The two major political parties Labour and National have
shown disinterest in the outdoors and the environment
judging by both parties failure to respond to an election
questionnaire says the Council of Outdoor Recreation
Associations of NZ (CORANZ).
CORANZ sent a 14 question
charter to all political parties almost four weeks ago,
inviting responses.
CORANZ chairman Andi Cockroft said
the failure by National and Labour was most disappointing.
Nor did the Maori Party respond.
“The utter
discourtesy is in reality a snub to well in excess of a
million New Zealanders who enjoy recreation in the outdoors,
whether it be tramping, fishing in fresh and/or saltwater,
hunting and so on,” he said. “Labour and National’s
indifference is more marked by the fact they were reminded
of the need to reply. In addition, CORANZ delayed closure by
three days and yet they still failed.”
Andi Cockroft
said in contrast, the response from most minor parties had
been good.
The Outdoor Party scored 100%, followed by
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party also on 100%, New
Conservative at 89% and New Zealand First at
82%.
Surprisingly ACT scored 46% and the Green Party
just 39%. TOP scored mid-range 50%. A CORANZ panel
comprising “politically uncommitted” members assessed
the responses.
The CORANZ panel’s assessment of the
Green Party’s response being well down at 39% probably
reflected its shift in policy emphasis from environmental
issues to a more centrist scial philosophy plus ideology
infiltrating its ranks said the panel.
“For example
the Greens dismissed the need to plan New Zealand’s
population future when that is so fundamental to
environmental issues plus the party is heavily influenced by
the anti-introduced ideology of Forest and Bird,”
explained Andi Cockroft.
Table of Contents
Illogical Phobia
As a
result the Green Party supported the use of the eco-poison
1080, dismissed viewing trout and deer and other
‘introduced wildlife’ as valued species and did not
agree with a review of the Department of Conservation and
its priorities.
“They unfortunately are still hung
up on the anti-introduced phobia. Illogical because humans
are introduced as are farm stock, vegetables and grasses,”
commented Andi Cockroft.
CORANZ’s election charter
comprised 14 questions on river quality, firearm issues,
foreign ownership, the value of deer, trout and other fish
and game species, sea fisheries mismanagement, restructuring
the Department of Conservation, erosion of democracy, treaty
issues and “macro-issues” such as the need for a
population policy and measuring the nations progress by a
“well-being” based Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) thus
replacing GDP based solely on monetary values..
One of
the panel, former CORANZ chairman Tony Orman, said the
environmental strength of minor parties which were not in
Parliament, should be remembered in future elections. New
Conservatives and the Outdoor Party were particularly
impressive.
In addition voters should consider current
parties performances when recently in a position of
management in parliament.
“For example, while they
may have promised in 2017, did they deliver on pledges?”
he added. “What was National’s performance like in its
eight years before 2017?”
Population planning for
the future, ignored by he Green Party, was a particularly
vital issue and vital to the issue of global warming by
climate change.
“Government’s approach to global
warming is by way of free market ideology with tradable
carbon credits and a carbon sequestering criteria that does
not count any vegetation under five metres high, a bizarre
rule as many New Zealand trees and shrubs are under five
metres height – reportedly a UN ruling,” he said.
“Governments still haven’t realised people cause
emissions by way of using automobiles and jet aircraft and
other practices. More people means more
emissions.”
Vital to Vote
CORANZ urged all
New Zealanders and particularly those who enjoyed the
outdoors, to vote.
“It’s imperative and it’s
urgent because each three years between elections sees a
slide downhill in terms of the environment and outdoor
recreation,” said Andi Cockroft.
It has been
estimated a million New Zealanders enjoy the outdoors in one
form or another such as sea or freshwater fishing, hunting,
shooting, tramping, 4 wheel driving, mountain biking,
canoeing and others sports. A Horizon survey a few years
back revealed fishing had five times more participants than
rugby.
“Outdoor recreation is not a small
self-interested sector but the major sporting activity for
most people,” said Andi
Cockroft.
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