Luxon looks likely to miss APEC talks – and protests – but his mining stance triggers greenie pledge to raise a fuss here
While Christopher Luxon is meeting with ACT and New Zealand First leaders, trying to sort out a new government, it looks like our caretaker Prime Minister will be in San Francisco, representing this country at APEC.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins and his government ministers have been re-sworn into their roles as caretakers and Luxon told RNZ today it would be up to Hipkins who represented New Zealand at APEC.
Luxon said he was “very comfortable” the outgoing government could represent New Zealand well at APEC.
“By-and-large … we have a pretty bilateral approach to foreign affairs.”
Had he been able to attend himself, Luxon said his key messages would have been around New Zealand being “open for business again”.
This is good news for some businesses. It is bound to rankle environmentalists.
Asked what a National-led government’s approach to the mining of minerals on conservation land would be, Luxon said the issue would be handled sensitively.
“It’s a key part of our economy, we’ll do that in a sensitive way that balances all those interests – economic and environmental.”
And:
“We really want to make sure that, where there’s opportunities, particularly on the West Coast – but also where there’s huge global demand for minerals that we have here in New Zealand – that we balance economic and environmental interests.”
ACT is unlikely to have any objections to that sort of thinking
Earlier this year, reacting to reports that Labour was going to push through legislation to ban new mines on public conservation land, ACT’s Energy and Resources spokesperson Simon Court said this showed “they’re prepared to ignore common sense and the wellbeing of New Zealanders to kowtow to environmental activists”.
Public land under DOC management contains minerals like gold, silver and rare earth elements used in everything from mobile phones to the GPS in your car, he pointed out.
“In New Zealand mining has to meet strict environmental standards and sites must be restored to a natural state once operations cease.
“The Government is trying to lead us back into the dark ages.”
Court harked back to the Ardern government’s decision to ban new offshore oil and gas exploration in 2019 and to its policies on coal mining which had resulted in the need to import coal from Indonesia.
He said:
“If Labour proceeds with this ban, ACT will repeal it along with the original policy of banning new offshore oil and gas exploration.
“It is increasingly clear that New Zealand will need real change come 2023. ACT is ready to provide the backbone for a new Government.”
New Zealand First’s policies included:
But once the minerals have been dug out, where do the next lot come from?
The environmental protection group Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki – more troubled by Chris Luxon’s talk of “sensitive mining” than NZ First’s position – claims this is a total oxymoron for conservation land.
He has destroyed any hope that conservation land will be protected as the Labour government initiated but failed to complete, says Catherine Delahunty, Chairperson of Watchdog.
She challenges Luxon’s claim that mining is key to the economy, insisting it is a small part of the economy but leaves a big footprint.
“Gold mining leaves toxic waste dumps and coal destroys the climate. Mining e waste for precious metals is the future, not mining conservation lands.”
Sustained and robust protest would be triggered by any attempt by multinationals to mine conservation land in many parts of the country, Delahunty said.
“We simply will not accept that mining is more important than reducing fossil fuels used by their industry and protecting biodiversity. There is no long term benefit from this dinosaur industry and Mr Luxon has picked a major fight with all who love the environment of this country.”
More immediately, Associated Press reports that activists protesting corporate profits, environmental abuses, poor working conditions and the Israel-Hamas war marched in downtown San Francisco on Sunday, united in their opposition to the global trade summit that will draw President Joe Biden and leaders from nearly two dozen countries.
Protests are expected throughout this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ conference, which could draw more than 20,000 attendees, including hundreds of international journalists. The No to APEC coalition, made up of more than 100 grassroots groups, says trade deals struck at summits such as APEC exploit workers and their families.
But whoever goes to APEC in Luxon’s stead is unlikely to be bothered. AP goes on to say:
It’s unlikely world leaders will even glimpse the protests given the strict security zones accessible only to attendees at the Moscone Center conference hall and other summit sites.
The main event may well be US President Biden and Chinese President Xi meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
This will be the first time the two leaders meet face‐to‐face since the G20 summit in Bali last year.
The two leaders will have a lot on their agenda as they try to stabilize a relationship damaged by meetings between US Speakers of the House and Taiwan’s president, Chinese military manoeuvres, US export controls on cutting edge technology, and the Chinese spy balloon incident.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
Luxon said he was “very comfortable” the outgoing government could represent New Zealand well at APEC.
“By-and-large … we have a pretty bilateral approach to foreign affairs.”
Had he been able to attend himself, Luxon said his key messages would have been around New Zealand being “open for business again”.
