Petitioner reveals NZ First's original fast track bill, with hidden projects

Petitions often touch on very human stories, or on tricky philosophical issues. This week, one threw explosive new information into an already contentious debate.

This week at Parliament, a petitioner revealed to the Petitions Committee the existence of a draft fast track bill, which predates government formation.

The petition was calling for the government to reveal which projects were to be included in the government's fast track legislation.

The evidence of a pre-coalition bill, that it originated with Shane Jones, and that it already contained projects threatened to overshadow the petition's focus on the actual bill.

The petitioner, Richard Capie representing Forest and Bird, gained the evidence via an Official Information Act response from National MP Chris Bishop. Bishop's OIA response included a draft fast track bill that he had received from New Zealand First's Shane Jones during the coalition negotiations at the end of last year.

In section 14 of the draft bill given to Bishop, titled the 'Nationally and Regionally Significant Projects and Other Matters Bill', there is reference to an 'expert consenting panel' which 'considers listed projects'. These listed projects, section 14 says, are described in Schedule 1 of the bill.

After flicking over the pages of the draft bill to the bit with Schedule 1 on it, you're met with a large grey box, covering up half the page. In other words, in the copy that Capie received, the list of projects in Schedule 1 had been redacted. The redaction was explained by the legal privilege held by the Parliamentary Counsel Office (which presumably did not draft the Shane Jones bill).

The OIA revelation suggests a number of things. That a list of possible fast track projects has existed since late last year. That the list was created by New Zealand First before they were part of the government, and possibly prior to the election. Consequently, it's possible that the inclusion of potential projects could have been part of New Zealand First's coalition negotiations with National and ACT.

Reporting from The Newsroom suggests that this list includes two gold mines and two coal mines.

Comparing the redacted project list from Shane Jones's bill to the list that Chris Bishop has declined to add to the Fast Track Approval Bill would be interesting (if those lists were public). Capie suggested to the Petitions Committee that Parliament should be investigating this.

"I think the New Zealand Parliament should see that list of projects, should be able to see the list of projects that were put forward in this draft bill, and see what overlap there is; and ask good questions about probity involving that."…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details