Ian McLean Spokesperson for the Green Party

The lesson of Pike River is that laissez faire economics and business investment will not protect health and safety.

The promotion by the current government of resource exploitation at any cost, including emasculating our flagship environmental protection legislation (the RMA), is of deep concern. The lessons of Pike River are not being learned.

The serfs are tetchy in Canterbury due to a refusal by government to return their democratically elected Regional Council. This issue is not about the heavy-handed management of the earthquake response, but about delivering a public resource (water) to private enterprise (farming).

Deep water mining, oil and gas exploration are being promoted. On land, exploration rights are being awarded for enormous tracts, including protected conservation lands. All present serious environmental risks for which rigorous mitigation may not be possible.

More and better regulation is part of the answer. But most important is a vision that puts a healthy environment first.