My response to Straterra's Chris Baker, whose comments framed an earlier piece in the New Zealand Herald. In fact, 69 percent of New Zealanders agree: conservation is at the heart of what it means to be a New Zealander (DOC, 2012).
“The misinformation advanced by parts of the community, however well-intended, does not help informed debate on our economic future.”
It’s a great quote from Straterra’s Chris Baker (NZ Herald “Public back mining: poll” October 15, 2012). Unfortunately, in this instance, Mr Baker himself was the one advancing the misinformation.
He also said that poll results released by Straterra this month showed “relatively poor public understanding of the reality today of minerals activities in New Zealand,” and this was “a call to improve public understanding of the sector” (Straterra press release, October 11, 2012).
This is the start of my op ed published yesterday - in part in the New Zealand Herald, and in full in the Otago Daily Times. To go to the ODT site and continue reading, click here.
In a postscript, I hear a rumour that MED agrees the poll was unreliable, and has now taken it down from its site.