Labour chases Green votes

Party leader Ardern denies new fresh water policy aimed at enticing back defectors

The Labour Party is beckoning soft Green voters with a new policy which will put a price on fresh water and use the revenue to clean up rivers. Leader Jacinda Ardern plans to put greater emphasis on environmental policies than her predecessor Andrew Little, and has put the spotlight on climate change and fresh water since taking over the leadership last week.

She denied yesterday that Labour’s new fresh water policy was a bid to win back defectors to the Greens, saying Labour was simply “doing the right thing”.

But much of the new policy is straight out of the Green manifesto.

Green Party co-leader James Shaw, while welcoming Labour’s commitments, noted the similarity: “It based on the six trillion litres of water used by irrigators.

Ardern dismissed these estimates as “scaremongering” yesterday. If she was Prime Minister, she would hold a round-table meeting within 100 days to discuss what users should pay.

She cited her rural background in Morrinsville in a bid to quell fears in the agriculture industry about water pricing. Farming was in her family, she said, and rural communities would be “top of mind” when Labour considered the costs of its scheme.

Federated Farmers water spokesman Chris Allen said Ardern’s words had eased their fears, but most farmers were still “terrified” about the possible impact of a water charge. Even a levy of 0.01c per litre would be “eye-watering” for farmers.

Labour plans for fresh water could be hindered if it goes into coalition with NZ First. Leader Winston Peters wants to charge bottled water exporters, but has said primary producers should not face a water levy.

National has not ruled out charging for water, and is expecting advice after the election about possible options. But Finance Minister Steven Joyce hinted yesterday that a price on commercial use was unlikely, and his party was more interested in proposals for a trading scheme.

Labour’s policy had little detail on how it would cope with one of the major sticking points to putting a price on water — Maori claims to ownership.

Prime Minister Bill English said Labour had been naive about Maori expectations about fresh water.

“It will be one of the critical issues and Labour show no understanding of the intense focus that Maori have on this issue.”