Dean Jacqui: Environmental Reporting Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDean Jacqui: Environmental Reporting Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 05 March 2014. Volume:696;Page:16367. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki): I am very pleased to speak in the first reading of the Environmental Reporting Bill and very pleased to see that the Greens are supporting the bill but mystified as to why Labour has chosen to oppose it. I did actually listen to Ruth Dyson’s speech which was a bit like somebody dancing on the head of a pin as she tried to justify Labour’s opposition to what is actually a pretty good bill and justifying it on the grounds of it being weak and lacking robustness and clarity. That is when that member lost any clarity in her argument because quite simply I did not hear any—any—robust argument as to why Labour would oppose such a useful and sensible bill. It is quite beyond me so I will be very—Maggie Barry: It’s just politics.JACQUI DEAN: Well it is just politics. Is it just politics? Well it just seems a shame that Labour is prepared to use the environment which is something that apparently was dear to the party as a political pawn. Well that is Labour’s call. Its performance is being judged by a lot of people around New Zealand at the moment.Maggie Barry: And found wanting.JACQUI DEAN: And found wanting—thank you Maggie Barry.I am pleased to see that the Greens are supporting the bill at the moment. Again I guess it is how you look at things is it not? You know either the glass is half full or it is half empty. They talk about irrigation as if it is the Devil’s work—you know irrigation is the Devil’s work. Yet if they took the time to come down to South Canterbury and have a look at the Ōpuha Dam they would see not only the economic benefits—absolutely economic; bring it on—but also the environmental benefits in terms of water quality water clarity and how our plant and animal ecosystems are all thriving becauseof the Devil’s work irrigation in theŌpuha Dam. So I do wish that some of the Green members would perhaps—I cannot expect it from the Labour members because they cannot be doing with agriculture anyway. They hate farmers. But I would have expected the Greens to show a little more sense.The concerns of the Green members that I do take a little bit more notice of are around the robustness of the reporting so I just want to go through very quickly the process in this environmental reporting. The Minister for the Environment and the Minister of Statistics will be responsible for recommending regulations that set out topics to be reported on. So where is the conspiracy there? I am not seeing it yet. That will be done following consultation with the GovernmentStatistician—that is the numbers guy or the numbers person—and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. The left loves the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. The left side of the House thinks she is the best thing since sliced bread but suddenly she is not being seen as independent. I believe that those members have completely lost their heads actually. Well here is the thing. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has a robust role under this legislation in checking on the efficacy of these reports—Hon Amy Adams: She likes the bill.JACQUI DEAN: —and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment likes the bill. So please please Labour members get up dance on the head of a pin and tell us just why you are opposing the best environmental reporting regime ever in New Zealand.Of course they do not have a very good record on the environment. I remember only too well back in 2007 attending a major water industry conference where a guy from the Ministry for the Environment under the then Labour Government got up and talked about Labour’s water plan of inaction. So given that history and given that record no wonder Labour is all at sea with this very good piece of legislation.