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The Government has announced a major review of Aotearoa's electoral laws, and lowering the voting age is one of the main issues being considered.

An independent panel of experts recommended by political parties, universities, youth and Māori organisations, and the law society will be appointed to conduct the review by the 2023 elections. 

The youth-led campaign to Make it 16, has been advocating to lower the voting age to 16 in Aotearoa since 2019.

Jessica Hopkins talks to year 13 student, and Auckland member, Sanat about this announcement, and what the panel should consider in their decision. 

Here is that interview....

The coalition Government has proposed a bill that would change the current process around the fast tracking of consents for developmental projects.

The legislation would enable the Ministers of transport, Infrastructure and Regional Development to approve consents for projects without going through the current considerations around communities and local and regional government, existing legislation regarding Te Tiriti and community participation.

The bill would mean that Minister’s could decide on projects, that would then be sent to an expert panel that will review their choices and apply any conditions before sending it back to Ministers for final approval.

The legislation would allow Ministers to veto any restrictions the expert panel places on projects.

Environmental activists have criticised the legislation as a potential avenue to undermine environmental considerations.

Nicholas spoke to Professor Nicolas Lewis about the proposed changes.

Last Sunday, the Cabinet proposed five changes they would make to the Fast-Track Approvals bill, which they recommended to the Environment select committee. 

Some of the changes included shifting the final say on fast-tracked projects from ministers to an expert panel, requiring an iwi authority representative to be present on the panel alongside experts in Māori development and the environment, and extending the timeframe for comments on fast-tracked projects.

However, despite Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones saying the changes were based off feedback from submitters to make the fast-tracking process more inclusive, many advocates and experts say the bill still poses a threat to the environment and that it still prioritises development over conservation. 

For their weekly catch up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March about the party’s take on the changes to the fast-track approvals bill. 

They also talked about the government's plans to remove natural gas import barriers, and arsenic contamination of the Ohinemuri river caused by mining