Summer reissue: You really won’t guess how it ends.

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First published October 4, 2024.

Parliament’s Economic Development, Science and Innovation committee today heard public submissions on its controversial Crown Mineral Amendments Bill. That’s the proposed law, explained Gabi Lardies earlier this week, that would see the previous government’s ban on new oil and gas exploration overturned. 

The current government’s in something of a rush to pass this controversial bill – there was just a four-day window for public submissions, which closed on Wednesday night, with oral submissions being heard today and on Monday. One person determined to have their message heard earlier today was Dunedin local Ben Nevell, who Zoomed into the select committee from his flooded local neighbourhood.

Addressing the committee’s chairperson, Act Party MP Parmjeet Parmar, who was beaming in from a stark white room at parliament, Nevell took MPs for a journey around his underwater neighbourhood.

It starts as most Zooms do, with some minor technical difficulties that make Nevell sound like he’s speaking from beneath the floodwaters, and we catch a brief glimpse of an unnamed camera person’s hair at the top of the frame. 

“Can you hear anything?” mumbles Nevell. “I can hear a little bit, I think there might be some wind,” replies Parmar, seemingly oblivious to the fact Dunedin is in a state of emergency.

With microphone issues resolved, Nevell begins his submission. He seems slightly nervous, glued to his script, as he invites MPs to consider whether “[the] short-term economic benefit of further oil and gas exploration [is] more important than long-term protection from ecological collapse”.

With growing confidence, Nevell pans around his neighbourhood as he questions who will be better off from the proposed law. “Not me and my neighbours in Dunedin where we are currently experiencing a flood caused by the continued problems of climate change.” 

Like a rookie TV reporter forced to wade out into a storm for a live cross, Nevell starts to wander down the street. Every so often we cut back to a stone-faced Parmar alone in her parliamentary cell.

“What are you doing? Who are you serving?” continues Nevell, unfazed.

Somewhat disrupting his rapid pace, Nevell then spends a couple of minutes reading from a recent Supreme Court judgment. “The evidence, they say, is unequivocal that humans have warmed the atmosphere, oceans and land principally through the emission of greenhouse gases.”

At this point, Nevell has wandered several houses down the street. His camera person, presumably, is wading backwards through the water. You can hear the flood lapping against them.

The camera pans out to show that, yes, this part of the street is flooded too.

We’re reaching the tail end of Nevell’s submission. Parmar has been off screen for a few moments, but is presumably still seated in the stark white room, fixed to the spot.

“Strong words from our highest court and I would like to ask the politicians in New Zealand to listen to what the Supreme Court justices have said,” says Nevell. “Listen to what the scientists say, and reconsider who they are acting for and what sort of leadership they are showing in continuing with an act that ignores the impacts that are occurring to me and my community and my friends” – his voice rises – “RIGHT NOW in Dunedin.”

Then something truly unexpected happens. “You can finish this submission at any time you like from now. I’m going to leave you with this,” he says, as Kora’s ‘Politician’ starts blaring.

“Poly- poly- poly politician… Can you make a right decision?”

Just as the beat drops, Parmar gently says: “All right Ben, we’ll stop it there…”

But Nevell isn’t giving a fuck. As the camera pans around the flooded street, he frolics in the floodwaters.

“Thank you Ben…” Parmar says again, calling for the next submitter. 

“You can talk the talk, but will you walk the walk,” sing Kora.

“Can you stop it please?” pleads Parmar, but Kora is drowning her out.

And scene.

Watch Ben Nevell’s select committee submission in full below: