Parata Hekia: Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Parata Hekia: Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:657;Page:6873] 
HEKIA PARATA (National) 
: 
Tena koe Mr Deputy Speaker. Tuatahi e tu ana ki te tautoko i nga poroporoaki kua poroporoakihia ki a Ta Howard me tona whanau me taku hoa tata tona tamahine a Donna. Haere haere haere atu ra. A katahi ano au ka rongo kua hinga ano tetahi tangata no tera wahi ara ko ahorangi Hemi Ritchie. Na reira me tangi atu ahau hoki ki a raua tahi. Haere oti atu a oti atu. 
I wish first of all to join in the farewells to Sir Howard Morrison and to express my condolences to his family Lady Morrison and my long-term friend his only daughter Donna Morrison. I recently heard in the House tonight that Professor James Ritchie has also passed away and I extend my condolences to his family too.  
I stand in support of the Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill. I stand alongside the Minister the Hon Dr Nick Smith and my colleagues in putting this bill before the House. As the Minister has stated this bill is about implementing for New Zealand a workable and affordable emissions trading scheme. It takes a responsible approach to the climate change problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions although it is also realistic about how much a small country like New Zealand can contribute. We said we would legislate for and implement a carefully balanced “all gases all sectors” emissions trading scheme. This bill does just that.  
The bill is also consistent with the recommendations of the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee. At this point I should like to acknowledge the chair of that committee the Hon Peter Dunne for his careful and well-balanced chairing of the committee and also the members of the committee. I do not share the sentiments of Opposition members that it was a waste of time. I thought that a lot of work was covered by the committee and I would like to share in Dr Hutchison’s acknowledgments of in particular the very detailed knowledge of the Hon David Carter and Jeanette Fitzsimons. The members of the committee including my colleague Rahui Katene brought a balanced perspective to the debate with a strong commitment to Papatuanuku as well as a real concern about jobs the immediate impacts on household costs and an understanding of the importance of primary industry to New Zealand’s economic future. This bill recognises these views.  
In the report of the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee four principles were identified in the chapter on Maori interests. The first was fairness and equity. It was that an emissions trading scheme must not disproportionately affect Maori either as iwi collective asset-holders or as individuals and householders. The changes we are making to the emissions trading scheme are about ensuring that the scheme is workable and affordable so that the New Zealand economy and Kiwi jobs are not put at risk which they would have been under Labour’s scheme. The changes halve the cost of the current emissions trading scheme for families and households for the next 3 years of the scheme— 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: You’re just reading the lines. 
HEKIA PARATA 
: I say to Mrs Chadwick that I am not lying. The changes halve the costs of the current emissions trading scheme for families and households for the next 3 years of the scheme by reducing power price increases from 10 percent to 5 percent and by reducing fuel cost increases from 7c per litre to 3.5c per litre. Through the negotiation of the Maori Party a number of changes are in prospect to the bill.  
The second principle recorded by the committee related to the Treaty of Waitangi. It was that the property rights of iwi and the citizenship interests of individual Maori must be protected. Through the negotiation of the Maori Party a Treaty clause is to be included in the bill. There is recognition that iwi have issues in respect of the deforestation provisions and their specific Treaty settlements and there is a commitment from the Government to work with iwi and the Maori Party in order to find solutions for iwi that have had forests returned to them and that have had Treaty settlements. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: The tail wagging the dog. 
HEKIA PARATA 
: Na reira mehemea kei te whakarongo tera mema ka mohio a ia ko Ngai Tahu tetahi o nga iwi kei roto i tera wahanga. If the member would care to listen I tell her Ngai Tahu is one of the iwi included in that category.  
The third principle was about tangata whenua. It was that iwi are enduring shareholders in their land-based and natural resource assets in New Zealand and that they take a long-term multigenerational view. The changes ensure we do not destroy the backbone of our economy by jeopardising the key industries of agriculture and fishing. They defer the date that agriculture is brought into the scheme to the more realistic timetable of 2015 and improve the transitional support for the fishing industry. The changes encourage tree planting by creating internationally valuable credits for forest owners.  
The fourth principle incorporated in that report was about social and environmental concerns. It was that economic effects and benefits must be balanced against social and environmental effects and benefits. The Maori Party has negotiated a specific proposal to enhance the Government’s energy efficiency assistance including home heating and insulation for low-income households and there is potential for the Treaty partners to be jointly involved in afforestation programmes to deliver both climate change and biodiversity benefits.  
I should like to acknowledge the role that the Maori Party has played. Through its commitment to a long-term sustainable future for Aotearoa New Zealand that balances a complex range of issues the Maori Party has shown the kind of leadership that this House requires and respects. I commend this bill to the House.