GDP per capita.

So that’s gone and the Resource Management Act is being replaced with a law whose central concept is the enjoyment of private property. The starting point is that you have a right to use and develop your own property. The second result is that you have a right to object only if your own property is affected.

The result is a switch back to the pioneering vision of New Zealand. A nation of people who can instead of a nation of people who are not allowed.

The law will also make many processes standard. If you have a water treatment plant that spits out water with less than x parts per million of E. Coli, congratulations. You’ve met the standard and can just build it.

The Government will now listen to an expert advisory group, people with real experience of development, as the law itself is developed for introduction to Parliament. It will be passed before the next election, and New Zealand will have taken a massive step forward to achieving its potential.

Much of this is owed to Simon Court, one of only two engineers in Parliament (David Seymour is the other one). Court has been working away since he entered Parliament, releasing ACT’s detailed RMA policy in 2022, and making it real in Government. A very good example of how ACT keeps the Government in place, and makes it better.

Source: ACT Party

ACT has obtained a copy of AUT’s policy for funding researcher travel, which allocates 30 percent more points to travel applications for researchers who identify as Māori, and 20 percent more for Pasifika.

“This policy will put some academics at a disadvantage relative to others, simply because they have the ‘wrong’ ancestry,” says ACT Tertiary Education and Skills spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar.

“Allocating travel funding based on race is a disrespect to those who would otherwise secure opportunities based on merit, or on the value their travel can offer to the university and society.

“After hearing reports of the existence of this policy, my office requested a copy of the points system from AUT on Wednesday morning. With no response from the university, I emailed around 500 AUT researchers over the weekend asking them if they knew about the points system and if they could provide a copy. This must have caused a stir, because yesterday morning AUT sent my office a copy of the points system, and the Vice-Chancellor sent an email to researchers and staff defending the policy. However, the Vice-Chancellor opted not to link directly to the points system so staff could easily view and understand it.

“I have now sent a copy of the points system to AUT researchers so they can view it themselves.

“Many researchers told me they were not aware of the points system, which is not listed publicly and is not easily found on internal systems. The University has not been up front with its staff and researchers, who deserve better.

“Last week the Government issued a circular to government agencies setting the expectation that public resources be allocated according to need and value, not race. However, as the Tertiary Education Minister has pointed, universities are given autonomy under the Education Training Act 2020 to adopt their own policies. Of course, academics, politicians, and taxpayers can still – and should – debate and challenge funding decisions.

“ACT will continue to shine sunlight on the discriminatory use of public funds. Having seen the Vice-Chancellor’s defence of the policy, I do not agree with the Tertiary Education Minister’s assessment that AUT’s rationale is ‘good’. ACT is deeply concerned that universities who fail to uphold equal opportunity for students and academics damage their own reputations and place divisive political ideology ahead of value for taxpayers.”

Editor’s note: The AUT points system for travel funding prioritises applications based on a number of criteria, before an ‘equity multiplier’ of up to 1.3x is applied to advantage selected groups. This means that while a Māori-identifying researcher can earn up to 37.7 points, a researcher not eligible for an equity multiplier may only accumulate 29 points. This means, in effect, that an Asian academic seeking to attend a conference to which they are contributing a paper could lose funding to a Māori-identifying researcher who is merely visiting the conference, solely on the basis of race.

Source: ACT Party

“Abolishing the Human Rights Commission could free up desperately needed resources to resolve real human rights breaches”, says ACT’s Justice spokesperson Todd Stephenson.

“The Human Rights Review Tribunal is overwhelmed and under-resourced, with cases taking years to resolve.

“The good news is there’s a bloated budget over at the Human Rights Commission just waiting to be reprioritised for something useful.

“While the Human Rights Review Tribunal actually defends against breaches of rights, the Human Rights Commission is a left-wing activist group more interested in pushing political agendas than addressing real human rights issues.

“It’s time to shut it down and use those resources to better support the human rights of New Zealanders.

“While the Commission burns through taxpayer money promoting co-governance and ‘hate speech’ laws, the Tribunal can’t provide justice for New Zealanders who truly need it.

“Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on ideological projects, we could redirect funding to the Tribunal, where real people are seeking justice.

“Abolishing the Commission and properly funding the Human Rights Review Tribunal would result in fewer delays, better access to justice, and less taxpayer-funded nonsense.”