About 50 Extinction Rebellion supporters disrupted NZ First’s annual conference in Christchurch today. They entered Rydges Hotel as Winston Peters was giving his Leaders address and made their presence known with placards, banners, drums and singing.
After being asked to leave by police called by hotel management, the cheerfully loud peaceful protest moved to the pavement outside the conference venue, and remained there until the end of the event.
Extinction Rebellion Otautahi gave many of those attending Mr Peters’ address the following Open Letter to NZ First, calling on the party to put New Zealanders first, not the big coal and oil corporates.
NZ First has steadily blocked or delayed all legislation brought by its Coalition partners to tackle the climate crisis since 2017. Examples –
· No New Mines on Conservation Land – this proposed legislation has disappeared without trace.
· Zero Carbon Bill – this basic bit of legislation allows NZ to track and control its emissions. It’s based on a law passed in UK a decade ago that enabled UK (like the rest of Europe) to manage its carbon emissions downwards. James Shaw expected this law to be in place by late 2018. NZ First together with National have ensured this bill is so weakened as to be near useless.
· Resource Management Act – in 2004 National prevented councils from using “contributes to climate change” as grounds for refusing a mining or other consent. The Zero Carbon Bill requires councils to take climate action, but unless the RMA is amended this will be impossible. We have heard the RMA will not be amended till after the next election.
