4. SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country) Link to this
to the Minister of Agriculture
What significant steps has the Government recently taken to progress the Global Research Alliance?
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture) Link to this
Two weeks ago the Hon Tim Groser and I co-chaired the first full meeting of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases here in Wellington. The meeting was a resounding success, and demonstrated just how far the alliance has come since New Zealand launched it in Copenhagen 9 months ago. With 29 member countries and a practical work programme agreed upon, this initiative is well and truly up and running.
What were the key outcomes of the meeting of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases?
In essence, the meeting shaped the alliance’s future work programme for the next 12 months. From New Zealand’s perspective, it reaffirmed our major involvement in the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, with New Zealand continuing to host the secretariat, and co-leading the livestock research group. That significant role is an acknowledgment of New Zealand’s leadership in the area to date and the success with which we have brought the alliance into existence.
The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases and New Zealand’s role in it have been universally applauded. From China to Argentina, Ghana, and the Netherlands, New Zealand’s leadership role in addressing agricultural emissions and bringing both developed and developing countries on board is now well recognised. The United States has described the alliance as “powerful and laden with potential”, while domestic organisations as diverse as the Green Party and the Wellington chamber of commerce have also praised it.
Charles ChauvelWhich of his colleagues is correct about access to intellectual property generated by the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases—the Prime Minister, who said 2 weeks ago that it will be made available free to other nations, or Tim Groser, who on Saturday said that “anyone who thinks that the whole thing can be done on the open source method is probably not really aware of the power of private markets,”?
The details around intellectual property will still be determined by the alliance. In some cases, that information will be available freely, and given freely to developing countries; in other cases there will be private interests to protect. As I said, the only person in the world I have seen criticising this initiative is Charles Chauvel.
I seek the leave of the House to table a transcript of an interview with Tim Groser on Saturday, 18 April. [ Interruption] I do not think it is readily available to members, and they might like to read the contradictory comments that I mentioned.
Mr SPEAKERJust so that there will not be further interjection, I take it that it is a radio interview transcript the member—