8. Hon SHANE JONES (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Climate Change Issues
What are the financial benefits from the changes to the emissions trading scheme for Māori families after 2013?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Climate Change Issues) Link to this
There are many benefits to Māori families. Post-2012 there will be thousands of Māori families in well-insulated and heated homes. This will have huge health benefits and will reduce their power bills, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Secondly, a large number of Māori families are beneficial owners of fishing quota, forestry, and agricultural assets, all of which will benefit financially from changes to the emissions trading scheme. Thirdly, Māori are disproportionately represented in the workforce of companies such as New Zealand Steel that are in the energy-intensive area, and without these changes those jobs would be at risk.
Why, given that the Minister has singled out forestry, has he confined the concession to an elite number of tribes, and denied the rest of Māoridom—in fact, the entirety of the pre-1990 forestry sector? Why is he driving a wedge between people?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
The legislation that was passed by the previous Labour Government, including that member, put liabilities on all pre-1990 forest owners. Iwi came to me and strongly asked that those deforestation liabilities be removed for all of those forests. Our Government maintained the position that we would not do that. However, separate to that, there was the issue of quite specific Treaty settlements and information disclosure requirements. To avoid court proceedings, we came to a pragmatic and common-sense arrangement to allow those five iwi—just the ones that were affected by that issue—to plant trees on conservation land.
Why does the Minister refer to potential liability, when his own letter to Mark Solomon said that the Crown does not recognise or accept that there is a liability of any nature?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
Anybody who has been involved in legal settlements would know that one says in the base of them that settling the issue is not an acceptance of fault by the Crown. That is well-practised, and any member in this House with legal experience would know that it is a standard provision that is put in such settlements.
Did he advise the Māori Party before it agreed to support his emissions trading scheme that the Government would face higher fiscal costs as a result of having to cover increased emissions; what social services did he tell the Māori Party would be cut by the Government in order to meet those increased costs, and is that the reason why Hone Harawira sent a letter saying that he could not possibly vote for this measure?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
The premise that the member has based his question on is quite false. There is no extra cost; there is lesser income. There is lesser income from the emissions trading scheme, and the key element is that of the $50 billion that his colleague talks of, $40 billion is increased emissions trading scheme charges on farmers, and I am not sure how that helps Māori farming interests.
Hekia ParataTēnā koe, Mr Speaker. What reports has the Minister received criticising the agreement with the Māori Party, and are they consistent?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
In the mainstream media the Opposition are saying: “Taxpayers are being diddled for billions in a racially”—
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question very specifically asked what reports the Minister had received. You have ruled previously that the reports have to be actual reports, not newspaper clippings, which is what the Minister went straight to in his response.
Mr SPEAKERForgive me, but I am not sure of the basis of the member’s point of order, at all. As I understand it, this is not about the tabling of a document. The Minister was responding to a question asked. The question asked what reports the Minister had received, and, as I understand it, that has been in order for a lengthy period of time. I do not understand the problem there.
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
In reports I have received the Opposition has said that “Taxpayers are being diddled for billions in a racially preferenced deal in which the Government gave away everything and anything.” That was in the mainstream media. But in the Māori media I have heard reports that the Māori Party got diddled for a few blankets and beads. These contradictory statements from Labour will cause racial disharmony. This Government is focused on bringing New Zealand together and addressing the issues. [ Interruption]
I ask the Hon Dr Nick Smith and the Hon Parekura Horomia to please show some respect for the fact that the Speaker has been on his feet for some time.
Rahui KateneDoes he agree with the Hon Shane Jones that the initiatives for Māori announced in the new emissions trading scheme will “protect a narrow, privileged southern elite”?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
I am advised that in respect of the agreement we reached on forestry, there are a total of 178,398 beneficial owners, of which less than one-third are in the South Island. That statement is about as accurate as the claim by Labour that the agreement on forestry was worth $2 billion, when the officials’ advice is that it is worth one-hundredth of that amount.
Dr Russel NormanI seek leave to table a statement from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, dated yesterday, in which she states the amendments will pass much of the costs from polluters to taxpayers.