Mike's Minute: We need more politicians like Shane Jones

The only mistake Shane Jones made in cancelling the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary was he did it on a Thursday, and as a result the news would have been missed by many.  We do of course already have a Kermadec marine reserve with a 12 nautical mile radius around its various islands, but the one he cancelled would have made it 620 000 square kilometres.   It would have taken 15 % of our exclusive economic zone and cut it off to all commercial activity, and a country that is broke can make no such grandiose moves.  I am sure the same people who would rather have a hectors dolphin untroubled by a yacht than a commercially successful event piling millions into the local economy will not be happy with Shane.  They will be the same people who involved themselves in the consent process that NZ Salmon went through for their operation in the Cook Strait that cost them millions and took nine ridiculously long years.  Shane Jones is worth watching in the Parliament at Question Time by the way, the Greens tie themselves in knots asking him about mining, and fossil fuels, and drilling, and scraping, and sifting, and he stands up answering their questions with an open honest assessment of the modern realities of our economy.  As much as we would all like to return to Gondwanaland without a tourist, or grader, or road or drill, none of it is real.  We like to turn lights on, drive cars, make stuff, sell stuff, and enjoy the outworkings of the 21st century.  He also delivers the message with a theatrical and verbal flourish I am sure is designed to enrage those asking the questions.  A big reason economically, socially, and indeed morally we are where we are, why there is such a malaise, such a stalling of progress, and a lack of entrepreneurial spirit, and zest to get on with stuff, is we have lost what Shane Jones has: zeal, and vigour, and bluntness.  Our niceness and desire to offend no one has made us apologists.  And apologists, instead of saying no, say maybe, and stall, and discuss, and set up a committee, then stall some more.  No one is to be offended, and worse the woke causes of the day which include not advancing economically because it will dent hurt or kill something are to be given lip service even if we don't believe a word of it, heaven forbid we should stand out or stand up for something.  Shane never got that memo, and for that we can be eternally grateful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.