Surely I don’t need to go through the fine detail of what is one of this country's most embarrassing modern travesties.
It's a story in which a successful business wants to expand so they can be more successful, and yet can't because the court process is never-ending.
The latest chapter of course involves local Māori wanting compensation.
It's not like this business is in nuclear waste or mine tailings. It's simply part of our main way of making money – exports. Selling things to the world.
If ever there was a case for an overarching “let's stop the BS and time wasting" law, the Port of Tauranga saga is it.
It's hard to know who is at fault more; those who started the scrap, i.e. local Māori, or those who allow it to drag, i.e. the judicial process.
But can you not mount a case that if a business cannot be allowed to be a business because they are hindered by argument and the process that allows the argument, at some point a line has to be drawn and an overarching authority (presumably the Government) comes in to settle the matter once and for all?
Arbitration is a possibility, including compulsory arbitration. I have for years argued for it in union disputes, especially the ones like teachers and nurses who are constantly scrapping with stop-work meetings and protests and days off.
State your case, claim/counter claim, if you're stuck then enter the referee and the call is made.
If fast-track was the solution it's patently evident in this case it isn't working and the port are in the fast-track process, having failed in the non-fast-track process. So all the processes and they are still no further ahead.
In my system the arbitrator would ask is this legal? Is this societally acceptable and is it beneficial for the country? I would ask that at 8.30am when the hearing starts and I reckon we'd be done by morning tea.
If an exporting nation can't expand to export more, how broken and backward are we?
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
The latest chapter of course involves local Māori wanting compensation.
It's not like this business is in nuclear waste or mine tailings. It's simply part of our main way of making money – exports. Selling things to the world.
If ever there was a case for an overarching “let's stop the BS and time wasting" law, the Port of Tauranga saga is it.
It's hard to know who is at fault more; those who started the scrap, i.e. local Māori, or those who allow it to drag, i.e. the judicial process.
But can you not mount a case that if a business cannot be allowed to be a business because they are hindered by argument and the process that allows the argument, at some point a line has to be drawn and an overarching authority (presumably the Government) comes in to settle the matter once and for all?
Arbitration is a possibility, including compulsory arbitration. I have for years argued for it in union disputes, especially the ones like teachers and nurses who are constantly scrapping with stop-work meetings and protests and days off.
State your case, claim/counter claim, if you're stuck then enter the referee and the call is made.
If fast-track was the solution it's patently evident in this case it isn't working and the port are in the fast-track process, having failed in the non-fast-track process. So all the processes and they are still no further ahead.
In my system the arbitrator would ask is this legal? Is this societally acceptable and is it beneficial for the country? I would ask that at 8.30am when the hearing starts and I reckon we'd be done by morning tea.
If an exporting nation can't expand to export more, how broken and backward are we?
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
13 comments:
So called fast tracking is just another thread used by the right to chip away at democracy. The acceleration of rushing through ideological law changes under urgency to avoid public scrutiny. The small yet incremental restrictions on voter registration and access to participate in free and fair elections. Yes, this is happening here.
We must remain vigilant or our democracy will be torn away from underneath us, while we tap away on our keyboards, arguing with strangers about a culture war that does not exist.
Another example of the huge cost of not sorting the treaty, race issues, co governance, etc. Just shameful National keep shutting their eyes to this.
It is NOT just the economy. Race policy is a big contributor to the economy.
It's simply because our politicians have created this mess by enabling a rentier mindset to those with a fractional connection to a Treaty subject. $Billions every year are directed at Maori, well over and above what they contribute to the country, and yet here, where the expansion of the Port is for the benefit of the region and country as a whole, a small group seek to personally enrich themselves with no apparent, leastwise truly valid justification. What's more, we're all probably funding them in their avaricious claims. It's past time for equality of citizenship and the Waitangi Tribunal, who aid and abet the abovementioned mindset, need to be gone.
Be thankful I you don't personally have cancer, yet be aware that all of us suffer this recurrent (if not by now terminal) cancer of race issues metastasizing everywhere. All fomented by successive and increasingly weak governments over the past 50 years with the end game looking frightening indeed.
Extortion by the Maori Mafia.
All over NZ both businesses and private people are being coerced into paying Maori to obtain permission to satisfy a tick box in Council requirements.
Don't pay up and you will never get the ok to go ahead with everyday work.
I recently came across a farmer, who having paid the extortion of thousands of dollars to one iwi, was then required by Council to get consent at another few thousands from a tribe in another district.
It begs the question if some Councilors are on a back hander from iwi ?
You make good points Mike. Luxon’s weak leadership has failed to repair the damage created by Ardern’s treacherous separative policies. David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill was spiked by Luxon before any form of public discussion took place. Worse, he and McClay secretly inserted Ardern’s He Paupau (UNDRIP) clause into the Indian FTA. Could you see Trump tolerating this Port of Tauranga circus.
Anon 901 the taxpayer billions are directed at holiday highways for the rich and tax breaks for landlords. I’m not sure how hard working farmers down in Canterbury benefit from any of that.
With Maori being treated as special by National, NZ is a fractured nation. It is in all aspects of business , taxation , pensions , education and the never ending exercises of creating meaning full work that Maori stuff up things .
Maori claim , demand , obfuscate and prove without fear of contradiction they are certainly different than a real NZer
Rob Trump would just fire missiles and then negotiate a terrible agreement for Tauranga while spiking the price of kiwifruit. And he’d take four months over it.
Thoroughly agree with Hoskin. Why should pipi beds trump progress. And while we're at it, why does the Government not step in and put an end to the disgraceful blocking tactics being employed by a tiny group of Maori over the Mount Messenger bypass. While not necessarily lining their pockets their disruptive actions are costing the taxpayer millions and delaying this vital infrastructure project. In 2024 the inability of the Crown to buy 11 hectares at the northern end of the project -had cost taxpayers $83 million in the past two years alone. Heavens knows what that figure has now escalated to.
Governments, both Labour and National have encouraged Maori to become extortionists. And now they’re experts. But there are no Maori…. just pretenders with perhaps 1/8th. I wish my grandfather had rogered a wahine.. I’d be on the gravy train. As a 5th generation pakeha taxpayer I’m disadvantaged…. all donations welcome
Just go ahead and do what’s to stop you that’s what I’d do and worry about it later someone has to stand up to them otherwise we may as well all head for Australia because this government is to frightened to rock the boat
I agree 100%
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