Jenna Lynch: Jacinda Ardern 'all over the place' on Three Waters entrenchment controversy

  • 06/12/2022

Newshub political editor Jenna Lynch believes Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern still has questions to answer over last week's Three Waters confusion that resulted in a controversial legislation clause being scrapped.

Labour and the Greens last week supported a proposal to entrench part of the Three Waters legislation, which would mean water assets couldn't be privatised unless 60 percent of MPs agreed to repeal the clause.

But after the clause was labelled as "constitutionally objectionable" by the Law Society and widespread backlash from the Opposition, the Government announced on Sunday the clause would be removed.   

That came on the back of Ardern being "all over the place" on the matter, Lynch told AM.

"The Prime Minister initially came out and said, 'Oh, look, it's not something I would necessarily know about, I wasn't too sure about it' - then it came to light that [Local Government Minister] Nanaia Mahuta said that, actually, Labour's caucus did discuss this," Lynch said. "The Prime Minister still hasn't been clear as to whether she knew that what has been called a 'dangerous constitutional precedent' was being passed.

"I think the Prime Minister still has questions to answer here… she could clear it up today and say, did she know whether they were voting for a 60 percent threshold or not? That is the one question she hasn't answered."

The clause would be fixed in Parliament on Tuesday.

Watch the video for the full interview.