Brash Bashes Bureaucrats with Nazi Slur

Don Brash made a hard hitting speech to Federated Farmers today that revealed much about how he thinks and what his true values are. Through my discussions with local farmers I have become aware that Federated Farmers does not fully represent the farming community and large numbers of farmers believe that the organization promotes extreme views that they are not comfortable with. It is obvious that when Don spoke to this group that he felt his views would be well received and while there were no standing ovations, there were no challenges to what he said.

The most controversial statement was his description of local RMA bureaucrats as "Little Hitlers" who got in the way of reasonable progress. According to Brash if someone owns land there should be no restrictions on what they do with it and petty bureaucracy needs to be dealt to. Of course, putting to one side the inappropriate "Hitler" comment, he has probably highlighted an issue that many may have experienced to some degree but we need to get this in perspective. Any regulations are enforced with bureaucracy and there will always be instances when the process becomes a little fraught, but to claim New Zealand is a difficult country to develop a business couldn't be further from the truth. In the Ease of Doing Business Index, created by the World Bank, New Zealand is rated 3rd behind Singapore and Hong Kong. Our bureaucracy is hardly excessive by world standards and I would be far more concerned with the bureaucrats who are the gatekeepers for ACC or home support.

The other bizarre claim Brash made was around climate change, he is a total denier who claims the science is inconclusive, and his lack of concern about the ramifications of a warming planet was almost infantile. The loss of a good amount of the world's land surface was completely ignored and he described man's ability to live in a range of climates has already been established so there was no need for worry. Obviously extreme weather patterns, the deaths of millions and the catastrophic loss of animal and plant species meant nothing to his money driven and blinkered view of the world.

Brash has already exposed his limited understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and I have challenged the not so subtle racism behind his "one law for all" statement previously in this blog. He may have staged a corporate take over of a minor political party, but it is still possible he could sit within the caucus of the next government and his flawed thinking may have influence. Heaven help us......