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Senior New Zealand First minister Shane Jones has referred to Greenpeace as “blood-sucking vermin”, while Act’s Simon Court has called the group “thugs” whose actions are “anti-humanity”.
Greenpeace activists protested outside of mining lobby group Straterra’s Wellington office on Tuesday morning. They climbed on top of an awning and deployed a large banner reading, “no seabed mining”.
A statement released by the group says it was protesting companies considering using the Government’s proposed fast-track approvals process. It expressed concern a seabed mining project take advantage of the process.
“If seabed mining is fast-tracked, it will be in contempt of all expert advice and the wishes of local iwi, environmental groups, Taranaki communities and the 60,000 New Zealanders who have signed the petition calling for it to be banned.”
Police and fire services attended, with RNZ reporting five people were arrested, including three people who were removed from inside a locked building. RNZ said some people watching from the street were unable to enter their workplace.
Resources and Regional Development Minister Jones, one of the biggest proponents of the fast-track legislation, called the demonstration “disgusting” at Parliament on Tuesday.
“These Greenpeace, blood-sucking vermin. They have no right to go to the mining offices, frighten the staff.
“If they want to chain themselves anywhere, come to my office, this is a political issue. If anything, it has turbocharged my desire to go even stronger on the fast-track.”
NZ First's Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is unhappy that Greenpeace protested against proposed seabed mining. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The fast-track legislation has been controversial, particularly for how it initially concentrated significant power within the hands of three ministers. Final decision-making powers will now not sit with ministers, but an expert panel. Critics have also said it doesn’t give enough weight to environmental considerations.
Court, Act’s energy and resources spokesman, said Greenpeace was “stopping people who support New Zealand’s mining industry [and] who will help us get critical minerals out of the ground”.
“We believe Kiwis should have a right to have a job in mining and make better lives for themselves.”
He said he believed in the right to protest, but not to stop people going about their business.
“They’re not interested in dealing with the real environmental issues. They just want to stop Kiwis mining anywhere and everywhere. Frankly, that is anti-progress and anti-humanity.”
The Greens’ co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said the activists were “making their point well-known”.
“It is so critical that we have government action that meets the scale of the climate crisis.”
In the House, she asked questions of the Prime Minister about fast-track, including whether the legislation would enable more coal mining.
He didn’t directly answer the question, saying the legislation would enable the Government to “grow our economy”.
In August, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said that of 384 projects which had applied to be part of the process at the time, 21, or 5%, were mining.
Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.
