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

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

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.

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