The Minister of Environmental Destruction Shane Jones doesn't like critics. After several prominent Otago people opposed Santana's fast track to Hades, Jones offered to debate Ian Taylor in public.

The gauntlet was thrown and Taylor agreed. The debate was scheduled for April 8th at Taylor's studios and would be streamed by the ODT and Stuff.

Today Jones pulled out of the deal, saying he would not take part in any debate ‘"controlled by the Otago media".

Since when has Stuff been an Otago media company?

Santana plans a cyanide-leach gold operation storing arsenic-bearing tailings in a dam located in a seismically active region at the headwaters of major water systems.

It's a project which would never be approved under 'normal' conditions and Jones has realised that he'll lose any public debate with Taylor. So the blowhard Minister is running away.

This reminds me of the time Shane Jones got caught charging hotel porn to his ministerial expenses. The guy's been an utter wanker for decades.

Taylor says the debate will go ahead anyway using a cardboard cut-out of Jones.

https://archive.ph/8r6VU

@zl2tod

#Mining #Santana #Bendigo #ShaneJones