3. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Co-Leader—Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Will he be raising the issue of climate change in his discussions with other foreign and trade ministers at the APEC summit this week; if not, why not?
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
Will he be seeking support from his APEC colleagues for the position that a precondition to any trade deal with OECD countries is that they sign up to an international binding greenhouse gas reduction treaty such as the Kyoto Protocol; if not, why not?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
No, because the issues are treated as somewhat separate and, of course, environmental issues come into play at least as much with non-OECD countries as they do with OECD countries in terms of trade discussions.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
What discussions has he had with the non-OECD members of APEC about the likelihood of their ever agreeing to carbon reduction targets if the US and Australia do not, and is that not a suitable subject for a regional cooperation forum that includes some of the fastest-growing countries in the world to address?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I am not specifically briefed on the first part of that question. I can say that obviously it is desirable looking forward beyond the first conference of parties period for Kyoto that we see a more broadly based and inclusive agreement internationally, and it is useful, I think, to see that the aspirant for the National Party leadership is now fully supportive of matters to address climate change issues.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
Is the Minister aware that right from the very beginning of the negotiations that led to Kyoto a precondition of the developing countries taking targets was that the OECD countries should demonstrate progress, and how does he expect them to ever take responsibility if the United States and Australia do not?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I think it is always easy for countries to say “I won’t do something unless everybody else does the same thing.” If we took in that same attitude, we would still have hugely high tariff barriers around New Zealand to the detriment of most New Zealand producers.
Nandor TanczosHow will New Zealand’s stance at APEC assist the plight of New Zealand furniture manufacturers driven to the wall by cheap imports made from illegally and unsustainably harvested rainforest timber from South-east Asia and the Pacific, the logging of which is causing biodiversity loss, species extinction, and accelerated climate change, and will the Government support international agreements to prohibit the import of unsustainably and illegally harvested timber?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Obviously, the Government does support effective measures to try to reduce the usage of such timber. But if one is also trying to negotiate with developing countries around the whole issue of greenhouse gas emissions and targets, it may be best not to start off by kicking them straight in the face in that respect.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
Is the Minister aware that those developing countries themselves have asked for assistance in stopping the illegal theft of their forests by foreign multinationals, and would it not be a good idea to institute rules in New Zealand that supported the rights of those countries to log their own forests legally and sustainably?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I am aware of such moves; we are sympathetic towards such moves. But I do not think it is adequate simply to blame multinational companies. That kind of bogeyman approach to international environmental issues is not terribly convincing.