10. Question No. 10—Foreign AffairsDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Paati Māori) (remote) to the Minister of Foreign AffairsQuestion No. 10—Foreign Affairs10. DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Paati Māori) (remote) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Does she stand by her statement Our focus is on engaging with the International Seabed Authority process as the best means to achieve an outcome that deep-sea mining does not take place unless we can ensure the protection of our ocean through setting high environmental standards"; if so does she still have confidence in that process?Hon DAVID PARKER (Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs): On behalf of the Minister yes I stand by that statement. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is mandated under international law to develop rules to regulate deep-sea mining in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Rules that apply only in exclusive economic zones (EEZs) do not protect the high seas. At the most recent ISA meetings which concluded last week New Zealand alongside a group of other States strongly advocated our position that mining in international waters should not be legal in the absence of strong environmental safeguards. This must include robust and comprehensive regulations that embed the precautionary approach. If the international negotiations at the ISA do not result in rules which achieve the effect of protection of the marine environment as required by international law New Zealand will be calling for no deep-sea mining to occur.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: What environmental standards will in her view be sufficient to protect the ocean and are these standards supported by independent and robust scientific evidence?Hon DAVID PARKER: The principles would have to include the precautionary approach and robust monitoring. I think in New Zealand which has a well-developed regulatory regime we understand how hard in practice it can be to hold mining companies to account when they leave or something goes wrong. A case in point is the hundreds of millions of dollars that are being shelled out currently by taxpayers to remediate the Tūī oilfield. As the Minister has previously indicated New Zealand will be reviewing the approach following this most recent round of meetings which concluded last week and that review will take into account progress or the lack thereof and the views of Pacific Island States.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: How can any standards be sufficient to protect the moana from seabed mining given that her own officials said there is uncertain and inadequate information about the marine environment and the effects of such activities?Hon DAVID PARKER: As I said previously this issue is complicated internationally by the reality that unless you have an international rules-based regime the rules that countries have stop at the edge of their EEZs and you could have an unregulated position on the high seas.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Does she agree it is necessary to re-evaluate the Government's position especially given that Costa Rica and Chile the two nations she told the House in June she was working with to advance an alternative regulatory proposal have now told the ISA to hit the brakes on deep-sea mining raising concerns that there is an absence of independent scientific information?Hon DAVID PARKER: As I said in answer to an earlier question the Minister has previously indicated that we would be reviewing New Zealand's approach following the most recent round of meetings. The attitudes of those other countries that the member named will no doubt be considered by her as well as the views of Pacific Islands.Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Does she agree with French President Emmanuel Macron who told the world at the UN Ocean Conference in 2022 that we have to create a legal framework to stop high-seas mining; if not why hasn't this progressed?Hon DAVID PARKER: Well yes I do agree with that. And I'm sure that I speak on behalf of the Minister in saying that we are concerned to work with our Pacific Island neighbours to protect our neighbourhood against inappropriate environmental effects.Hon Eugenie Sage: Has the Minister requested advice on whether New Zealand's support for a deep-sea mining moratorium in international waters beyond national jurisdiction would have any impact on New Zealand's domestic regime to assess seabed mining applications; if so what did the advice say?Hon DAVID PARKER: On behalf of the Minister I'm not in a position to answer that question but I'm sure if the member asks a question to that effect to the Minister or puts a question in writing it could be addressed."