Woolerton R Doug: Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill — Second Reading 
Woolerton R Doug: Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:649;Page:18083] 
R DOUG WOOLERTON (NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First enthusiastically supports the Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill. I will say just a couple of things about the National Party and the ACT party in that respect. National is on record as saying that it would introduce an emissions trading scheme within the first 9 months if it is elected and the Hon Dr Nick Smith is on record as saying that 80 percent of such a bill would be what is in this bill. Heather Roy said that ACT would prefer a carbon tax but in case she has forgotten I would remind her that a carbon tax was in fact proposed and that the leading opponent along with— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: New Zealand First killed it. 
R DOUG WOOLERTON 
: Oh the member realises that; I am pleased he is awake. The leading proponent of the opposition to that tax was one Gerry Eckhoff who raised a campaign amongst farmers right around the country. Nick Smith is right to say that New Zealand First also opposed that tax but we do support the market scheme called the emissions trading scheme—unlike ACT which obviously opposes everything. 
The Kyoto Protocol was signed in the first instance by the previous National Government. It was ratified by the Labour Government. The commitment period began on 1 January 2008. A lot of people are talking about when these carbon charges will begin and saying that it will happen in the future. The charges began on 1 January 2008—this very year. 
Then it becomes a question of who will pay these emission charges. We get down to basically three questions: first is it to be the Government on behalf of all of our citizens; second is it to be the emitters on behalf of themselves; or third is it to be a combination of the two—the Government and the emitters? Labour and National the two major parties both agree and New Zealand First agrees also that it should be a combination of the two. 
That is what this bill is about. It is not about the science any more; that has gone before. It is not about the argument of whether climate change is induced by humans or is a natural phenomenon. We all agree that there are changes and we all agree that we should do something about it—except the ACT party it seems. We have to deal with an issue and we have to get on with doing that immediately. That is what drove New Zealand First to this decision. It is not something that will happen in the future. The two major parties in the House intend to bring in an emissions trading scheme and New Zealand First says that the sooner we get on with it the better because the clock is ticking and the costs are mounting. 
This bill is about changing the behaviour of New Zealanders. Since World War II we have been a profligate society. I do not know of anybody especially people who lived through the Depression and a world war who thinks we have not been a profligate society since World War II. When we talk to those people and explain the emissions trading scheme they applaud it. They know we can no longer go whacking through the Earth’s resources putting on fertilisers as though there were no tomorrow and putting coal and gas through the generators as though there were no tomorrow. 
The countries that we sell our products to may say they have joined the global economy in this modern world but we know they still believe in their village and they will be the ones that slap carbon stamps on the products we sell to them. This is not just about the food miles that we have heard about; we can no longer sell our products just on our clean green image without walking the talk. Those countries will want to check the sort of carbon emissions that are happening here. Those people will come here to check our greenhouse emissions. Those people are not naive. The wealthier economies in the world where we get our best prices will quite naturally be looking for every reason and any excuse they can find to hold our products out or to put some sort of tariff upon them. 
New Zealand First believes that this country lives by exporting and that it is the best exporter of dairy products. We are the most efficient producers of dairy products and meat products—in fact of agricultural products in total. This Government has no intention of making farming unprofitable or of having people not being able to afford to turn on the heater in their homes. Those things have been taken care of in this bill and we are proud to be associated with those things. 
If National members do not believe that farmers should be issued credits that they should have a long and productive discussion before their industry enters the emissions trading scheme or that householders should be not promised but guaranteed not to have increased electricity costs because of this bill then let them say so and let them say so at this election. We do believe that these things should happen. We are comforted by the fact that those provisions are in this bill. 
I do not think I have to convince anybody in this House that I am not a details person and I do not tend to involve myself with which gases are being emitted here and there their names and the science and technicalities but I have sat through many many hours under the very very excellent chairmanship of Charles Chauvel at the Finance and Expenditure Committee. I watched and I listened. What came out of this for me and what has also brought New Zealand First to this decision is one word that will change New Zealand. It is a word we have been proud of for many many years—that is “efficiency”. 
We will get greater efficiencies in our exporters because of this bill. We will be more efficient in our transport because of this bill. We will look for alternative solutions because of this bill. If I am any judge—and I have great admiration for entrepreneurs in this country—we will lead the world in innovation because of this bill. Why? Because we should no longer be paying charges for greenhouse gases; we need to lower our emissions. 
This bill is about changing our country’s behaviour and it will. This bill is about making our country more efficient and it will. This bill is about making our exporters even more efficient than they are now and it will. It will not—as the bill’s opponents are saying—put up costs and put exporters out of business. To assume that is to assume absolutely that there will be no change and I say that that will not happen. We in New Zealand First are looking to a bright future because of this bill and we will support it wholeheartedly.