12. Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Conservation
Will she be visiting the Coromandel during Easter to gauge for herself the depth of resentment against proposals to allow mining of sensitive schedule 4 land?
Hon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Conservation) Link to this
I have prior engagements this Easter, but I am wondering about what other invitations the member has in mind.
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
I have visited the Coromandel in my capacity as either the Minister of Conservation or the Associate Minister of Conservation. If the member wants to know the specific date, I can certainly provide that at a later stage.
Why does the Minister not acknowledge that because Auckland has no mainland national parks, the protection of conservation lands in the Coromandel is all the more important?
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
I am mindful of the protection of conservation lands, and that is one of the reasons why we have a discussion paper out there for submission. It is actually a discussion paper, not a decisions paper.
Is the Government’s decision to undermine water conservation orders in Canterbury, which occurred under urgency this week, yet another example of how her Cabinet colleagues are ignoring her efforts to advocate for the environment; or did she support the undermining of the water conservation orders on the Rākaia and Rangitata Rivers and of the application relating to the Hurunui River?
Mr SPEAKERBefore I call the honourable Minister, I must say that that is a fairly long stretch from the primary question about visiting the Coromandel during Easter to gauge feeling about—
I am still considering this point of order. But I will hear the Hon Dr Nick Smith, as long as it is a genuine point of order.
Hon Dr Nick Smith Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The legislation is very clear that responsibility for water conservation orders rests with the Minister for the Environment, not the Minister of Conservation.
I thank the honourable member for that clarification. Because this is the last question in this sitting of Parliament, I will invite the Hon David Parker to ask a further supplementary question that is a little closer to his primary question.
Was the Government’s decision to proceed with the consideration of mining in Coromandel, but to exclude consideration of mining in Kahurangi National Park because although it was worried that it would lose Nick Smith’s seat, it was not too worried about Sandra Goudie’s?
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
We have made no such decision to proceed. We made a decision to release a discussion paper. I would ask why it is OK for a Labour Government to approve and allow mining in, or on, national parks, but it is not OK for the National Government even to discuss it and talk about it.