Parker David: Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill Electricity (Renewable Preference) Amendment Bill — Third Readings 
Parker David: Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill Electricity (Renewable Preference) Amendment Bill — Third Readings 
[Volume:650;Page:18724] 
Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister responsible for Climate Change Issues) 
: 
 I move  
That the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill and the Electricity (Renewable Preference) Amendment Bill be now read a third time 
. New Zealand has a proud history of advances in environmental economic and social policy. It is a history that proves that Labour Governments have led the vast majority of important reforms this country has seen. So I am proud that today with this legislation New Zealand has risen to meet one of the great challenges of our time—that of climate change. We are taking our place among the large number of countries that are adopting emissions trading schemes as a measure to control climate change. Already 27 nations in Europe plus Norway Sweden and Scandinavia have emissions trading schemes. Various states in the USA Australia and South Korea are developing them. 
Our scheme is advanced in that it includes all greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol and over time it will encompass every sector of the economy. This is sensible and avoids distortions within the economy. The emissions trading scheme does not create costs; rather it minimises the cost of reducing emissions in accordance with our Kyoto commitment. It does so in a fair and effective way by charging the polluter for increases in emissions and rewarding decreases. It will save New Zealanders hundreds of millions of dollars between now and 2012 alone. 
Since New Zealand signed the Kyoto Protocol a decade ago this country has debated ad nauseam how to price emissions. Consultation and debate on the issue have been exhaustive and as many commentators have said it is now time to get on with it. We in Labour are not afraid to make decisions on the emissions trading scheme or on other sustainability issues. We have passed legislation to support biofuels and reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels. We are committed to having 90 percent of our electricity generated from renewable sources by 2025 and this legislation puts a 10-year restriction on extra baseload electricity generation from coal and gas-fired sources. It also allows for a $1 billion package for household energy efficiency which is part of the biggest boost to energy efficiency that this country has ever seen. 
It does National no credit that time and again it has opposed every single piece of legislation that promotes a sustainable New Zealand. Right from the start National has been reluctant to participate in the climate change debate which is why when it comes to doing something concrete about meeting the challenge of climate change National members inevitably prevaricate obstruct and call for delay. In the end they do nothing. The so-called six principles underlying National’s opposition to the emissions trading scheme crumble under close analysis. They are just six excuses to do nothing. 
This week on 8 September the  
Gisborne Herald 
 reported the National spokesperson on agriculture David Carter telling a local conference that to include agriculture in the emissions trading scheme would be economic folly. That is the opposite of what his party has said in this House. Whom are we to believe? National has not been able to point to any fundamental flaw in the emissions trading scheme. Instead it has resorted to exaggerated criticisms about process. At least the ACT party has had the honesty to say it has not supported this legislation because it does not support the science of human-induced global warming. In the end we have worked with parties that take climate change seriously—the Greens New Zealand First and the Progressive party—and I thank them for their support. 
This scheme will help to get our emissions down at the lowest possible cost. It will help us to meet our international obligations under Kyoto and it will help to improve the productivity of our businesses. It clearly puts New Zealand on the path to a sustainable future. These are goals we should all aspire to and I am confident that this legislation will assist us to achieve them. We in Parliament have the responsibility to make this decision. We should not delay any longer. I therefore commend this legislation to the House.