Ardern Jacinda: Energy (Fuels Levies and References) Biofuel Obligation Repeal Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Ardern Jacinda: Energy (Fuels Levies and References) Biofuel Obligation Repeal Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:651;Page:835] 
JACINDA ARDERN (Labour) 
: 
 I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this bill but it is with some shame that I do so and that shame is based on the subject matter we are discussing today. 
I have listened with some considerable interest and deep concern to the debate on the floor of the Chamber because this debate is all we have to go on. This is it. There is no select committee process and there is no regulatory impact statement. What we hear from members today is all we have. That is why I have listened with considerable interest to the discussion on this side of the Chamber because I believe that it is the only side of the Chamber that is taking into account the interests of our communities the interests of the players in this industry the interests of the people who might have been employed in this industry and the interests of the environment—and that is a big one. 
We are discussing the title of this bill. I have some suggestions for the Minister Gerry Brownlee and I would like to throw one out there to begin with. Based on what I have heard I propose that the title be the “National May or May Not Believe in Climate Change for Political Expediency But Will Do Nothing About It Bill”. I know that it is not too snappy but neither is National’s policy on environmental issues. 
What have we seen in the first month of this National Government? Let me give members a little refresher course. As soon as the Prime Minister made his first visit abroad what did we have? We had the Prime Minister of the UK Gordon Brown throwing a tax upon us. 
Hon David Parker 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I hesitate to interrupt the member but it is impermissible for the Minister to be in the Chamber and not be sitting in the Chair. I would request that the Chairperson bring the Chamber to order 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Rick Barker) 
: The member is correct. The Minister who is responsible for the bill has to be in the Chair or he has to leave the Chamber. If the Minister wishes to make a phone call he should excuse himself. 
JACINDA ARDERN 
: I am happy to provide a copy of the  
Hansard 
 of my speech to the Minister for him to read when he has finished his all-important phone call. I hope he is speaking with the managing director of BioDiesel Oils. That would be a worthwhile conversation. 
I again reflect on what we have seen from the National Government on environmental issues. We have had the airport tax. We would hope that when a Government thrusts something like that upon us one of the things that we would see was a robust debate about all the things that the Government is doing in response to environmental issues that might allow for some bartering that might allow for a little bit of negotiation. What did we have? We have a select committee to question climate change I say to Mr Brownlee. That is what we have got. We have got the repeal of the biofuels obligation. And there is the emissions trading scheme. We cannot discuss what the Government is doing with the emissions trading scheme because I do not know whether the Government knows what it is doing—but we will come back to that. Those were our chips; that was what we had. If indeed the National Government believes in climate change what is it going to do about it? Repeal is not the answer. 
I propose another title for the bill: the “Gutting the Biofuels Industry Bill”. Aside from the environmental issues that is the other argument that we on this side have had to put because the National Government has not put it. The National Minister has not taken many calls on this part so I thought I would take the liberty of sharing some of his views on the impact this bill will have on the biofuel industry. His statement to the  
National Business Review 
 was: “We think that the growth of the biofuel industry will continue. A large number of biofuel companies in New Zealand who are currently producing … have been quite positive about where we are heading”. So positive in fact that the first thing they do is shut up shop. The first thing one of our major players in the industry does is shut down. 
For the edification of the members in this Chamber and because there is no regulatory impact statement I would like to share with them a little information about one of the communities that will be impacted. Waharoa is a small rural community in the Waikato. At the last census the unemployment rate was 23 percent. Given that we do not have a regulatory impact statement I would like to share with the Minister the unemployment rate in that small town. For a community that does not number more than a thousand what a boost 46 job placements would have been—massive. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: 22 jobs. 
JACINDA ARDERN 
: Rather there would have been 22 job placements which would have impacted on a number of families. What have we seen in the Waikato electorate alone since the National Government has come in? We have seen a loss of job opportunities in Waharoa. We are already facing 160 job losses in Morrinsville.