brownlee - the camel's back is broken!

energy minister (what a misnomer that is) brownlee has been caught in a lie.

He should resign now

From the Standard

"Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee is denying he trimmed a South Island conservation park after being lobbied by mining company L&M. However, documents posted on The Standard and No Right Turn show he was lying."

From the Press

"The Oteake Conservation Park, set up last year, was to have included a 200-hectare Crown-owned block in the upper Manukerikia Valley, but the area was kept out of the park, as requested by Christchurch-based coal company L and M Mining.

The area overlies the Hawkdun lignite coal deposit, one of 10 lignite deposits in Otago-Southland.

Brownlee was adamant there was no pressure from L&M:

“We had no representations from L and M Mining. I want to make that very, very clear. There was, however, a proposal to place … 70,000ha into the Oteake Conservation Park. We made the decision to keep 200ha out on the basis that it may have significant mineral deposits, mainly lignite.”

The document posted on The Standard however shows very clearly that Brownlee knew about L&M’s interest in the area. The company already had a prospecting permit, and we know from the official advice that Brownlee talked the issue over with then Conservation Minister Tim Groser.

Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn here and here and the standard are on this one - go to the links and read the full sordid story. Good work in getting this out there.

How can a minister just lie like that - HE HAS TO GO.