The Government released a presser on Sunday afternoon
And the results of that ultimately read like a wish-list from Groundswell.
Today’s must read is from Marc Daalder (Newsroom) who reports:
The Government will weaken New Zealand’s legislated methane target, scrap an election pledge to price agricultural pollution, push back a legal deadline to respond to the independent Climate Commission’s Advice to strengthen the country’s climate targets by two years and pass it all under urgency through Parliament in the next two months…
The clear message the announcement sends is one of indifference to, if not denial of, the hard reality of the climate crisis.
National and ACT spent most of their Sunday and Monday morning boasting about it as well:
As I wrote about last year, agriculture represents ~5% of total GDP (2023) and it hasn’t been a strong contributor to GDP for a while.
Tax on income paid by the dairy sector range from estimates of 0.7 percent of total tax revenue to under 2-3% - a minor portion in who contributes back to the taxpayer base.
The agriculture sector is also heavily reliant on exporting - ~62% of exports are agriculture related.
Mining is an even weaker performer and has been for many years - contributing 1.8% in 2000; 1.2% in 2007 and ~0..8% in 2023 to our GDP
It doesn’t mean these sectors are not important.
Everyone’s livelihood matters - but is it strategic to ignore our international trade agreements, reverse hard won progress, pretend the continued climate impacts which everyone will bear isn’t real, and to risk our international reputation?
Farmers make up 48% of all methane production in the country and dairy is one of our largest polluters. Simultaneously, Chris Bishop is loosening RMA laws to allow farmers to increase sewerage and faeces into our freshwaters without care.
But the costs of all this are ones we all bear:
A 2019 study by Christchurch City Council estimated the costs to remove the nitrate from dairy farming from their drinking water to protect human health came in at $1.5 billion or almost $4,000 per person in the city1. The industry is provided tax exemption plus special credits in natural disasters. All taxpayers bear the brunt of health and/or environmental impacts caused by the sector too.
It feels backward to me, but it’s the triumph of “anti-woke” and “anti-science” in jurisdictions like the USA and New Zealand.
Interestingly, as Fonterra makes record profits, record revenue ($26 billion) and cash payouts exceed $16bn it is also in the process of selling off major Kiwi brands (Mainland, Anchor, Bega licensing for $4bn) to French / other multinationals.
One farmer on 1News told media that it was important for them to make money, because there are floods, droughts and other unexpected events so this was like putting money in the back.
In other words, climate events worsened by lax oversight, regulation, strategy.
Indeed, a 2025 NZ government report confirms that “New Zealand’s oceans are warming 34% faster than the global average, with NZ$180bn (US$104bn) worth of housing at risk of flooding”.
“Climate change isn’t just something far and distant … it has impacts on NZ’s ocean and on our coast”
“The coastal zone is under a real squeeze … and the importance of that coastal environment is absolutely critical – it’s what we rely on in terms of our homes, our communities, our livelihoods and ultimately our connection to place.”
The government’s action is all another example of short term thinking at the expense of our future and prosperity.
Memorable Quote
“They fear the future, they dream of a world that never was and never could be, they’re exclusionary, they’re humourless – they’re this coalition.”
Crime - Out of Sight, Out of Mind under National
Related articles:
Gangs making large profits amid 'bizarre' increase in meth use (1News)
Violent crime victimisation rates steady, not dropping, data shows (RNZ)
Thousands of shoplifting cases not investigated by police (RNZ)
On the frontlines of the methamphetamine surge (NZ Drug Foundation)
Overall crime and violent crime steady, but some forms of family violence doubled (NZME)
Māori ward results: 40% vote yes
25 will now be disestablished, on top of 2 (Kaipara, Upper Hutt) where their Councils voted to remove them.
Who said no?
Hawkes Bay Regional Council
Horizons Regional Council
Northland Regional Council
Taranaki Regional Council
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council
Hauraki District Council
Hastings District Council
Horowhenua District Council
Malborough District Council
Manawatū District Council
Matamata-Piako District Council
Napier City Council
New Plymouth District Council
Ōtorohanga District Council
Rangitikei District Council
South Taranaki District Council
Stratford District Council
Tararua District Council
Tasman District Council
Taupō District Council
Thames-Coromandel District Council
Waikato District Council
Waipā District Council
Whangārei District Council
Who said yes?
Greater Wellington Regional Council
Far North District Council
Gisborne District Council
Hamilton City Council
Hutt City Council
Kāpiti Coast District Council
Kawerau District Council
Masteron District Council
Nelson City Council
Palmerston North City Council
Porirua City Council
Rotorua District Council
Ruapehu District Council
South Wairarapa District Council
Whakatāne District Council
Whanganui District Council
Wellington City Council
Western Bay of Plenty District Council
Music
Mike Joy, Lisa Marriott and Simon Chapple.
I feel really sorry for the many, many farmers who will be devastated by this announcement. The farmers who are working hard to reduce their impact on the environment, caring for the land under their stewardship. The farmers who understand the damage which will result from this decision, as overseas markets reject our 14% clean, green produce in favor of better alternatives. The farmers who sell our horticultural products who will also be hurt by the loss of our international standing.
FIGJAM Luxon is looking more and more like a typical soap salesman - anything to improve my commission on this month's sales and bugger the future.
As time wears on after the council elections, I feel better about the results, despite the low turnout. It will be interesting to see exactly who did vote when we get the breakdowns : Here's a a few of the highlights from Rob Salmond's email this morning on Labour wins.
Our former leader and Minister Andrew Little is the new Mayor of Wellington, joined by five Labour City Councillors including three serving for the first time
Labour and Labour-aligned candidates won seven seats on Auckland Council and around 35 seats on the city's local boards
We have seven Labour-aligned candidates on Christchurch City Council and twelve more elected to the local boards
Former MPs Jamie Strange and Sue Moroney won seats to Hamilton City Council for the first time.
New progressive mayors in several communities around the motu, including both Hutt City and Upper Hutt.
More than half the votes on Māori wards supported retaining them, meaning the wards have been kept in seventeen different Council areas.
And, to cap it off, our Labour President Jill Day retained her position as chair of the small but mighty Tawa Community Board! PS: That Hoggard. What a joke he is.