Yesterday, Stuff reported:
It's doubtful that people will ever accept oil and gas drilling on tapu sites. In fact wāhi tapu areas are of national importance, and are therefore protected under the Resource Management Act 1991 (PDF).
If the government wanted exploration in such areas, they would need to extensively change that act as well as the Historic Places Act 1993 (PDF), plus contend with the huge amount of public outcry against such an arrogant move.
Simon Bridges is effectively proving beyond all doubt that he's an idiot! It might please a group of oil barons to say they'll be able to desecrate tapu areas, but it won't please the majority of New Zealanders who respect these places of cultural and spiritual significance. It certainly won't please many within Ngāti Maniapoto, to which Simon Bridges is meant to belong.
However a public majority being against the governments plan wouldn't necessarily stop National from going ahead with desecrating wāhi tapu areas, and perhaps we should treat the Energy and Resources Minister's statement as a policy announcement.
After all, lots of National MPs have been displaying signs of going completely insane lately... Why should Simon Bridges be left out from the right wings psychosis?
In reply to a question as to why some areas had not been included in the block offer, Bridges said two East Coast blocks had not been included due to consultation with local iwi over tapu sites.
However, he said those sites were being reduced and would eventually go ahead.
"The two blocks there have been reduced, but let me be very clear, where we have not included what was originally proposed we are merely deferring putting those into the block offer."
It's doubtful that people will ever accept oil and gas drilling on tapu sites. In fact wāhi tapu areas are of national importance, and are therefore protected under the Resource Management Act 1991 (PDF).
If the government wanted exploration in such areas, they would need to extensively change that act as well as the Historic Places Act 1993 (PDF), plus contend with the huge amount of public outcry against such an arrogant move.
Simon Bridges is effectively proving beyond all doubt that he's an idiot! It might please a group of oil barons to say they'll be able to desecrate tapu areas, but it won't please the majority of New Zealanders who respect these places of cultural and spiritual significance. It certainly won't please many within Ngāti Maniapoto, to which Simon Bridges is meant to belong.
However a public majority being against the governments plan wouldn't necessarily stop National from going ahead with desecrating wāhi tapu areas, and perhaps we should treat the Energy and Resources Minister's statement as a policy announcement.
After all, lots of National MPs have been displaying signs of going completely insane lately... Why should Simon Bridges be left out from the right wings psychosis?
