Paul Hunt, Simon Bridges’ Correspondence and Research Assistant has responded to an email from a reader about National voting for the Zero Carbon Bill as follows:
On behalf of Hon Simon Bridges, Leader of the Opposition, thank you for your email regarding the Zero Carbon Act.
National supported the Zero Carbon Act because we believe there should be an enduring independent Climate Change Commission. An independent Climate Change Commission helps provide certainty and stability for everyone to plan and respond. Regardless of who is in Government, business, households and consumers need to be confident that the advice and reports on any climate change policies are robust and transparent.
National does not agree with everything in the Zero Carbon Act. We put forward several changes to make the Act more science-based and take into account economic impacts. Unfortunately Winston Peters and New Zealand First blocked every change National put forward in Parliament.
Our proposed changes were:
- That the target for biological methane reduction be recommended by the independent Climate Change Commission. National believes the target in the Act of 24-47% is too high and does not align with the independent science.
- That the Act makes clear the stated aim of the Paris Agreement is for greenhouse gas reduction to occur in a manner that does not threaten food production.
- To strengthen provisions that consider the level of action being taken by other countries and allow targets to be adjusted to ensure we remain in step with the international community.
- To strengthen provisions for the Commission to consider economic impacts when providing advice on targets and emissions reductions.
- That the Act ensures the Commission considers the appropriate use of forestry offsets, and has regard for the carbon sink represented by crops, riparian planting, and other farm biomass.
- That emissions budgets be split between biogenic methane and carbon dioxide as recommended by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
- That the Act includes a greater commitment to investment in innovation and research and development to find new solutions for reducing emissions.
Should we earn the right to govern in 2020 we will make these amendments in our first 100 days in office. We will ensure the Bill drives the appropriate long-term change while factoring in the wider impacts on the economy, jobs and incomes.
National will continue to make independent judgments when it comes to climate change policy responses. We continue to oppose the ban on offshore oil exploration imposed by this Labour-NZ First-Greens Government, and we also have opposed calls to declare a climate emergency.
National supports sensible and practical solutions to address climate change that do not damage our economy or drive up the cost of living. We support policies which give New Zealand’s industries the freedom to grow and prosper. Our approach is to work alongside businesses to enable them to innovate and develop world leading environmental practices. Our farmers, foresters and other primary sector industries understand the importance of looking after their natural environment and have been implementing measures to do so. National will back our businesses to succeed while supporting their development of environmentally friendly technologies and practices.
Thank you for taking the time to write. Mr Bridges appreciates reading your perspectives and insights on this issue.
National Party
National’s wrong thinking begins in the very first sentence. “… we believe there should be an enduring independent Climate Change Commission.” Why not an independent Gravity Commission? Or an independent Tsunami Commission? Or an independent Cloud Cover Commission? Or an independent Comet Commission? Governments cannot alter any one of those things so why waste taxpayer dollars setting up and staffing the first?
And it will not be independent anyway. There will not be a single dissenting voice on the Climate Change Commission. Anyone who does not believe the “97% of scientists” or the “11,257 ‘scientists’ and Mickey Mouse” will get past the selection process.
Since no one yet has been able to supply a single piece of verifiable physical evidence that increasing the atmospheric concentration of CO2 or methane – let alone the tiny proportion of it that comes from our cars, farms or whatever we do – causes our planet’s mean air temperature to rise, National’s fiddling with target percentages is a waste of time.
Ditto planting forests as off-sets or buying indulgences off-shore; none of this is going to change what the climate is going to do, so changing this Act in the first 100 days when they finally get back into office in the 22nd century is not going to affect the climate in any way.
Withdraw from the Paris Agreement and spend the money on cleaning up our waterways and beaches. Work out a means to turn our trash into heat or power rather than stockpiling it in paddocks or burying it in landfills. Pursue the predator free aim. There are plenty of worthwhile ideals to follow that will improve our environment.
Playing climate god, is not one of them.