The TV1 newsreaders were agog last week with the startling news that there might… only MIGHT… be a deal on Ihumatao about to be announced. They made a few implications and shadowed promises, but it was all speculation really. It is not exactly surprising that the main TV bulletin of the day does not contain much actual news. Then late last week, Winston Peters came out and flatly stated that there was no deal imminent whatsoever. As TV1 had admitted that the shadowy proposed deal would have to be ratified by cabinet, my money was on Winston. So that appeared to be that.
Well, now I am not so sure.
OPINION: I have some breaking news for you, sources have told me the Ihumatao land deal has been struck and could be announced this week.
My sources say the Government will transfer $45 million as a grant to Auckland Council […] who will then pass that on to Fletchers.
They paid just $26 million for the private land a few years back, so they make a nice profit today $19 million for doing not much.
Don’t blame Fletchers. They were just doing what they are supposed to be doing – building houses. They should be compensated for the loss of the profit on the entire project, but I guess the profit on the land sale will go some way towards that.
The Government can’t be seen to pay the money directly, hence the smoke and mirrors, but none of us are fooled.
So winners and losers: Winners – Fletchers walk away with a big cash profit and their reputation intact.
But they should be shaking their heads that these protestors got a fair hearing by a Government willing to broker a deal that put protesting first and private land rights a distant last.
If this is true, it is a disgrace. Everyone who owns property in this country is at risk because of this. This government will have caved to a few protestors, instead of looking after the rights of the vast majority of New Zealanders. What a crock this is turning out to be.
Losers: That’s you, New Zealand taxpayers who just stumped up $45 million because a bunch of protestors held the country to ransom.
This should send a chill down the spine of anyone sitting on private land.
Property owners beware, this Government just picked protestors over private property rights.
And equally, all those iwi who have settled and couldn’t get their hands on prized private property they may pile back into the beehive demanding renegotiation.
Yep. This opens up an enormous can of worms when it comes to those Treaty negotiations that have already been settled. This process has already gone on for over 30 years. Make that 300, the way it is going.
Jacinda Ardern has set the tone for this and blame can be laid squarely at her feet as Prime Minister.
A Government spokesperson told Newshub “Constructive discussions are continuing. There will be no announcement today.”
Newshub.
Yes. By shooting her mouth off when she was trying to board a plane and escape, she created an expectation that the government will intervene. That gave the protesters hope, and so they stayed. Now she is going to have to take responsibility for what happens next, and my prediction is that it will not be pretty.
If this report by Duncan Garner is true, then this should be the end for this government. Yes, Jacinda wants to be praised and hugged at Waitangi celebrations next week, and she will do almost anything to achieve that. But giving away the property rights of all New Zealanders because of a baying mob will surely see this government voted out. Even current Labour supporters do not want to see their property rights eroded so that Jacinda can feel comfortable on Waitangi Day. Because yes – the timing is critical. That is how shallow our hopeless prime minister really is.
She hasn’t thought it through, of course. She couldn’t solve it with a hug, so she has caved in to a bunch of motley protestors, who have no rights at all to the land they are claiming. But that is Jacinda for you.
I hope Duncan Garner is wrong. New Zealanders deserve better than to be trampled on like this. But then again, in some ways, I hope he is right. If that is what it takes to get rid of this hopeless government, then it is money well spent.
We had better not write off Winston Peters quite yet though. His political career is on the line here, too. If Winston does not step up and stop this deal from going ahead, he is finished, and he is a better survivor than that. So, the next few days will be interesting. But Duncan Garner would not come out and make a bold statement like this without being fairly certain of his facts. Of that, you can be sure.
Let the games begin.
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