Does anyone know MP and Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash’s position on ‘3 Waters’, one of the most contentious of his Government’s reform initiatives?
Our understanding is that Cabinet Government is a collective undertaking – ministers lock arms and chant a secret mantra pledging their unwavering and public support to all Cabinet-decided policies and initiatives.
With his Government taking hit after hit – especially here in Hawke’s Bay – on one of its most significant proposals, we would have expected MP Nash to rally strongly to defend the sullied honour of Jacinda and Nanaia.
But try as we have, BayBuzz has been unable to discover any public pronouncements on ‘3 Waters’ by our local MP, nor have we been able to get a direct response on the issue from him.
Maybe he’s pre-occupied with other matters of state, given his broad ministerial portolios. Maybe he’s simply lost our phone and email info. Or awash in a backlog of HB media requests. Maybe he regards his views as insignificant. Maybe we just haven’t investigated thoroughly enough.
For her part, MP Lorck has voiced the practical position that the train has left the station and our local mayors are shooting themselves in the foot by not championing that HQ for the new authority Hawke’s Bay will be part of should be based here in the region. Not exactly tying herself to the mast, but supportive, and she’s not a Cabinet minister.
In any event, we’re giving up. And turning to you, our readers.
If anyone has heard MP Nash address the ‘3 Waters’issue, either publicly or hush-hush (we’ll accept leaks), we be delighted to hear from you.
And we suspect Jacinda and Nanaia would like to know as well.
Short answer No. To be fair to Stuart Nash though Meka Whaitiri and Anna Lork (until very recently) have also been conspicuous in their absence from the debate.
Rectifying past racial injustices is one thing. Bringing racial legislation into current law is another story entirely. Nowhere in history has racial legislation proved successful, rather the contrary.
Centralising power is another proven failure.
In summary Three waters is doomed from the start.
In the past Stuart has favoured removal of chlorination from Napier’s water supply. Since 3 Waters would oppose such a move this may explain his silence. I would have though , however, that the information provided in cabinet would have helped him to adjust his opinion.
much like the other 2 MPs Missing Persons? Save our Port Nash?
I’ve been asking myself that same question, I can only guess that he doesn’t want to make himself more unpopular seeing so many in Napier are so uninformed re 3 waters.