Hipkins Chris: Energy (Fuels Levies and References) Biofuel Obligation Repeal Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Hipkins Chris: Energy (Fuels Levies and References) Biofuel Obligation Repeal Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:651;Page:837] 
CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) 
: 
 We could call this bill the “Climate Change Denial Bill” as some of my colleagues have suggested because fundamentally this bill comes down to a question of whether we believe in human-induced climate change. But of course Government members are taking a balanced view on these things these days a very balanced view! One day they think it is a hoax and the next day they believe in it. It is a balanced view. Tomorrow they will be back to thinking it is a hoax again or maybe that is where they are today because this bill effectively is Government members standing up and saying they still think that climate change is a hoax they still do not believe in it and they still do not think they need to do anything about it. 
Or Government members could start talking about whether they believe in the development of alternative fuel sources. Do those members believe in doing that? We have not heard very much from the Minister in the chair the Hon Gerry Brownlee. I wondered whether the Minister wants to step out of the House again and have Mr Williamson resume the chair because I think we were getting a bit more engagement from him when he was sitting in the chair. [ 
Interruption 
] That is right; we are getting a lot more engagement from Mr Williamson over on the backbenches. He is a Minister who believes in free speech and I am sure he wanted this bill to go to the select committee so that he could have a say on it. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: But Maurice doesn’t believe in climate change. 
CHRIS HIPKINS 
: Yes that is right. I am sure that Minister would like to have the opportunity through the select committee process to stand up and share with us his views on climate change. I think he would like to stand up and give us his views on climate change because this is a very important bill. This is a very important issue for New Zealand; in fact it is a defining issue for New Zealand. This bill is about whether we want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Do we want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil? It appears that this Government does not. Do we believe that New Zealand’s clean green image is something worth protecting? It appears that this Government does not. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: Well we do. 
CHRIS HIPKINS 
: It appears that this Government does not believe in New Zealand’s clean green image but we do—that is absolutely right. We in the Labour Party do; we think it is worth protecting. We will not enhance our environmentally friendly image by being fast followers. It appears that not only were we following but also we have turned around and we are going the other way. We are not turbocharging fast forward to the future but we have hit the reverse button and we are going backwards. This bill severely undermines New Zealand’s credibility on climate change. In fact there are members of the Government who think it is a bad idea as well. 
We are into inclusive government so I thought I would share some of the views of members of the Government—in fact those of Peter Dunne who stated: “I am particularly disappointed for the domestic biofuel industry which has for a long time signalled to me that unless Parliament enforced stiff regulatory legislation there would be no capacity to develop a domestically based tallow industry.” 
 That is from Peter Dunne a member of the Government. It is quite a good statement and I will share with members a little bit more: “As a result of National’s repeal domestic suppliers will find themselves undercut by cheap unsustainable imports which will eventually force them out of the industry. The environmentally conscious biofuel consumer will be faced with an imported product with all of the source sustainability uncertainties that we are all actively trying to avoid. The repeal of this legislation means there is nothing to stop the importation of biofuel from cleared South-East Asian rainforests from land that used to grow food for the poor people of the third world or from the United States’ carbon-intensive ethanol market. While National claims its repeal is due to concerns about environmental protection and world food shortages it is about to do the very thing that will potentially bury a 100 percent sustainable tallow-based biofuel industry right here in New Zealand.” That was from Peter Dunne a member of the Minister’s Government. 
Why does the Minister in the chair the Hon Gerry Brownlee not stand up and explain to us why National wants to do that? The Minister is reading his papers very intently now. Perhaps he is reading the letter at long last. Perhaps he will stand up take the next call and share with us his views on the letter which he now appears to be reading. I very much look forward to hearing from that Minister. 
Let us talk about some of the other things. This bill has not gone to a select committee so I will share with the Committee some of the other people’s views. They would like to have their voices heard. Brian Cox the executive officer of the Bioenergy Association stated: “New Zealand’s ability to seize the opportunity to become self-sufficient in liquid biofuels for transport will be slowed if the biofuels obligation in current legislation is removed”. He went on to state: “Investor confidence is key”. I thought investor confidence was something National believed in. 
Moana Mackey 
: No only in theory. 
CHRIS HIPKINS 
: Oh that is right; those members believe in it only in theory. Or is it another one of those things they believe in until they get into Government and then they can change their minds on things? They can believe in all those lofty things about being pro-business when they are in Opposition but when they get into Government they say: “Oh well we will just change our minds; we will just do whatever we like anyway.” 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: Some are all right. 
CHRIS HIPKINS 
: Some are all right; that is right.