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Download AudioPrime Minister Chris Hipkins says cabinet needs more time to decide what to do with the three waters infrastructure reform.
Mr Hipkins yesterday announced programmes that would be concelled or delayed as the Government clears the decks to fight the election.
Work on the TVNZ/RNZ public media entity will stop, the hate speech bill will be withdrawn and referred back the the Law Commission for moreguidance, and the biofuels mandate is scrapped.
The social insurance scheme won’t proceed this term, and while legislation to create four large regional water entities has gone through parliament, there could be changes.
“The reality is this is a very large programme of work which is going to take many, many years to implement. There is no overnight fix to the problems with our water infrastructure in New Zealand. I think it’s important, for the sake of taking another couple of weeks, to reassess the options to make sure we’ve got the mix right. I don’t think that is going to add a lot materially to the overall end point,”
Mr Hipkins says.
Maori will be consulted about any changes to the reform, which has provided a focus for Opposition attacks on the Government because it will involve Maori in governance and policy setting.
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