Woods Megan: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWoods Megan: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 25 June 2015. Volume:706;Page:4791. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.Dr MEGAN WOODS (Labour—Wigram) to the Minister for Climate Change Issues: Does he intend to create a low-carbon development strategy or plan as per the 2010 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change agreement of which New Zealand is a signatory; if so when?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment): on behalf of theMinister for Climate Change Issues: New Zealand’s strategy includes the emissions trading scheme the Global Research Alliance on agricultural emissions our incentives for electric cars our home insulation programme our 90 percent renewable electricity goal and our afforestation grant scheme boosted by $23 million in Budget 2015. This Government favours practical programmes to reduce emissions over idealistic strategies. I note for instance the previous Government’s strategy of New Zealand being carbon-neutral but during 1999 to 2007 net emissions went up by 28 percent.Dr Megan Woods: How does he plan to meet his Government’s target of a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with no low-carbon strategy or plan and no plan to create a strategy?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I am far more interested in actual programmes that will deliver real reductions in emissions than the sorts of idealistic strategies that we had for 9 years when emissions went up in net terms by 28 percent. That is why this Government includes an emissions trading scheme something the previous Government talked about for 9 years but we did—things like the likes of the renewable energy target where we went backwards under the previous Government but are now are up to 80 percent and are on target to reach 90 percent renewable electricity; things like our electric car programme; and things like the work of Jo Goodhew around the afforestation programme. All of those programmes are real and will make a positive difference.Dr Megan Woods: Will he consider the appointment of a depoliticised independent body such as the one in the UK that has responsibility for carbon planning and budgeting and an actual plan of how to meet emission reduction targets?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I think I have set out a very clear active plan of what this Government is doing around climate change. In my view having some sort of cross-party think scheme was the sort of approach that occurred under the previous Government when emissions grew very rapidly.Joanne Hayes: How does this Government’s actual record on emissions compare with that of the previous Government since the Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed?James Shaw: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I understand that that supplementary question is designed to enable the Minister to attack the previous Labour Government and would contravene your ruling the other day.Mr SPEAKER: I do not agree. It is perfectly in order for a current administration to talk about records of a former administration and put that in context. [Interruption] Order! I am on my feet. That has always been the case. The point I know that Mr Shaw is referring to is that when I detect that it is simply an attack question rather than an attempt to balance in terms of current emissions versus earlier emissions I may well intervene. But in this case I do not see any harm in comparing a current record with a previous record.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Emissions are reported internationally in both net and gross terms. Gross emissions went up 10 percent under the 1990s National Government. They went up by a further 13 percent under the previous Labour Government and they have gone up by 3 percent gross under this Government. Net emissions went up 1 percent during the 1990s National Government. They went up by 28 percent net under the previous Labour Government and net emissions have dropped 11 percent under this Government. These actual emission records show that this Government’s climate policies have been much more successful.Dr Megan Woods: Given his previous answers on his Government’s reliance on the emissions trading scheme and the carbon price does the recent increase in the price of a few dollars outweigh the previous collapse in the carbon price when his Government took office from over $25 to in the 10c; and if success is being measured by the change in the price of carbon does this make the last Minister Nick Smith a failure?Mr SPEAKER: The Minister may answer either of those two supplementary questions.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The legislation that was first introduced to this Parliament by the member’s colleagues provided for the New Zealand emissions trading scheme to be opened to international units. After the global financial crisis the international carbon price collapsed and that meant under our scheme or your scheme. Then this Government—this Government—took a decision in December 2 years ago to close off the New Zealand scheme to international units and that meant that from 1 January this year the carbon price has lifted from 20c to approximately $7 and that makes the scheme more worthwhile.Dr Megan Woods: How does he plan to meet emission reduction targets when his Associate Minister in an answer to a written question as the Minister of Transport stated that he was unable to answer because he did not know the meaning of the term “emission reduction target”?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I am sure that will be a misrepresentation of the Minister of Transport who today is taking another positive initiative around transport with the Prime Minister and I would look at his record around the incentives for electric cars that have been introduced by this Government. I would look at the billion dollars that has been invested in terms of the electrification of Auckland rail. I would also look at initiatives like afforestation and other programmes by my colleagues which show that this Government’s climate change policies are far more credible and are actually working.