John --

National is buckling under pressure and has tweaked its destructive and undemocratic Fast-Track Approvals Bill. 

After months of campaigns, marches in the streets, criticism from experts, and scrutiny from Labour, the Government has finally shifted sign-off on significant projects submitted through its Fast Track process from three of its Ministers to an expert panel.

This is fantastic news and your pressure made it happen, but the fight is far from over. There is more to be done before National’s Bill passes muster in the eyes of Kiwis.

Right now, it is still destructive, undemocratic, and unpopular.

If you haven’t told Christopher Luxon and Chris Bishop why their Bill is bad news, you can do so right now with just three clicks:

If you have already let them know, please consider sharing this email with friends and family. The more people on board, the greater our impact!

You can also bring friends and family along to one of our public meetings – click here for details.

What’s wrong with the Bill?

• It makes no reference to sustainable management
• It overrides almost all our legislation that provides environmental safeguards
• It could resurrect projects our courts previously deemed too destructive
• It touts private economic gains at the expense of everything else
• It will leave Kiwis with no say on which large projects go ahead

It’s easy to see what a danger this Bill poses to our natural taonga, like our pristine waterways and forestland.

Worthwhile projects are those that create jobs, are good for the economy, and work with nature - not against it. We acknowledge significant projects need to be built quickly, which is why we reformed the Resource Management Act and introduced a fast-track consenting law.

Our fast track consenting law is still on the books, and National should use it if it wants to quickly approve projects that promote employment and support our economy while protecting environmental standards and Treaty of Waitangi obligations.

Labour’s bill was better for the environment and New Zealand, while still promoting quicker consenting to get the things we needed built faster.

Thank you for your ongoing support

New Zealand Labour Party

www.labour.org.nz