Mana slams proposed environment law

Mana slams proposed environment law

Posted on September 15, 2011 by admin in Press Releases

“First the Maori Party voted in ‘their’ Marine and Coastal Area Bill to let foreigners exploit our coastal marine resources” said Hone Harawira, MANA leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau.

“Now they’re lining up with National and Act to pass another act to make it even easier for the rape and pillage brigade.”

Mr Harawira, who split with the Maori Party over its support for the MCA Bill, says The Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill which got its first reading in parliament tomorrow (Tuesday) is totally inadequate.

Harawira also slammed the refusal of the National / Maori Party / Act government to even discuss the bill with Maori before putting it into the house. “Maori ownership rights were wiped out under the Marine and Coastal Area Bill, and now this bill will take away the right of consultation for all New Zealanders”

Harawira was also scathing of the Maori Party’s belated support for Te Whanau a Apanui over the Petrobras scandal and expected them to be the same with this bill as well, “And that’s a huge worry because this new Economic Zone bill doesn’t protect the environment at all, and in fact it will make deep sea oil drilling even easier”

Harawira said every MP who had this country’s interests at heart needed to speak out, because this Economic Zone Bill would make our shoreline highly vulnerable to the kind of disaster seen in the Gulf of Mexico, “and after the Christchurch earthquake the last thing we need is an economic and
environmental catastrophe”

“Now is not the time for the ‘sell everything’ kind of legislation like this one is” said Harawira. “In fact, with 270,000 of our children living in poverty, we should be focusing more on the needs of our people than the profits of foreign corporates.”

For further information contact:

  • Peter Verschaffelt 0221055044
  • Hone Harawira 021865372