Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Democracy...gone by lunch time

If I had a dollar for every time I have heard a news report say that a decision by the National-led government has been "pushed through at speed" I would be a wealthy man.

Today it was in reference to reform of the local government, last week it was about the Auckland super city, the week before that it was the hastiness of consultation on NZ's 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, before that it was the purchase of two warehouses on the Auckland waterfront...the list goes on and unfortunately the reality is dawning on me. We don't live in a democracy.

I have written numerous posts on this blog urging the public to write letters, make submissions and make their voices heard. Sadly, I am coming to realise that these things do not make a jot of difference.

When we have the Minister of Climate Change Issues coming out and setting our 2020 emissions reduction target five days before consultation on this very target is set to close, it is obvious that we do not live in a democracy.

When we have speaker upon speaker at the government's public consultation meetings calling for a 40% reduction by 2020 and our Minister makes a commitment to 15%, I know that we do not live in a democracy.

When we have over 75,000 people signing Greenpeace's SignOn campaign calling for 40% reductions by 2020 but our Minister comes out with 15%, I know that we do not live in a democracy.

When we have Mayors calling the Minister of Local Government a 'bully' for pushing through legislation when it is uncertain he even has the mandate to do so, I know that we no longer live in a democracy. (See more here).

It seems that what may have initally been seen as National's 'decisiveness' has quickly transformed into something verging on dictatorship. Key, English, Brownlee, Joyce, Smith and all your cronies. Lest we forget the damage you have done.

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