We're halfway through, so how is this Government doing?

Well, we’re officially halfway through the election cycle. The coalition government has been in place for about 18 months now. David Seymour is our Deputy Prime Minister. So - how are things going?

I did my first ever political round-up in 2023 and it ended up being one of the most popular episodes of the pod - ever. Interestingly, you lot seem to care about what's going on out there, which is nice. So, I thought we’d do a check-in because it's been a year, right?

I’ll just put some guardrails in place: I’m very much talking about environmental and social issues. I'm not talking so much about the economy - although it will be mentioned - or the cost of living, or anything else. All big problems. All things I am absolutely not educated enough to speak on.

Now, much like the very first time I did this, I’m going to try to be unbiased. But I’ll probably fail, because I’m human, I’m violently sarcastic, and I’m obviously quite left-leaning (if we have to make it binary). So bear that in mind.

Everything in here is fact. It’s fact-checked. But, as my mother would say, I might have a tone. Please forgive me.

Budget 2025 and Environmental Cuts

The logical place to start would be Budget 2025. I think it was called the “No BS Budget” or maybe the “No Frills Budget.” Either way, it marked quite a significant shift in priorities - so let’s go through them one by one, shall we?

Let’s start with the cuts.

DOC - the Department of Conservation - suffered a lot. DOC is already chronically underfunded, and they have a massive amount of land to look after.

The Nature Heritage Fund, which helps protect ecologically significant private land -that was scrapped. It saved about $1.3 million annually.

They also discontinued the Crown Land Acquisition Fund, which basically supported the expansion of protected areas. There were quite a few other cuts as well - especially those aimed at community conservation and heritage protection.

DOC did not do well in this budget. But they were saddled with another priority, too.

Predator Free 2050 - the Crown-owned company - was just established, and DOC now has to absorb all its responsibilities. Of course, Predator Free 2050 is all about removing rats, ferrets, stoats - everything except one of the biggest pests, which is, of course, feral cats - from Aotearoa by 2050.

I actually wrote a Substack article about how we can even consider calling it Predator Free 2050 if we’re not including feral cats - they kill up to 100 million birds every year. But that’s sort of by the by now, because this has been discontinued.

International Climate Finance & The Waste Minimisation Fund

Our international climate finance commitment was knocked down from $250 million to $100 million. This funding was supposed to support adaptation and mitigation efforts in developing nations - particularly in the Pacific. It’s had a notable reputational impact and has weakened our international climate leadership. That’s quite significant.

The Waste Minimisation Fund is gone. It’s been reallocated to support core agency functions within the Ministry for the Environment. And here’s the kicker - this fund was already financed by the waste levy, so we’ve just stripped money from projects that were already paid for. That means significantly less support for:

• Circular economy innovation
• Community reuse programmes
• Waste infrastructure in general

All things I think we can probably agree we need more of.

No New Funding for Freshwater or Biodiversity

There was, of course, absolutely no new funding for freshwater or biodiversity in general. In fact, WWF called this the “no biodiversity budget” playing off the whole “no BS budget” thing.

There was no new money allocated for:

• Implementing the Te Mana o te Wai freshwater framework
• Wetland reforestation
• The Te Mana o te Taiao biodiversity strategy
• The upcoming National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity

So, nothing there.

Oil and Gas Exploration

There were some additions to the budget that do impact the environment, and the biggest - by far - would be oil and gas exploration.

This coalition campaigned on bringing back oil and gas extraction. And how to say this in an unbiased way… you know what? It’s absolutely scientific to say that continuing to extract oil and gas is monumentally moronic.

This government has allocated $200 million over the next four years to support exploration and development of petroleum and gas resources.

Let me give you some stats - because I did a lot of research and wrote an article on this.

So, this is the government that understands the economy, right? Let’s look at some numbers - because this makes no sense whatsoever.

• It takes 7 to 10 years to start extracting anything from a gas field.
• So anything found next year - say 2026 - won't deliver any gas, or money, until 2033.
• Only 1 in 10 exploration permits ever returns any gas.

Net result? It’s going to cost us money. Yes, cost us - not earn us - money.

Even if we get a successful new field, we might earn royalties of about $40–60 million a year, which is a lot of money - not going to argue.

But the carbon pollution cost alone? That’s about $120 million per year.

I don’t know if you're good at maths, but over 20 years, that means we’re around $1.4 billion in the red.

Now, if we spent that same $200 million on renewables? We’d save about $26 billion over those 20 years.

