5. CHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Climate Change Issues
Is he sure that he was correct to claim in the House last Thursday, that “the Australian Government did notify my office in advance of the changes it was proposing to make to the emissions trading scheme”; if so, when did that notification occur?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Climate Change Issues) Link to this
Yes, Australian officials informed my office on Monday, 4 May at about 2 p.m., prior to the public announcement of the changes to their Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. New Zealand was the only country to be informed prior to the announcement.
Is the Minister aware that the Prime Minister told the media last week that the New Zealand Government had not been informed in advance of Australia’s decision; if so, why did the Minister’s office know about the announcement and the Prime Minister did not?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
Firstly, the member misquotes the Prime Minister. But as members of the Cabinet would know, as a hard-working Government we were still hard at work in Cabinet. By the time I returned to my office and received the information, it was publicly known.
Nicky WagnerWhat dialogue has the Government had with Australia over proposals to align the New Zealand and Australian response to climate change?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
This initiative was first advanced by Prime Minister John Key at his summit in early March with his Australian counterpart, Kevin Rudd. Work was further advanced when I met with my counterpart Senator Penny Wong later that month, when we established a trans-Tasman officials group, and agreed on terms of reference. I had further discussions by phone last week with Senator Wong, and I am further meeting next week to advance these issues.
When the Minister invited Labour members during question time last Thursday to “engage constructively in the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee”, can he confirm that he did not mean to suggest that this cooperation was not already being extended, in light of numerous examples of constructive engagement in the committee from members on this side of the House—such as by David Parker and me, who provided a quorum to the committee yesterday so that it could actually meet?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
I am pleased that the select committee is doing a good job. The Government made quite a deliberate decision to have Peter Dunne as the chair, because climate change is an issue that will outlive the life of any Government, and the broader the consensus we can build in this Parliament about the way forward, I think the better we serve New Zealand and this important issue.
Does he stand by his answer during question time last Thursday that “What is lacking from members opposite is an understanding of how critical an emissions trading scheme is to the New Zealand economy.”, in light of the fact that it was his Government that suspended the scheme, and in light of Labour’s written offer to him to cooperate in talks to allow the scheme to proceed, a letter to which a written response is still awaited 6 weeks later?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
The first point I would make is that I wrote, then as climate change spokesperson for National, in December 2005, to the then Minister David Parker. I would note that to this date I have not received a response to that letter. I am pleased to have received a letter from Charles Chauvel suggesting that there may be opportunity for some dialogue between National and Labour about the future of climate change, and that is something I have had discussions about, both with Mr Chauvel and with Mr Parker. It is something that the Government is happy to advance.