Wagner Nicky: Debate on Prime Minister’s StatementText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWagner Nicky: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement[Sitting date: 12 February 2014. Volume:696;Page:15867. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]NICKY WAGNER (National—Christchurch Central): I am delighted to speak today on the Prime Minister’s statement to Parliament. Today I could talk to you about the Government’s expert management of the economy and how John Key and Bill English together through economic smarts and hard work have successfully guided this country through the toughest economic times safely and well. But everyone knows that. National is known and respected for its ability to manage our resources and to look after our economic interests.Less well known but equally as important to all New Zealanders is National’s ability to manage our natural resources and to look after our environmental interests and we are doing that equally as well as we have managed the economy in the last 5 years. The Prime Minister and the National Government have faced up to our environmental challenges just as they have faced up to our economic ones. We are making real progress in cleaning up New Zealand’s environmental act. Our country is far better now economically and environmentally than it was when we took it over 5 years ago.All New Zealanders closely identify with the natural environment and the National Government understands that the emotional and economic well-being of New Zealand is absolutely predicated on our clean green natural environment. That is the conviction that underpins the Bluegreens philosophy. I quote the Prime Minister who says: “Bluegreens are part of a new generation of thinkers who believe that successful economic and environmental policy can and must go hand in hand in order to provide a cleaner greener brighter future for all New Zealanders.” Nobody can argue with that.To prove that this National Government is working hard and smart on environmental issues here are our top 10 environmental achievements from the last 5 years. No. 1 is water. It is New Zealand’s biggest challenge and the National Government is up for it. Managing water well is a long-term commitment and we have started by investing in clean-ups from the past. Over $450 million is going out to clean up our iconic waterways and to introduce a legislative framework for the future. As environmental commentator Rod Oram explains New Zealand is on the verge of a historicalbreakthrough in freshwater management because of a fundamental shift in the understanding the principles and the practices by farmers by other water users and by this Government with the setting of bottom lines on water quality allocation and nutrient levels in every river in New Zealand. It is true.The combination of the Land and Water Forum the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and the new National Objectives Framework on freshwater provides for the very first time a methodology to improve our water management our water allocation and the water quality in our rivers and streams and that is real progress. We know it will take time but the stakeholders are working together and that is going to be a process that works.No. 2 is climate change. The other huge global environmental challenge is climate change and as a small country far away from the rest of the world we are responding to that challenge in an innovative and nimble way. Yes we have our emissions trading scheme but we are also cutting emissions in very practical ways. For example we are promoting very successfully renewable energy in all its forms—wind solar geothermal. For example Genesis is no longer generating energy using fossil fuels. Our level of renewable energy generation is the highest it has ever been.We have also invested in the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme. That is a scheme that has insulated 235000 private homes. We are now completing the project for 69000 State houses. Insulation of course reduces demand for energy and it cuts emissions and pollution as well as improving the health of thousands of New Zealanders so the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme has huge benefits.But where we can make our greatest contribution to climate change where we can really punch above our weight is in the role that we are playing globally in climate change science policy and aid. Through our leadership in the Global Research Alliance the work of the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre and the Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change Plan of Action we are developing innovative and technical solutions to reduce greenhouse gases from agriculture which can be applied worldwide.We have invested $80 million in our Pacific neighbours to help them develop sustainable technologies to adapt to climate change. Finally we have taken a valuable lead role in international negotiations to cut subsidies on oil and to achieve a global binding agreement to cut emissions. All in all it is a pretty good contribution from a small country like ours.No. 3 is air quality. As everything is linked in the environment our focus on renewables plus new emission rules and pollution regulations has meant that New Zealand has now got the cleanest air on record.No. 4 is the Environmental Protection Authority. Looking to create a sustainable future we have created new institutions to regulate and protect the environment. The Environmental Protection Authority was established in 2011 as an environmental regulator and watchdog and it is doing a great job.No. 5 is protecting our oceans. Our oceans are the last of the untamed frontiers. Until we passed the exclusive economic zone legislation last year there were absolutely no rules to protect the marine environment. Now all activities need to comply with the regulatory framework. The exclusive economic zone legislation means that any kind of exploration or production has to go through international standards. Believe it or not although we had no legislation and no rules before this bill Labour and the Greens voted against it. The National Party understands that there are people who are concerned about the impacts of oil and gas exploration and production but now because of the exclusive economic zone legislation for the very first time in history the industry isrequired to meet international best practice standards to operate safely and to take care of the marine environment.We have increased protection in our very special marine areas. National has always been interested in marine protection. We passed the very first marine reserves legislation and created the first marine reserve back in the 1970s. Last night we passed the Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill which now means that a huge area 9.7 percent of our territorial waters has no-take marine reserve protection.No. 6 is expanding the conservation estate. We have invested in the conservation estate. We have added another 12400 hectares to schedule 4 which contains our highest conservation areas and 36000 hectares is under the protection of the Queen Elizabeth the Second National Trust. We have created a new conservation park for Auckland on Great Barrier Island and are working towards a new kauri national park in Northland’s Waipoua Forest.No. 7—we are battling for our birds. We have just begun the biggest and most ambitious pest eradication project in our history. We are committed to destroying the rats mice stoats and possums that are killing our birds and we are absolutely focused on protecting our most beloved and endangered species: the kiwi the kākā the kea and the mohua. Thank you.