Carter John: Biofuel Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Carter John: Biofuel Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 02 September 2008. Volume:649;Page:18276. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JOHN CARTER (National—Northland) 
: 
 I have been listening to this debate and it is just amazing listening to the reasons why the smaller parties are supporting this legislation. This Government is foisting a Mad Hatter’s experiment on this country and if we listen to the debates by first of all the Greens by New Zealand First and by Peter Dunne we hear them all saying: “Yep we know there are some problems. Yep we know some issues need to be debated. But nevertheless let us be first let us give it a go and let us lead the world on this whole issue.”  
One of the things that absolutely astonished me was what Peter Brown said. He went through three reasons three things that he was concerned about and that really worried New Zealand First with the last reason being an issue about food security and the impact it might have on other countries. But he said in the end that those members can accept it because it will happen anyway so it does not matter. That is exactly what he said and the  
Hansard 
 will prove it. He said it does not matter because it will happen like that anyway so let us not worry about it. Well we need to be worried about those very things.  
Peter Dunne said exactly the same thing. He said there are real worries about this whole bill and we should be concerned about it but if we do not get started we will never get going. Well it is all very well to say we should get on the bike but I say that if it is going downhill at a great rate of knots and one cannot control it then one does not want to get on it. That is what Peter Dunne is saying.  
I listened to Jeanette Fitzsimons. She said that although we know there are a whole lot of issues around the world that we need to be concerned about and that all sorts of reports are telling us this is a real problem we need not worry because we will put this sort of ring around New Zealand. She said we will make sure that it is New Zealand - generated and that the rest of the world does not matter because we will do our own little bit. Well if we are to try to contain ourselves then we will be going back to the good old days when we had all the borders shut people could not come and trade and we were not allowed to do things overseas. If we wanted to buy a pound of butter or margarine we had to go to the doctor to get a prescription! Are we going back to those days? Obviously that is what the Government wants and those parties are supporting the Clark-Peters Government in making the sorts of policies that take us backwards at a great rate of knots. I have to say that is just crazy.  
Mr Chairman you are indicating that I should come back to the bill but I am pointing out that this is a crazy silly bill. All of Part 1 is just dopey and New Zealand will end up being worse off.  
The Minister of Finance has come down to the Chamber to listen to my speech and I can understand why he would do that. He is worried about the financial impact this bill will have on the country. He should be concerned. He knows that at this time when New Zealanders are struggling when New Zealanders have their backs to the wall and when lots of people are struggling to put food in the mouths of their children his Government wants to put more costs on to those families. This whole bill will add more on to their fuel costs and it will add more on to their living costs. He might laugh about it but that is the impact it will have.  
Not one person who came before the Local Government and Environment Committee said: “Please do this because it will be advantageous financially to New Zealanders.” Not one! Everyone said that yes there will be a cost. Even the Minister’s own officials said that and I ask the Minister of Finance to have a look at this paper. The officials said there is an issue around the cost. Surely to goodness should we not be listening to the officials and listening to the submitters?  
The only people who seem to think that it does not matter is the Labour Government and New Zealand First. The Greens do not seem to worry about these costs. Peter Dunne does not seem to be worried about them. Surely to goodness somewhere along the line we have to take into account what the public think about more costs being put on to them by this House. Is that not an issue we should be worried about? Maybe the Minister of Finance does not care. Maybe it does not matter.  
Moana Mackey 
: What if it works out cheaper? 
JOHN CARTER 
: Cheaper than what?  
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Why make it compulsory? 
JOHN CARTER 
: That is a good question. If it could be cheaper as the chairperson of the select committee says then surely to goodness it will just happen will it not?