By Ashley Church

Other than writing an article (https://lnkd.in/g5SbfNQQ) back in July of last year, before the topic had really entered the public consciousness – I’ve stayed away from writing about Three Waters, largely because of the racism which has become a regular feature of the debate.

Three Waters is a blatant theft of civic assets by Labour, and the beneficiaries will be their mates among the Iwi elites – but it has nothing to do with most Maori New Zealanders, many/most of whom do not support it – and I’m ashamed of the extent to which other elements of kiwi society have decided to use it as a wedge to incite blatantly racist drivel which adds nothing to the debate.

So, when the enabling legislation for this latest folly was rammed through Parliament earlier this week, I consigned myself to the reality that it would be with us for a year, before being repealed by an incoming National / ACT government in 2023 or 2024.

I was wrong.

It now transpires that, while Parliament sat under urgency to push the legislation through, Labour and the Greens snuck through a provision that means it will take a 60 per cent vote to overturn it, rather than a simple majority as is the case with almost all other NZ law.

Such entrenched provisions are rarely-used in New Zealand other than for core constitutional issues (such as the voting age) because successive New Zealand Parliaments have recognized that incumbent Govts should not be able to tie the hands of future Govts.

Using the provision to attempt to entrench Three Waters – an issue on which public opinion is strongly opposed – is an extraordinarily cynical move and simply reinforces the extent to which few New Zealanders trust Ardern, and the very strong perception that she, and her Govt, do not believe that they are answerable to the New Zealand people and that they are beyond the scrutiny of we mere mortals.

I’m also concerned that, despite the significant constitutional issues arising from this amendment, NO New Zealand media organisation has yet picked it up. This should have led the news the day after Parliament sat. Instead, you’ll struggle to find anything about it online. That’s a very concerning development which (rightly or wrongly) feeds into the developing narrative about media partisanship.

Unfortunately, unless something changes before the new legislation is signed into law – this despicable act of treachery means that National and Act must, between them, hold more than 60% of the seats after the next election (an achievement which is unlikely given the way MMP works) in order to repeal the law.

The arrogance and hubris of this ideologically extreme Govt knows no bounds – and kiwis must do everything that they can to ensure that their divisive and destructive reign comes to an end at next years election…..

UPDATE:

I’m still working through this and it appears that the 60% majority provision in the Special Order Paper relates, not to the entire Act, but specifically to the prospect of any future Govt ‘selling’ our water infrastructure into private hands.

While this is a relief in respect of the Bill, it’s a nonsense in respect of privatization as no Council has ever proposed selling off their water infrastructure.

Accordingly, I can only surmise that this is a deeply cynical publicity stunt designed to (somewhat desperately) give the impression that the Govt is doing all this to avoid privatization – when the reality is that what they’re doing, in ceding control of these assets to unelected parties, IS in fact, a form of privatization…..