Clive Bibby: Special Needs vs Ideological or Race based Entitlement

It is interesting to note how Governments of different political persuasions respond to a crisis by rationing the availability of critical resources.

It doesn’t seem to matter who is in power when an international event forces a prioritising of scarce resources to the areas that are perceived to need it most - the results of the decisions are inevitably the same - for some, ideology or race  almost always takes preference over common sense special needs. 

This latest spike in fuel prices based on the potential for severe shortages is a classic example who how politicians of different persuasions view their responsibilities to their core constituents in comparison to their responsibilities for the Nation’s wellbeing as a whole. 

For example: recent debates in parliament have rightly centred on which individuals and services are the most vulnerable during times when all budgets are under attack. 

You might think that it would be in the nation’s interests at a time like this for political parties to at least temporally forget their differences and come together as one in order to make sure that the most vulnerable were protected - even, in the event this crisis develops to a point where our economic survival is threatened, nobody should be surprised if a decision was made to form a multi-party war cabinet. 

That is the sort of things responsible politicians do. 

However, what we have recently seen bears little resemblance to what we might expect to happen when the proverbial hits the fan. Is this reaction simply a reflection of a lack of courage from our MPs? One would hope not but unfortunately, the evidence suggests otherwise 

Perhaps, not unexpected in a climate where all parties are struggling for relevance (most of it due to self inflicted wounds), we see debates centred mainly on who is to blame for a past decision to close what appears in hindsight, to be a vital component of our local energy supply system. 

No doubt the Labour Party is embarrassed that the decommissioning of the Marsden Point Refinery - justified at the time on the need to promote a reliance on home grown clean energy supply - would come back to haunt them in such an ironic manner. 

Let’s hope recent attempts to rebuild our stocks of natural gas don’t suffer the same fate as a result of a hip reaction to a world crisis that may be short lived. It makes no sense to be closing down or delaying plans to develop our natural resources or the infrastructure that sustains industries based on the use of them. 

Which brings me back to the current move towards handing over “shared responsibility” for the management of our most vital natural resource - Fresh Water - to a group including unelected, racially appointed individuals at local levels throughout the country. 

I am alarmed that a government I have supported for most of my adult life would betray a promise to the electorate that Fresh Water management at all levels would remain in the hands of elected individuals. 

Apparently, the Coalition has entered an agreement with Iwi groups that will allow the introduction of a Fresh Water governance model, overwhelmingly rejected by the Nation at the last election, to become the nationwide responsibility of Local Government and Special Interest Groups. 

You might well ask - who voted for that? 

Are we seeing a return of a dog to its vomit? 

Remember, the Arden, Hipkins mob were thrown out of office, as much as anything, because of their clandestine attempts to introduce a similar model by stealth.

From a Coalition supporter’s perspective, it beggars belief that we should even be contemplating the possibility of such an undemocratic introduction of policy that nobody voted for. 

Mark my words! If the current Government persists with this type of skulduggery, they are history at the next election. 

Anything would be better than living under the tutelage of an outfit who just sold our birthright for a measly 30 pieces of silver. 

Did the Easter message tell us nothing. 

Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.