INDEPENDENT NEWS

Labour and Greens confirm commitment to restoring democracy

Published: Thu 14 Sep 2017 05:06 PM
Labour and Greens confirm commitment to restoring democracy in Christchurch following mass occupation
Christchurch, 14 September
Labour MP Megan Woods is promising to return Canterbury’s regional council, ECan, to a democratically elected council.
It follows a mass day-long occupation of the ECan building by local water activists calling for the restoration of democracy and urgent action to save rivers.
In 2010, the Government sacked ECan councilors and instead installed their own commissioners to run the Regional Council.
“The Government took away democracy from the people of Canterbury and in return gave us more big irrigation schemes, more cows, and more polluted rivers,” says Gen Toop from Greenpeace.
At least a hundred protestors crowded inside the foyer to voice their concerns about ECan’s role in dairy intensification in the region.
During the occupation, MP Megan Woods tweeted that Labour’s policy is full restoration of democracy.
“New constituencies are needed that are fair and give equal weight across the region,” she said.
Green MP Eugenie Sage visited the occupation and also confirmed the Green’s commitment to restore democracy to Canterbury.
Today’s protest included farmers, doctors, scientists, and families.
Bryan Clearwater, a dairy farmer from South Canterbury, joined the occupation and spoke to the crowd about better ways of farming.
Local activist, Shane Herdman, said he just wants his nephews to be able to swim in clean rivers like he did when he was a kid.
The activists set up “The People’s Ecan” inside the lobby.
They presented ECan acting chairperson, Steve Lowndes, a list of action points for the council to implement in order to clean up rivers in the region.
ENDS
Greenpeace New Zealand
Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.

Next in New Zealand politics

One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track
By: New Zealand Government
GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
By: New Zealand Government
New Zealand Provides Further Humanitarian Support To Gaza And The West Bank
By: New Zealand Government
High Court Judge Appointed
By: New Zealand Government
Lobbyists Riding Shotgun With Coalition Government
By: New Zealand Labour Party
Say Hello To NZ’s Most Anti-environment Government In Decades
By: Green Party
Fast Track Is Outright Assault On Environment
By: Forest And Bird
Coalition Sticking Plasters Over New Zealand’s Infrastructure Crisis
By: New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
A Fast Track To A More Sure-footed Future
By: Infrastructure NZ
GPS 2024: New $500 Million Pothole Prevention Fund
By: New Zealand Government
GPS 2024: 15 New Roads Of National Significance
By: New Zealand Government
GPS 2024: Keeping New Zealanders Safer On Our Roads
By: New Zealand Government
GPS 2024: Investing In Reliable Public Transport
By: New Zealand Government
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media