Anne Salmond: Democracy and trust

For the coalition Government, the recent rout of the Tory government in the UK serves as a cautionary tale.  Arrogance, corruption and a failure to listen to the people led to a landslide defeat. 

In the Beehive, the pleasures of power and a sense of entitlement are just as seductive, and dangerous.  In New Zealand, too, we have high-handed politicians who think that they’re in Parliament to rule, rather than to serve the electorate. 

There are also those who make promises to the electorate to gain power, and then fail to keep them, delivering on their commitments to donors instead.

In its election manifesto, for instance, the National Party declared that “[We are] passionate about safeguarding New Zealand’s unique natural environment, abundant native biodiversity, pristine waters and spectacular landscapes for future generations. These are the cornerstones of our Kiwi way of life.”  

Since the election, however, a National-led government has appointed National Ministers for the Environment and of Conservation who exhibit a languid indifference, rather than the promised passion for ‘safeguarding New Zealand’s unique natural environment,’ watching on as other ministers wine and dine with donors from extractive industries – very like the Tories in the UK, in fact.

After less than a year in office, the Government has stripped away protections for freshwater, biodiversity and prized landscapes; defunded community groups and government departments that uphold these cherished values; rolled back a range of practical moves to tackle climate change; proposed a fast-track bill that would give three ministers with ‘development’ portfolios, and an ‘advisory group’ riddled with conflicts of interest the right to override decades of environmental legislation; and described community protests against this betrayal of campaign promises as ‘noise,’ or ‘shrill.’

Broken promises and a refusal to listen, like the Tories in Britain, again.

The Government’s hostility towards ‘our unique natural environment’ is not only undemocratic; it is economically self-destructive.

As the CE of Rabobank, a major international bank, warned recently, the Government should be heeding international markets: “A review by Chapman Tripp found that over 80 percent of New Zealand’s exports are headed to countries with mandatory climate related disclosures that are either in force or on the way.” 

Adding that free trade agreements increasingly include enforceable obligations on emissions and sustainability targets, he added, “When it comes to sustainability, it’s way too early to hit the La-Z-Boy. If we snooze, we lose.”

The Government is not snoozing on sustainability, however. By undermining New Zealand’s ‘clean green’ image, it is pulling the seat out from under tourism operators and exporters. Rather than listen to Groundswell, a wise government should be listening to Rabobank, one might think.

For the economic failure that follows a naïve faith in ‘free markets,’ one has only to look at those forestry companies in Tairāwhiti that fought so hard against sustainability requirements, only to find themselves deregistered by the Forestry Stewardship Council in Bonn for breaching global environmental standards, and losing access to key markets.

For forestry, read ‘agriculture’ in New Zealand, and weep.

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ sketch of a climate change plan this week was a glimmer of light on the horizon.  But the devil will be in the detail.  If it’s intended to ask private capital to fund the plan, who will do this, when day by day, the government is increasing our climate debt, which already stands at an estimated $3-$24 billion?

Until National leaders live up to their promises to care for all New Zealanders and safeguard the “pristine waters and spectacular landscapes” that underpin tourism, thriving communities and our access to international markets, they will not be trusted.

In the recent election, National, Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori all promised to take care of the environment, and to tackle climate change. Between them, they won 80% of the vote – over two and a quarter million people. The 20,000 people who recently marched in Auckland against the Fast-track Approvals Bill mark the betrayal of those promises.

There is still time for the Government to regain trust and honour the wishes of the vast majority of voters – ‘of the people, for the people, by the people.’ Sadly, however, many New Zealanders are already giving up hope, and voting with their feet.