So - breathtakingly stupid decision. Both environmentally and economically.

Gene Technology Regulation

The government also introduced funding for Gene Technology Regulation - about $7 million was allocated to establish a new EPA-based regulator for gene tech.

Now, Aotearoa is famously anti-GE (genetically engineered crops and organisms) and this budget line is specifically tied to upcoming legislation that will loosen our current GE and GM regulations.

One of my lecturers at university - probably one of Aotearoa’s foremost experts in GMOs - thinks this is a terrible idea. The University of Canterbury actually put together a submission detailing the problems. If you’re interested, the links to those are in the show notes because there’s a lot in there.

But let’s just say: describing this as not a great idea would be the understatement of the year.

EECA Cuts and the End of the Electric Bus Fund

This budget also removed about $56 million from EECA - the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority - and they axed the electric bus fund.

So, all in all? A big middle finger to the environment. There’s:

• No additional investment in community-led conservation
• Nothing for iwi and hapū environmental management
• No funding for climate-resilient housing, flood infrastructure, or nature-based adaptation
• No increased support for local government to implement biodiversity or climate resilience plans

I mean, did anyone expect there to be? Probably not.

This is a government that has made its priorities very clear. They describe the budget as “rebalancing so that we can enable growth and productivity”. And they say they’re focused on making Aotearoa “more productive”.

And that’s something I absolutely agree with - within reason.

You can’t have growth for growth’s sake, and you can’t have growth without impact elsewhere. But you can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment.

Unfortunately, right now? We’re only focused on one of those things.

Major Legislative Changes

Let’s move away from the budget and talk about some of the legislation. This government has introduced and passed some of the most significant - and contentious - constitutional and environmental changes in decades. And that’s not an exaggeration.

Treaty Principles Bill

First up: the Treaty Principles Bill, introduced by ACT as part of the coalition agreement.

If you missed the drama, this bill aimed to redefine the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in legislation - essentially replacing protection and partnership with a narrower interpretation of the text.

It would have significantly reduced the Crown’s obligation to engage with Māori.

This was the most-submitted-on bill in New Zealand history - over 300,000 submissions, and 90% were against it.

Amazing. And if that doesn’t show you the power of people, I don’t know what does.

The Hīkoi in March 2025 saw tens of thousands of New Zealanders marching across the motu. It was inspiring to see so many people standing up for what’s right.

I mean, it’s obviously awful they had to, but that, ladies and gentlemen, was democracy in action.

And in April, the bill was voted down in Parliament - with only ACT supporting it. All other parties voted against, and it failed, as it absolutely should have.

It was introduced in an underhand manner, with little to no consultation, and even legal experts pointed out that ACT had no authority to redefine Treaty principles. The Treaty is between the Crown (i.e. King Charles) and Māori - not the New Zealand Government.

There’s loads of great analysis out there if you want to go deeper - but that’s the gist of it.

Fast-track Approvals Act

While the Treaty Principles Bill failed, another one passed - and it’s flying a bit more under the radar, but it’s still causing quite a stir: the Fast-track Approvals Act.

This came into force last year - on Christmas Eve, actually. How festive.

And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like: it allows ministers to directly approve infrastructure and resource projects, bypassing the normal Resource Management Act process.

Now, technically, projects are assessed by an independent advisory panel - but the final decision rests with just three ministers:

• Chris Bishop
• Shane Jones
• Simeon Brown

They’re not bound by the panel’s advice and can approve or reject projects as they see fit.

Shane Jones - The Climate Confused

Now, if I talk too much about Shane Jones, I’ll absolutely cross the line from biased into wildly biased - but I’ll just read you a quote that gives you an idea.

He said, while speaking to a Green MP:

“You and I have a very different view about the climate. I happen to think that it’s largely moral hysteria, and I have said this for many years. That’s why I am a proud supporter of the extractive fossil fuels industry.”

What a misinformed muppet.

He also doesn’t think the Māui dolphin is a separate species. I could go on for days about the number of ways Shane Jones has been wrong.

But the point is: he is one of just three ministers who now gets to make final decisions - with no public consultation, no requirement to consider environmental impact, nothing.

What the Fast-track Act Enables

The Act is explicitly worded to allow development on conservation land, and fast-tracked projects can override existing environmental protections.

And the worst part? There is no appeals process. These decisions are final.

As of now, there are about 149 projects in the pipeline under this regime. They include:

• Mines
• Roads
• Aquaculture
• Ports
• Renewable energy projects
• Housing developments

So, I guess not every project on the list is terrible.

