Here comes Mr Lignite 2009

OPINION: National's Gerry Brownlee made a video clip last year, which he entitled Sexy Coal, writes David Parker (Labour) in this week's From the Beehive.

 The mind boggles at Gerry being the poster boy for anything, but he's certainly trying for "Mr Lignite 2009".

Coal is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world after oil, but National wants more of it.

Gerry confirmed in his speech to the mineral industry in Queenstown on Wednesday, August 26, that he wants to help the industry mine more of it including in national parks. Mining is banned in national parks. In most other parts of the DOC estate it is not prohibited indeed, a miner can apply for permission to mine on other DOC land without a public hearing, unlike someone applying for a tourism concession. So when he says National is looking at loosening up mining, including in national parks, he means it. Maybe because National is in the title he thinks it owns them.

Straight after the election Mr Brownlee had a hand in changing the boundaries of the new Otiaki conservation park.

He excluded the main stem of the main river in the park (the Manuherikia) so as to leave all of the lignite reserves outside the park boundary. Most of the lignite was outside the park anyway, but Mr Brownlee thought a small proportion of lignite inside the proposed park more important than the river.

Then he revoked the restrictions on more base-load coal-fired electricity generation despite the fact that we are blessed with among the cheapest renewable electricity options in the world. We have lots of geothermal and wind already consented and cost competitive.

Now it's mining in parks. Although he's now trying to downplay the lignite angle, newspapers reported that he specifically talked up the coal-in-parks angle in his speech.

I'm not opposed to all mining. I use steel and aluminum, wear a gold ring. I'm not in the camp that says all mining is bad. But mining in national parks? For lignite! What is he on?

Maybe Mr Lignite has never walked more than a hundred metres from his car, but hopefully he's seen a few photos.

Does he really think a lignite mine would fit in? They don't come small.

Is this part of the Minister of Tourism John Key's support for New Zealand tourism's 100% Pure campaign? Perhaps National is trying to justify its small greenhouse gas reduction target. Or just maybe Sexy Coal Brownlee wants to star in The Age of Stupid 2?

» David Parker is a Roxburgh-born Labour list MP.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Kevin Middleton   #1   08:59 pm Jul 20 2010

Mining....what's your plan for jobs David? in Invercargill area. 4 years ago I contacted a few mining companies here in NZ to see about employment opportunities & the possability of getting training for us dudes down this way, I was shocked to hear all said "no", I did however get a guaranteed job start in Mexico/California/Argentina/China & Australia. I would like to know what is going on in the minds of all you mp's, have you lost touch with how many people actually live in NZ. Consider that I have been on the dole for.......4 years here, perhaps Winz would pay for the ticket/housing to relocate to Mexico. Mine anything pay us well happy happy happy, mining is underground then it's ok. The general public is about five years behind what the govt is planning to do, what are you specifically gonna do for us down here,train us into jobs which may become open in the future or are these jobs going to go to people allready employed elswhere. Lastly, the transfer of sports players may be ok but it does not work elswhere such as employment,if this continues who should we ask for transfer fees?"you"?.

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