Reported back

The Local Government and Environment Committee has reported back [PDF] on the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Amendment Bill, and as with the recent Local Government Bill, been unable to make a recommendation. It is highly unusual for this to happen; even when the opposition have the numbers to block a bill, there's an acknowledgement by select committees that their job is to improve legislation, not impede it. A bill has to be really bad before they will use their power like this.

OTOH, this bill is really bad, stripping Cantabrians of their democratic rights and extending the Canterbury dictatorship for another three years. And why? Because given a democratic choice, Canterbury's voters might vote the "wrong" way and prevent National's farmer-cronies from stealing their water.

The fact that National is pushing this bill speaks volumes about what sort of party they are at the moment. And an opposition who wasn't wasting their time conducting witch-hunts against their own supporters would make mincemeat of them for it.