Still, this legislation has angered a lot of people and organisations. Forest & Bird, the Environmental Defence Society, and several iwi have all taken legal action.

There’s a Waitangi Tribunal urgent inquiry underway - focusing on breaches of the Treaty and the complete lack of consultation.

Regulatory Standards Bill

Then there’s the Regulatory Standards Bill, which is still before select committee. Submissions close on Monday 23rd June at 1pm - so by the time you hear this, it may have already closed. But I hope you got yours in.

I’m not going to dive into the legal weeds here, but here’s the gist:

Experts say this bill creates a legal test that prioritises economic outcomes over:

• Ecological protection
• Public health
• Cultural values
• Treaty-based rights

It undermines the precautionary principle - which underpins most of our environmental laws - and it empowers courts to strike down regulations using narrow cost-benefit analysis, ignoring wider societal or intergenerational values.

It also treats Te Tiriti o Waitangi as just one of many “interests” rather than as the foundational document of this country.

And this should matter to you - because it’s not about one project. It’s about how future laws will be made and measured. It’ll make it:

Much harder to introduce strong regulations on environment, health, and equity. And much easier to challenge or weaken them.

If you're listening to this before 1pm on Monday June 23rd - please make a submission. It can be short, personal, informal. Just speak from the heart. If you believe in evidence-based lawmaking, your community having a voice, and long-term environmental care - this is your moment to say so.

Climate Policy Shifts

Ultimately, the theme here is systemic change, right? These laws are all about:

• Centralising power
• Sidelining independent science and community voices
• Raising the bar for protections, but lowering it for industry

Quite the redesign.

I thought we’d discuss climate policy separately, because of course the government’s approach to climate has shifted massively in the last 18 months.

We’ve moved away from emissions pricing and regulation. Now, I’m not saying it was perfect before - there was a lot more we should’ve done, and we definitely made mistakes. But now, we’re moving towards:

• Fossil fuel expansion
• Voluntary technology adoption

And let’s be clear: we cannot technologicalise our way out of the climate crisis. (Yes, that’s a word now. I’m going with it.)

Voluntary action has never worked when it comes to industry. Unfortunately, you have to regulate big companies, or they just don’t act.

The Repeal of the Offshore Oil & Gas Ban

So let’s go back to Shane Jones, the lover of extractive industries and our now “climate-confused” minister.

In April 2024, he confirmed the official repeal of the offshore oil and gas exploration ban that Labour introduced in 2018.

They’ve now added that $200 million in the budget to support new extraction.

The stated goals? “Increasing energy security” and “unlocking economic potential.”

Again - I wrote an article about this. If you want the specific stats and analysis on how little this will do for the economy or environment, check it out on Substack.

It’s less snarky than this one. (Just.)

Agriculture - The Elephant in the Paddock

Now onto agriculture - the single biggest contributor to Aotearoa’s emissions, and arguably the most complicated to tackle.

Last year, the government cancelled a collaborative emissions pricing scheme for the sector.

The initiative was called He Waka Eke Noa, a partnership between government, industry, and iwi. It was designed to implement farm-level methane pricing by 2025.

Instead, we now have the Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions, with a $400 million voluntary fund over four years.

The fund is meant to support things like:

• Methane-reducing technology
• Low-methane breeding
• Feed additives (like that miracle seaweed)

But here’s the issue:

• Participation is voluntary
• There are no emissions caps
• No penalties
• No price signals
• No mechanism to ensure emissions fall

Defending the Voluntary Approach

New Zealand First and ACT have been vocal supporters of this voluntary technical approach, claiming that regulations are punitive.

They’ve also argued - quite rightly - that New Zealand farmers are already among the most emissions-efficient in the world.

And that’s true - compared to other countries, our farmers are doing well. But let’s be real:

Intensive farming activities, by their very nature, harm the environment

That’s not an attack on farmers - it’s just reality

We all rely on farmers, and they deserve support - but climate change doesn’t care about ideology

Removing Agriculture from the ETS

Further supporting agriculture, Parliament passed the Climate Change Response Amendment Act.

This Act:

• Removes all agricultural activities from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
• Ends surrender obligations for fertiliser companies
• Cancels on-farm methane reporting, which was meant to begin in 2026

Apparently, a new farm-level pricing system will be devised by 2030.

But - and you can guess what’s coming - there’s no legal backstop if that timeline slips. Which, of course, it will. That’s just what happens.

