Key John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Key John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:636;Page:6833] 
1. JOHN KEY (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does she stand by her statement that New Zealand “could aim to be carbon neutral”? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes. 
John Key 
: Did she seek advice from the Ministry for the Environment about the feasibility of making New Zealand carbon neutral before she made this statement; if so what was this advice? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: No. I am pleased to say I am not utterly dependent on others for what I think. 
John Key 
: Is it normal practice for this Prime Minister to make announcements of such significance without seeking advice from her own climate change officials and does this scant regard for what officials tell her provide a useful explanation of why she has had to abandon her other promise of getting New Zealand into the top half of the OECD? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: It is normal practice to set out one’s aspirations to a Labour Party conference without seeking official advice. 
John Key 
: Has she seen the information released this morning by Statistics New Zealand showing that in the year ended September hydro and wind generation provided the lowest proportion of electricity generation since records began in 1961 and on the basis of this information how can she possibly claim that her Government has a goal of becoming carbon neutral? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Presumably the member would prefer when there is a shortage of rain that we not fire up the Huntly station. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Recognising that international scientific opinion agrees that very major reductions in carbon emissions—such as a reduction of 60 percent by 2030—are needed to prevent climate disaster will the Prime Minister set targets and dates for reducing our emissions that aim towards that ultimate goal of carbon neutrality? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The Government has a range of proposals coming out including within the next 2 weeks. We look forward to the new era of bipartisanship that the new Leader of the Opposition has promised in working on these issues and to National working constructively—as the Greens have always done—on these issues with the Government. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: In the light of that answer is the Prime Minister prepared to consider convening a summit meeting of all political parties with a view on this subject so that the decisions that New Zealand arrives at regarding future climate change policy and carbon neutrality in particular are decisions that all parties can sign up to rather than decisions promoted by just a few? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I believe that there is increasingly some scope for multiparty discussion. I would like to suggest to the member in response to his suggestion and to others that we look at holding a meeting early in the new year at which people are certainly welcome to put their ideas on the table and at which the Government is prepared to share with others the very substantial amount of information it has. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: I seek leave to table a document called  
Turn Down the Heat 
 which the Green Party launched last March when it first called for a cross-party accord on climate change. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
John Key 
: What is the approximate date at which the Prime Minister thinks New Zealand will become carbon neutral if we keep following her Government’s policies of burning ever-increasing amounts of coal while chopping down more trees than we plant? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: A lot earlier than those who are still in climate change denial—like that member—would ever reach it. 
John Key 
: Why as a Prime Minister with the stated goal of making New Zealand carbon neutral did she do nothing to advance hydro projects like Dobson or Aqua yet signed off on an State-owned enterprise burning more coal and firing up a new power plant at the Marsden B facility? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: As I told the previous short-lived leader of the National Party a desire for renewables is not in itself an excuse for environmental vandalism. We are committed to more renewables. We will facilitate that through a proper process. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Does the Prime Minister think that rapid expansion of the motorway network while the rail system and public transport investment still lag woefully behind those of other countries is compatible with achieving carbon neutrality; if so why? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I am happy to advise the member that public transport spending under this Government is up by around 900 percent on where the last—and we hope it was the last—National Government had it. Secondly of course the rail system particularly in Auckland will need considerable investment. Knowing Auckland I expect it will be looking to the Government to help. 
John Key 
: If the Prime Minister wants to be taken at her word as being committed to having more renewable energy in this country maybe she would like to tell the country why we are now burning three times more coal to produce electricity than we were in 1999 why today Statistics New Zealand released information that shows that renewables are at the lowest level of energy production since 1961 and why we are chopping down more trees than we are planting; is it not a fact that when it comes to this Prime Minister the country should not listen to her rhetoric but should just look at her record? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The member might reflect on the fact that 2006 was a rather drier year than 1999. Secondly he might reflect on the fact that virtually all the major projects coming on stream are renewable projects. Finally if the member wants to be taken at his word then I will take him at his word when he said in this House that he is not even sure whether climate change is a problem. I ask Mr Key what has changed. 
Rodney Hide 
: What specific work if any has the Prime Minister sought from officials to understand what it would take what it would cost and when it could be achieved for New Zealand to be carbon neutral? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Officials are certainly working on that issue. Carbon neutrality is the aspiration and frankly if National members want to talk about bipartisanship on climate change they had better put some substance into it and get with it rather than just saying what they think will please the focus groups. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I think you know what I will ask. My specific question was what specific work the Prime Minister has commissioned. What I heard back from the Prime Minister was that officials are working on it. Well they are probably working on lots of things. My question was what specific work she has commissioned. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: As I recall the question was asking about some specific issues—the member is quite right. The response was that yes officials are working on all those issues. So the question in that sense was addressed. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Seeing as the Dobson project has been put at issue here does the Prime Minister recall what the multiparty position on the Dobson project was and in particular what certain members in the House said about it back then? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I do not recall bipartisanship on the Dobson project but I do recall National Party members campaigning against Project Aqua. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: I seek leave of the House to have the Climate Change (Government Vehicle Procurement) Bill a member’s bill in my name introduced and set down for first reading as a first small step towards carbon neutrality. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Sue Bradford 
: I seek leave of the House to have the Climate Change (New Zealand Superannuation Fund) Bill a member’s bill in my name introduced and set down for first reading. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Metiria 
Turei 
: I seek leave of the House to have the Climate Change (Airline Emissions) Bill a member’s bill in my name introduced and set down for first reading. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I seek leave of the House to have the Climate Change (Rail Electrification) Bill which would require the systematic electrification of the rail network and is a member’s bill in my name to be introduced and set down for first reading. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Keith Locke 
: I think the House will like this one. I seek leave of the House to have the Climate Change (National Land Transport Fund and Financial Assistance Rate) Amendment Bill a member’s bill in my name set down for a first reading. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: In the interests of a cross-party approach to climate change I seek the leave of the House for the Climate Change (Electricity Fixed Charges) Bill a member’s bill in my name to be introduced and set down for its first reading. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It is surely not an acceptable practice to come down to this House mention bills that no other parliamentary party has seen put them up for a fast track and waste Parliament’s time. This practice is unprecedented and those members should be asked to desist and get on with questions. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Members are entitled to seek leave; it is for others to judge. 
Darren Hughes 
: Did the Government receive any support from any political parties for the Dobson or Aqua schemes when they were mooted publicly? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Colleagues do suggest that the Hon Nick Smith may have taken a position against Dobson and that Katherine Rich may have taken a position against Project Aqua. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I seek the leave of the House to correct the Prime Minister and table the five news releases that I issued on behalf of the National Party that strongly supported the Dobson hydro scheme. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is objection.