John MacDonald: What backdown? The Government's just facing reality

I think the Government’s done a John Key. 

You know - float an idea, wait for the noise, and change the thing people are making the most noise about. 

Which is exactly what’s happened with the new Fast Track legislation for large-scale infrastructure and mining projects. 

Some are saying the Government’s 'backed-down' with its decision to let an independent panel of experts decide whether a big infrastructure or mining project gets the big tick. Call it what you want. But the Government’s done the right thing, in my book. 

Because, if it hadn’t, this legislation would have been anything but 'fast track'.   

Because, initially, the plan was to let three Government ministers decide whether new projects would get the go-ahead. But a lot of people didn’t like the idea of politicians making decisions about stuff they might not have any idea about. 

Or politicians making decisions about proposed projects and not taking everything into account. 

For example, there have been concerns  since the legislation was first-proposed that the Government would prioritise the economic benefits of a project or a development over any environmental impacts, for example. 

That’s less likely now. Not that it still doesn’t have a political fight on its hands. The Greens still aren’t fussed about it. Nor are any of the Opposition parties. 

The Green Party’s environment spokesperson, Lan Pham, says the changes the Government has made to the legislation is just “tinkering and shallow re-packaging” that fails to address environmental concerns.   

Labour had its own fast-tracking law back when it wanted to get on with projects after COVID. That legislation’s now history. And I see its environment spokesperson is saying that letting the independent panel make the final decisions is a 'small win'. But Labour doesn’t think the Government’s gone far enough to ensure the environment is protected.   

So the plan now is to have an independent panel of experts make the decision, including iwi representatives. 

When I heard iwi were going to be involved, I thought the Government might have been opening a can of worms for itself. Time will tell on that front. 

I see already, though, that the head of a Wellington iwi - which led a hikoi to Parliament over the legislation - is saying today that the Government has done the right thing taking politicians out of the decision-making. 

Helmut Modlik is chief executive of Te Runanga o Toa Rangatira. He says he’s very pleased.  

He’s saying: "I actually want to acknowledge them for listening. I was of the view and still am that they're trying to enable quicker and more cost-effective delivery of the built environment changes that we need. 

"And, in the first instance, the balance wasn't quite right. We spoke, the nation spoke and they listened. So yeah, I want to acknowledge them for that." 

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop denies that it’s about politics. He just wants to get on with stuff and says the Government realised that sticking with its original plan to give Government ministers final approval for these big projects was going to be more trouble than it was worth. 

The Government knows that there would have been no hope in hell of charging-on if it had stuck with the original plan of letting Chris Bishop, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Resources Minister Shane Jones decide whether a development or a project gets the green light. 

Because, if it didn’t make the change it announced yesterday, the Government would have spent more time in court than actually “getting stuff done”, as the Prime Minister likes to say.   

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
I think the government's just done a John Key, just
done an old John Key.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
You know.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
I float an idea, wait for the noise and change
the thing that people are making the most noise about,
which is exactly what's happened with the new fast track
legislation for large scale infrastructure and mining projects. Now some
are saying, oh, the government's back down, you held you
turn accusation. Whether it's decision to let an independent panel

(00:40):
of experts decide whether a big infrastructure or a big
mining project gets a big tick instead of politicians call
them what you want. But the government has done the
right thing in my book, because if it hadn't this legislation,
it would have been anything but fast track because initially
the plan, it would have been in courts for years,

(01:02):
because initially the plan was to let three government ministers
decide whether the new pro projects would get the go ahead.
A lot of people, though I didn't like the idea
of politicians making these sorts of decisions decisions about stuff
that you know, they might not have any idea about,
or politicians making decisions is about proposed projects and not
taking everything into account. For example, example, there have been concerns,

(01:26):
haven't there since the legislation was first proposed, that the
government would prioritize the economic benefits of a project or
a development over any environmental impacts. For example, if people say, oh,
you know, there's a bunch of Tories. You doesn't want
to make money, make money, make money, stuff the environment.
So people were worried about that. That's less likely now,

(01:47):
not that it's still you know, not that the government
still doesn't have a political fight on its hands. The
Greens still aren't fussed about it, nor any of the
opposition parties. Actually, I see that the Green Party's environment spokesperson,
Lamb fam who we know from, she's from down here.
She says the changes the government has made to the
legislation are just quote or as just quote tinkering and

(02:09):
shallow repackaging that fails to address environmental concerns. I'm not
sure about that, because I'm comfortable that this independent panel
of experts will do that. Labour had its own fast
tracking law back when it wanted to get on with
projects after COVID. Remember the shovel ready stuff. Remember that, Well,
that legislation is in our history and the government in

(02:32):
its place. This new legislation is coming. I see that
Labour's environment spokesperson is saying that letting the independent panel
make the final decision is a small win. But Labour
doesn't think the government's gone far enough to ensure the
environment is protected again not don't buy into that. I'm
happy to put my faith in the independent panel of experts.
What about you? So the plan now is to have them.

(02:54):
This is the experts make the decision and the panel
of experts includes EWE representatives. And when I heard last
night that e we were going to be involved with them, oh,
I thought the government might be opening a can of
worms for itself on that front. But time will tell.
I see already though, the head of a Wellington EWI,
which led a hiko into Parliament over this legislation, is

(03:16):
saying today that the government's done the right thing taking
politicians out of the final decision making process. Helmet Maudlick
as chief executive of teh or Ta Rangata, and he
says he's very pleased. I'll quote him directly. He's saying, quote,
I actually want to acknowledge them for listening hours of

(03:36):
the view and still am that they're trying to enable
quicker and more cost effective delivery of the built environment
changes that we need. And in the first instance, he says,
the balance wasn't quite right. We spoke, the nation spoke
and they listened. So yeah, I want to acknowledge them
for that. So that's what the EWE spokesperson is saying, which,

(03:57):
as Professor John Tukey from a UT told Mike earlier,
is as much about the government saving its political bacon
as anything else, because you know, I can't do everything
it wants to do and just one term, can it?

Speaker 3 (04:07):
In order to be able to make a difference, that
the current government are going to have to be able
to extend their stay, get another session in and so on.
And you know if they if they turn on too
many toes between now and you know two years, hence
they are going to struggle to get re elected.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Right and the RMA reform and it's a cross version.
He's denying. It's all about politics. He just wants to
get on the stuff. And since the government realized that,
sticking with its original plan to give the government ministers
or three government minister's final approval for these big projects
was going to be more trouble than it was worth.
Here's what he had to say earlier.

Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah, the House and crisis.

Speaker 4 (04:42):
We have an infrastructure debt, we have an economic growth
problem in this country, and we have very ambitious climate goals,
and we have an energy shortage. There is not a
single way and not a single hope in hell we
can address any of those issues with our current planning law.
That's why fast track exists. That's why three hundred and
eighty four applications have already applied to be in the

(05:03):
fast Track and most of them are housing projects, infrastructure projects,
renewable energy projects and primary industries projects. That's because people
know our current planning law is completely stuff. We don't
have a hope of addressing our major economic challenges without
planning reform. That's why fastreff exists. So we're charging off.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
And the government knows, doesn't it that there would have
been no hope in hell of charging on, as Chris
Bishop says, if it has stuck with the original plan
of letting Chris Buship himself, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and
Resources Minister Shane Jones decide whether a development or a
project gets the green light because if it didn't make
the change it announced yesterday, the government, as said earlier,

(05:40):
would have spent more time in court than actually getting
stuff done, as the Prime Minister likes to say.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
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