Ardern’s time is over and done with. The National-led coalition that took power in November has begun to reverse many of his government’s plans. It follows a playbook not unlike “Project 25,” a second-term “war plan” promoted by pro-Trump think tanks designed to concentrate power in the executive branch and derail efforts to curb global warming.
It reverses the ban on oil and gas drilling, and proposes a “fast track” for large projects, including mines, that pass environmental assessments. It has slashed climate programs and jobs, scrapped subsidies for electric cars, scrapped plans for the world’s largest marine parks and scrapped the world’s leading “beep” tax as it questions the science of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas…
During the union negotiations, [ACT leader] Seymour won approval for American-style charter schools; the “three strikes” law that extends prison terms for repeat offenders; and an agreement to rewrite the country’s Firearms Act, revising the ban on military-style firearms after a mass shooting in 2019. He is pushing for a referendum on New Zealand’s founding document with Indigenous Maori, which opponents warn will cause division.
Learn more about the host, Rachel Pannett.
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