Emissions Trading Scheme Restructured

Meanwhile, the ETS itself has been partially restructured.

There’s no binding cap on total industrial emissions

There’s no ceiling that says we can’t go beyond a certain threshold

We have no clearly articulated pathway to reach net zero by 2050

Even more concerning? The narrative around climate has changed.

References to net zero are almost non-existent in official statements

Ministers now talk about the importance of being “economically balanced” and “not burdening business”

Which, on the surface, sounds reasonable.

But here’s my view: if your business profits from something, you should also pay the true cost of the damage you cause.

Right now, no business does - and to be fair, it’s incredibly hard to measure that.

Still, by not “burdening business” we’re just pushing these inevitable costs onto future generations.

That’s a breathtakingly myopic stance.

More Deregulation and Biodiversity Setbacks

Let’s look at the broader approach to natural resource management and biodiversity protection.

What we’ve seen is:

• Deregulation
• A return to outdated practices

And one good example of that? Waste.

Waste Incineration Returns

Incineration has been reintroduced as a legitimate waste strategy - particularly supported (again) by the two stalwarts: ACT and New Zealand First.

This is a big shift away from circular economy principles.

People celebrate waste-to-energy incineration, but it’s honestly a terrible idea. It’s:

• Very expensive
• High in carbon emissions
• Energy intensive
• Produces toxic outputs unless you have world-class filtration and intense heat
• Plus, it’s inherently single-use. You take resources, make stuff, then burn it. You don’t recover anything meaningful.

You might get a bit of energy or heat. But in terms of actual resource value? Nothing. It’s not a legitimate waste solution - it’s a short-sighted disaster.

Other Waste Schemes Stalled

Two other major waste initiatives have also been paused or stalled:

Container Return Scheme

• This was originally paused under Labour (disappointingly)
• It was meant to function like systems in Australia or Germany
• You return your can or bottle to a machine and get a few cents back

Despite widespread support, it’s been paused indefinitely.

Product Stewardship Schemes

• These include plans for managing tyres, e-waste, refrigerants, etc.
• They’ve now been stalled or deprioritised

Freshwater Reforms

As I’m sure many of you know, our freshwater is in a dire state.

Many rivers are unswimmable due to nitrates and pathogens. The government is currently rewriting the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.

Ministers have stated they will:

• Remove or reduce ecosystem health bottom lines,
• Giving regional councils more flexibility and reducing “complexity”

This has already caused confusion - which bodes well, doesn’t it?

Bottled Water - Still a Joke

Meanwhile, Te Pāti Māori’s call for:

A moratorium on bottled water consents, and requiring commercial users to pay for freshwater extraction… has been completely ignored.

I talked about this in depth in the bottled water episode, but to recap:

• Bottled water companies pay as little as $500 per year in fees
• They can extract as much water as they want
• Then sell it back to you – while you pay for infrastructure and water charges

It’s utterly bonkers that this is still happening. It’s genuinely despicable, and it makes my blood boil.

Live Animal Export - Coming Back?

This one really infuriates me.

The government has also said they will overturn the live animal export ban.

If you remember, a few years ago there was a horrific incident where a ship carrying live animals capsized and hundreds drowned. In response, live export was finally banned in 2023.

Right now, exports are still suspended, and they won’t be allowed to restart until a “gold standard” welfare framework is in place.

But I’ll be honest - I’d be shocked if “gold standard” means anything other than less than absolute f*ing misery**.

The previous ban was:

• Supported across the board by vets, animal welfare groups, and
• Backed by the vast majority of the public

Live animal export is cruel. Full stop.

Our International Reputation Taking a Hit

All of this - these rollbacks and policy shifts - has had a massive impact on our international credibility.

And it’s not just New Zealand’s reputation. It’s the reputation of our businesses, too.

• Changes to the ETS
• Removal of agricultural emissions pricing
• Return to fossil fuel exploration

These have made our climate targets effectively unattainable. (They weren’t great before, but now? It’s near impossible.)

Ministers are even calling for us to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. If that happens, the reputational damage would be immense.

The weakening of biodiversity protections and Treaty obligations is being watched closely abroad.

• Scientists
• NGOs
• Indigenous rights groups overseas

They’re all expressing concern.

We’ve also deprioritised our reporting on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - and that’s further weakening our global reputation for social and environmental leadership.

People Power and the Growing Resistance

Now, there is almost always a silver lining, right? And I’ve always said: when governments swing to the right, the people swing to the left.

