Delahunty Catherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Delahunty Catherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:657;Page:6279] 
10.  
CATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Tourism 
: What is the value of New Zealand’s “clean green” brand to our tourism economy? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I call the Hon Jonathan Hunt. 
Hon Members 
: Ha ha! 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I call the Hon Jonathan Coleman. I apologise to all members. 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Associate Minister of Tourism) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister of Tourism 
: That was a long lunch Mr Speaker! That is a pretty broad question and I have to answer it from the tourism point of view. I tell the member that people come to New Zealand for all sorts of reasons and last year overseas visitation earned $8.8 billion for the New Zealand economy. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: Does the Minister agree with the Tourism Industry Association that opening up the conservation estate to mining interests could put New Zealand’s $20 billion tourism industry at risk? 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: That is not actually what the Minister of Energy and Resources is proposing. 
Hon David Parker 
: Is the Minister aware that the head of the New Zealand Minerals Industry Association Douglas Gordon just yesterday on the current affairs TV programme  
Back Benches 
—in response to a question from the interviewer asking whether he would say right now that he would absolutely write off the idea of mining in national parks even if it was offered to him—said: “That is a yes.”; if so will he now advise the Minister of Energy and Resources to desist in his efforts to open up national parks to mining? 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: The Minister of Energy and Resources has not said anything about opening up national parks to mining. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: Has the Minister raised concerns with his colleagues that even underground mining of conservation land will carve roads through forests; create processing plants blasting effects and noise; and risk subsidence of land all of which will deter visitors? 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: The main thing we should be concerned about is that if the Green Party members keep on talking up matters in that scaremongering way they really will end up putting off visitors to New Zealand. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: Supplementary question Mr Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
]  
Mr SPEAKER 
: I cannot hear what the member is calling. Is this a supplementary question? I call Catherine Delahunty. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: Does the Minister not realise that to tourists around the world who are thinking about visiting New Zealand mining in our national parks sounds about as clean and green as George Bush drilling for oil in Alaska? 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: That member is the only person talking about mining in national parks. 
Hon David Parker 
: I seek leave to table a transcript of the  
Back Benches 
 interview where Mr Gordon said that the mining industry does not want to mine in national parks. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: I seek leave to table a statement made by the Tourism Industry Association that mining national parks could put our $20 billion tourism industry at risk. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: I seek leave to table a speech made by the Hon Gerry Brownlee that talks about taking land out of schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act which is where national parks are listed in order to open them up for mining. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I take it that this is a recent speech? 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Yes—last week. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that speech. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.