This is good news for some businesses. It is bound to rankle environmentalists.
Asked what a National-led government’s approach to the mining of minerals on conservation land would be, Luxon said the issue would be handled sensitively.
“It’s a key part of our economy, we’ll do that in a sensitive way that balances all those interests – economic and environmental.”
And:
“We really want to make sure that, where there’s opportunities, particularly on the West Coast – but also where there’s huge global demand for minerals that we have here in New Zealand – that we balance economic and environmental interests.”
ACT is unlikely to have any objections to that sort of thinking
Earlier this year, reacting to reports that Labour was going to push through legislation to ban new mines on public conservation land, ACT’s Energy and Resources spokesperson Simon Court said this showed “they’re prepared to ignore common sense and the wellbeing of New Zealanders to kowtow to environmental activists”.
Public land under DOC management contains minerals like gold, silver and rare earth elements used in everything from mobile phones to the GPS in your car, he pointed out.
“In New Zealand mining has to meet strict environmental standards and sites must be restored to a natural state once operations cease.
“The Government is trying to lead us back into the dark ages.”
Court harked back to the Ardern government’s decision to ban new offshore oil and gas exploration in 2019 and to its policies on coal mining which had resulted in the need to import coal from Indonesia.
He said:
“If Labour proceeds with this ban, ACT will repeal it along with the original policy of banning new offshore oil and gas exploration.
“It is increasingly clear that New Zealand will need real change come 2023. ACT is ready to provide the backbone for a new Government.”
New Zealand First’s policies included:
- Give the West Coast access to the Department of Conservation held stewardship land for sustainable and environmentally approved mining.
But once the minerals have been dug out, where do the next lot come from?
The environmental protection group Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki – more troubled by Chris Luxon’s talk of “sensitive mining” than NZ First’s position – claims this is a total oxymoron for conservation land.
He has destroyed any hope that conservation land will be protected as the Labour government initiated but failed to complete, says Catherine Delahunty, Chairperson of Watchdog.
She challenges Luxon’s claim that mining is key to the economy, insisting it is a small part of the economy but leaves a big footprint.
“Gold mining leaves toxic waste dumps and coal destroys the climate. Mining e waste for precious metals is the future, not mining conservation lands.”
Sustained and robust protest would be triggered by any attempt by multinationals to mine conservation land in many parts of the country, Delahunty said.
“We simply will not accept that mining is more important than reducing fossil fuels used by their industry and protecting biodiversity. There is no long term benefit from this dinosaur industry and Mr Luxon has picked a major fight with all who love the environment of this country.”
More immediately, Associated Press reports that activists protesting corporate profits, environmental abuses, poor working conditions and the Israel-Hamas war marched in downtown San Francisco on Sunday, united in their opposition to the global trade summit that will draw President Joe Biden and leaders from nearly two dozen countries.
Protests are expected throughout this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ conference, which could draw more than 20,000 attendees, including hundreds of international journalists. The No to APEC coalition, made up of more than 100 grassroots groups, says trade deals struck at summits such as APEC exploit workers and their families.
But whoever goes to APEC in Luxon’s stead is unlikely to be bothered. AP goes on to say:
It’s unlikely world leaders will even glimpse the protests given the strict security zones accessible only to attendees at the Moscone Center conference hall and other summit sites.
The main event may well be US President Biden and Chinese President Xi meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
This will be the first time the two leaders meet face‐to‐face since the G20 summit in Bali last year.
The two leaders will have a lot on their agenda as they try to stabilize a relationship damaged by meetings between US Speakers of the House and Taiwan’s president, Chinese military manoeuvres, US export controls on cutting edge technology, and the Chinese spy balloon incident.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
3 comments:
1. Who - from the Right - will accompany Hipkins to APEC?
He cannot go alone - having lost the election.
2. One must say - the Left will be a noisy and nasty Opposition ( National was so docile).
everyone claiming to speak for the environment MUST surrender their i-phones, cars, laptops, credit/debit cards first.
I agree with Anonymous who speaks of environmentalists surrendering their electronics, vehicles etc. It always amuses me highly that the majority of people of any age who "march for the climate" etc invariably dye their hair, paint their nails, paint/glue their signs etc with seriously toxic materials. Where do they think these fluids go when washed with gay abandon down the proverbial gurgler? not to mention the packets and tins they come in. Hypocrisy!! Those of us who voted for change have great expectations of our new government. At their peril would they be foolish enough to bend to the high-pitched whining of the Greens et al.
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