Domestically, resistance is growing. And while I know I exist in a bit of an echo chamber, the defeat of the Treaty Principles Bill showed what happens when people get properly wound up.

• 300,000 people took the time to make a submission
• Tens of thousands marched in protest
• Scientists are joining climate campaigns
• Iwi are taking claims to the Waitangi Tribunal
• Public submission numbers are surging across multiple consultations

It might not feel like it - because they’re changing things en masse, and fast - but pressure is building.

These policies do not appear to reflect the majority of Aotearoa. And that gives me hope.

Culture Wars and Political Nonsense

And finally - I want to end on something that is, unfortunately, sweeping the globe. And I’m really disappointed to see it happening here.

It’s this rise of nonsense political narrative and culture war stupidity.

And Winston Peters is probably leading the charge, with New Zealand First right behind him.

Terms like:

“Woke nonsense”

“Radical left ideology”

…are now being thrown around in speeches and interviews. Constantly.

A couple of months ago, Winston Peters literally asked “What is a woman?” in a televised debate - one that had nothing to do with gender policy.

This is just culture war nonsense being injected into totally unrelated conversations. And it’s done deliberately - to undermine progress.

The fact that climate action, conservation, and Treaty responsibilities are being positioned as “political overreach” or “elite agendas” - instead of basic science and justice - is farcical.

It’s deliberate. It’s done so people fight and squabble with each other - so that those benefiting from the current system can keep raking it in.

And whether they know they’re pawns or not, I don’t know.

But honestly? I cannot get over the people who think calling someone “woke” is an insult.

This Episode Has Really Annoyed Me.

I’m so much crosser now than I was when I started recording it.

But the result of this weaponisation of language is that issues like fresh water and a healthy climate are now filtered through a culture war lens.

If you want clean rivers or climate action, you’re suddenly a “woke leftist snowflake”.
It’s utterly baffling, and so disappointing to see that kind of narrative reach Aotearoa.

So, where does that leave us?

We’re halfway through the electoral term - which means we’re closer to the next election. And I’ll take that as a silver lining.

The direction of policy has shifted massively. We’ve moved away from:

• Restorative justice
• Climate action
• Biodiversity protection

And we’re moving toward:

• Deregulation
• Fast-tracked approvals for projects no one has evaluated properly

All of it in the name of short-term economic growth. And short-term is the key word there.

Because let’s be clear, mining and gas exploration won’t lead to economic growth. Not short-term, not medium-term, not long-term.

We’re also moving away from:

• Science
• Expert voices
• Listening to iwi

And that has never gone well historically.

But this has led to public opposition, and that opposition works.

The Treaty Principles Bill was defeated, and that shows it.

It’ll be really interesting to see what happens with the Regulatory Standards Bill in the coming weeks. Fingers firmly crossed it goes the same way.

And yes - there have been a few good things:

• The government has set aside concessional loans to help private companies build out a nationwide EV charging network
• Last year there were around 1,500 public charge points, which is pretty decent
• The goal is 10,000 by 2030
• The government has auctioned off fewer NZ Units (carbon credits)
• This has lifted the carbon price
• Investment is shifting away from high-emitting industries
• And as I mentioned earlier, there are some large onshore wind and solar projects on the fast-track list - so not everything there is a disaster

Economic Reality Check

All of this, of course, is in the name of the economy.

So, we must have a booming economy, right? No.

And if one more person tells me that National is better for the economy than Labour, I will scream - because that’s not borne out in the data.

• Our GDP is 1.1% smaller than a year ago
• We’re only about 1–2% above pre-COVID peak (late 2019), despite our population being 4% larger (translation: we’ve shrunk).
• Treasury expects unemployment to peak at 5.4% later this year
• Net public debt will be higher in 2027 than it is today
• And more money has been borrowed in the past two years than during COVID

Yet somehow, people still blame Jacinda Ardern for the downfall of New Zealand society.

I’m not going to get into that in this episode. But let me end with this:

Sustainability and prosperity are not mutually exclusive.

They never have been.

But the way this coalition government is going about it - ignoring the former will destroy the latter.

So, pay attention to legislation.

Stay engaged.

Understand what’s happening.

And keep showing up.

Because business-as-usual politics is not going to protect the future - but people and people power will.

Show notes:

The University of Canterbury submission's on Gene Technology Regulation:

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/0e1aa118-5e68-4b43-b395-2a4487d90aa4/content

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/fb5002ba-2e21-4a45-be4e-56d6259b4571/content

https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/05dd6485-82e0-4f54-844b-8860e8548b68/content

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