National betrays supporters by letting Māori Party rewrite RMA

National Party supporters will be incensed to see how Nick Smith’s deal with the Māori Party grants iwi new rights to interfere with resource consent applications.

“National’s caucus has been given a memo from law firm Franks Ogilvie [attached] which proves just how much power this deal hands to iwi elites,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“The current bill is undemocratic. It requires councils, after being democratically elected, to enter into undemocratic agreements with Iwi.

“Nick Smith says this is just about consultation, but the National-Māori fling actually allows iwi to participate as decision-makers, binding future councils to co-governance arrangements with iwi, undermining local democracy.

“The Māori Party’s changes also mean that existing RMA sections upholding Māori traditions, kaitiakitanga, and the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, could be treated ‘more like rules than aspirational principles’. With rules as vague as these, the potential for legal challenges on development becomes enormous.

“The Māori Party deal National has chosen is an affront to property rights and democratic principles. And the saddest irony of this deal is that it will slow homebuilding, when it’s Māori that suffer most from New Zealand’s housing shortage.

“Yesterday, ACT and United Future offered National a better deal. It would produce a bill with no new iwi bureaucracy, recognition of property rights, and less government overreach.

“National’s decision to side with the Māori Party will leave traditional National supporters feeling betrayed. I encourage these people to write to their local National MP and tell Nick Smith to abandon the Māori Party RMA deal.

“A stronger ACT will block National from committing future betrayals.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media