10. CHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Climate Change Issues
Does he stand by his statements at the Australia - New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference last week?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Climate Change Issues) Link to this
The conference chair, Gary Taylor, described my speech as one of the highlights of the conference, and commended the New Zealand Government for successfully implementing an emissions trading scheme on 1 July, so I am very pleased to stand by those statements.
Mr SPEAKERApart from the emissions trading scheme, does the Minister have any plan to reduce New Zealand’s greenhouse emissions, apart from the Biodiesel Grants Scheme, which Gerry Brownlee admitted on 22 July was a failure; the electric vehicle user-charge exemption, which only a few vehicles qualify for; and schemes originated under the last Government, like Warm Up New Zealand, subsidies for solar heating, and energy conservation campaigns?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
I would be very proud to highlight just a few of the complementary measures that the Government has provided in addition to the emissions trading scheme. Let me take the member through a few: 50,000 New Zealand homes have been insulated under a scheme that is being led by Gerry Brownlee; over 5,000 homes have received grants for solar water panels, which is more than was achieved in the 9 years of the last Government; the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, which is led by my colleagues Tim Groser and David Carter; the Biodiesel Grants Scheme; the scheme for electric cars; the grants for marine electric production—I could go on and on, but I do not want to humiliate the member.
Why did the Minister say last week that a national policy statement to incentivise renewable electricity generation is needed by the end of the year, when his Government repealed the renewable preference legislation late in 2008, which just shows that New Zealand has lost 2 years’ worth of valuable progress in this area?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
I draw that member’s attention to the record on renewable energy, because in every year that Labour was in Government the proportion of renewable energy dropped—dropped! In fact, the amount of electricity produced from coal more than trebled during the term of the last Government. The measures that were adopted in respect of—
Hon Darren Hughes Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. That was all very interesting but this question is about today, about this Government, about the future, not about going back decades—[ Interruption]—or whatever it was he was going on about.
I say to the Hon Tony Ryall, who is normally a well-behaved member in this House, that he must not interject like that when a point of order is being raised. The point of order was a most reasonable point of order. What the Hon Dr Nick Smith had to say was very interesting, but the question asked very particularly about some matters. I invite Charles Chauvel to repeat his question; the Minister obviously did not hear it first time round.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Why does he say that a national policy statement to incentivise renewable electricity generation is needed by the end of the year, when his Government repealed the previous Government’s renewable preference legislation late in 2008, which shows that New Zealand has lost 2 years’ worth of valuable progress in this area?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
The advice the Government received on coming to office was that the renewal preference clause was a Clayton’s measure that would not work, and that was why the Government repealed it, and that view was held right through the industry that actually has to make the investments in renewal energy. We campaigned on having a national policy statement on renewal energy, because, quite frankly, under the Resource Management Act as it stands it is easier to get resource consent for a thermal-generating station than for a renewable energy one. We are going to change that, and that is why the Government will advance that policy this year.
Nicky WagnerHas the Minister seen reports of the conference from an Australian business journalist, Ian Hamilton, that “… New Zealand is showing bigger developed nations how it’s done when it comes to tackling greenhouse-gas emissions and climate change.”, and from the Business Spectator, which was equally complimentary; if so, what other feedback did he receive?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
I have seen those reports and many others that were universally positive about New Zealand’s position on climate change. The only criticism I heard in Sydney at the conference on climate change came from Charles Chauvel, which was a bit off, given the longstanding convention that we keep our domestic politics at home. [ Interruption]
Does the Minister have any plan to reduce agricultural emissions, or will the terms of reference for the review of the emissions trading scheme, which he is shortly to announce, foreshadow an exemption for agriculture from the scheme?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
The most important challenge around New Zealand’s agricultural emissions is to find the technologies by which we can efficiently produce food for the world while not contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. That is why this Government has invested tens of millions of dollars, and secured the support of a huge number of developed and developing countries to invest in the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. I appreciate the support of the Green Party for that initiative; I have been disappointed that Labour has been opposed to it.