Shaw James: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeShaw James: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 20 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7339. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]5.JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: What specific instructions has he given to the New Zealand delegation to take to the Bonn Climate Change Conference this week?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues) on behalf of theMinister for Climate Change Issues: The delegation will be negotiating at the climate change meeting in Bonn this week on the basis of the existing Cabinet mandate. Broadly speaking New Zealand seeks an agreement that is legally binding that will set the world on a pathway to stabilise greenhouse gases at safe levels and that is durable and applicable to all parties within the same legal framework.James Shaw: Do these instructions include reference to the fact that New Zealand’s contribution to the Green Climate Fund sits at just 88c per capita compared with the average contribution of $12.46 per capita from other nations?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think that is a very unfair and arbitrary sort of comparison because I think in fact if you look at what we are doing internationally—as I have made clear to the member I think a number of times on behalf of the Minister—we are investing some $100 million into renewable energy in the Pacific. Actually the overall figure as the Prime Minister has made clear is about $1 billion in the Pacific over 3 years—not all of that is climate change - related but of course that will have undoubted benefits in terms of mitigation and adaptation. So I believe that we can hold our head up very high on these issues.James Shaw: If the Minister is correct why then is our overall climate change aid—that is everything that the Minister refers to that we contribute towards climate change—just a quarter of what other developed nations contribute?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think of course that it is very much a question of how you put the numbers in. I think that if you look in total at what we are doing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade but also in a number of other areas through Vote Energy and the like we can hold our head up high.James Shaw: Given that the Green Climate Fund will provide assistance for countries facing extreme weather events such as the typhoon currently ravaging the Philippines does the Minister think it is acceptable for New Zealand’s contribution to be so low?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think our contribution internationally on climate change matters is truly considerable and indeed for a country of our size we can very much hold our head up high whether it is the Global Research Alliance that we started and that we are investing I think about $90 million in over time; whether it is fossil fuel subsidy reform where a range of Ministers and a range of multilateral organisations are pushing very hard on that significant agenda; or whether it is as I said in earlier supplementary answers our contribution to the Pacific.James Shaw: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My supplementary question there was in reference to the Green Climate Fund and I do not believe that the Minister addressed that.Mr SPEAKER: No—not as I heard the question. You certainly made reference to the Green Climate Fund at the start of your question but then the essence of the question was whether the Minister thought that New Zealand’s contribution was acceptable. The Minister clearly addressed that part of the question.James Shaw: Will the Minister follow in David Cameron’s footsteps and match the UK’s Green Climate Fund contribution of $28.52 per capita or even Australia’s contribution of $12.08 per capita?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: In terms of this particular Green Climate Fund no but that is because we are doing so many other things in a range of areas internationally that makes our contribution considerable.James Shaw: Well then would the Minister at least be willing to push our contribution up to $1 per capita?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: As I say I think if you look at our contribution in total in a wide variety of areas internationally what we do is very significant and New Zealanders should be proud of what we do.