Prasad Rajen: Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Prasad Rajen: Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 23 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4740. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) 
: 
 I am surprised at how members opposite have not really defended the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading and Other Matters) Amendment Bill at all. They have simply made statements and assumed that— 
Jonathan Young 
: We don’t need to. 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: The member says we do not need to. 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: People love it. 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: Perhaps the Minister does all this to New Zealanders so that they can understand what your thinking is. That member simply made a few statements hardly realising what he was saying and he does acknowledge— 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: Don’t argue with me you’ve only got 4 minutes. 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: That Minister does acknowledge that he knows nothing about this. If he did give a reasoned speech if he did make the points then I might have listened to him. 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: You’re not going to be able to say anything if we keep arguing like this. 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: The member carries on from the benches there but he has nothing to say to defend the bill and none of his colleagues have either. I think that Moana Mackey was right. The Government has forgotten why we are doing this why this whole system has been designed and why the international community is worried about this. It has forgotten the environment. Moana Mackey was absolutely right. Of course there were no comments from the other side of the House about those things. It is almost as if those members are saying “We’re in Government. We’re saying it therefore it must be right.” Well I hope that at the Finance and Expenditure Committee those members get challenged by submitters for some of what is coming up. They say nothing to defend the clean green image we have. Members opposite want to trade on it but there is no defence of it and in fact the scheme we currently have actually is about keeping New Zealand clean and green. So those members are undermining the brand. 
The last Government member who spoke Todd McClay was questioning some of the figures given by my Green colleague but what Mr McClay needs to acknowledge is that New Zealand is one of the worst polluters on a per capita basis in the world. That is what Mr McClay needs to acknowledge—and John Banks also. I think Mr Banks that you are now irrelevant to this Parliament and your speech Mr Banks demonstrated that. Mr Banks criticised list members simply because they are list members—the Hon John Banks’ comments were that they were not elected. I do remember that member losing several elections. Auckland rejected him and Epsom would have rejected him as well if it was not for the gerrymandering of the National Party—[ 
Interruption 
] Mr Banks ought to recognise that. Mr Banks you are irrelevant. Most speeches you give in this House and most points of order you take just do not make sense. If you were not here Mr Banks nobody would miss you. Winston Peters is absolutely right. 
There is a lot more I could say about that member John Banks his performance and his history. But he is history. If changes are made to the electoral system that member is history and I do not expect to see him back in the House. We will not have to put up with the kind of rubbish he puts forward as if he is now some kind of a god. The member’s time is over. Mr Banks go back enjoy life and stay in Auckland because Epsom will not want you again that is for sure. 
If members opposite want to know whether climate change is a problem they should go and talk to just one or two people from the Maldives and I have. They should go and talk to just one or two people from Kiribati and I have. 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: What are you going to the Maldives for? 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: Mr Bridges you do not have to go to the Maldives to speak to a person from the Maldives. Go back to Tauranga and you might learn something Mr Bridges. We can talk to people we meet from other places. Many have come from this Parliament as well. 
There are two other points I want to make. One is this: the biggest polluters are being exempted. Where is the sense in that? 
Todd McClay 
: Who? Who are they? 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD 
: Our farmers Mr McClay. The agricultural sector produces 50 percent of emissions and it is our biggest polluter. Why? That does not make any economic sense. There is no logic in that. 
The other point is this: why is this Government so scared of leading the world on anything? They want to follow; they do not want to lead. New Zealand is a proud country and there are times when New Zealand has led. I wonder what that side of the House would have done in the 1930s with social security. If they were in Government in the 1930s would they have led? No. This is a terrible bill and we will not be supporting it.