Last week, National rammed its destructive offshore gas-drilling legislation through to select committee under urgency, and then gave submitters only four working days to have a say on it. The goal was clearly to stifle opposition, but it appears to have failed spectacularly:
Despite being given only 3½ working days to make a submission, 5600 people and organisations lodged written submissions on the legislation, with 392 asking to be heard by the committee.That's not a record number of submissions, but it is a large one, and incredible for only four days. And an overwhelming number of them oppose the bill, with only a few self-interested lobby groups and industry shills in favour.
We know who the government will listen to, of course - but the purpose of submitting isn't to change their mind or to fix the bill: it is to convince the opposition to promise immediate repeal and revocation of all permits issued without compensation, and so deter the investment National hopes to encourage. The Greens are on-side with that, because they recognise the stakes here. The question is whether Labour will listen, or whether they'll again tell everyone they are useless chickenshits unworthy of your vote.
