Woolerton R Doug: Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill — In Committee 
Woolerton R Doug: Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:649;Page:18133] 
R DOUG WOOLERTON (NZ First) 
: 
 I will speak to the purpose of the bill but before I get on to that I want to say following on from Mr Groser’s speech that there is a large proportion of consensus on this bill. In fact Mr Peter Brown has asked me to mention that he was slow in reaching a decision on this bill because he had huge concerns but the honourable Minister was good enough to give him time and he has asked me to say that he appreciates that. 
Mr Brown has asked me to say to this Chamber that it is a fact that the National Party has said publicly that it will institute an emissions trading scheme within the first 9 months if it comes to power. It has stated quite clearly that that scheme would contain 80 percent of what is in this emissions trading scheme and Mr Brown believes—and we agree—that if that is the case then he might as well engage in this one and support this bill and that is what he is doing. He has not done that lightly because he has concerns and some of those concerns are outstanding. However New Zealand First is supporting the bill. 
I have to say that in spite of the protestations to the contrary National has continually obstructed the progress of this bill at the Finance and Expenditure Committee and that is well known to anybody who was on the committee. Indeed I am sure that the chairman who ably chaired the committee will endorse that comment. The National Party took its time to say the least. 
This bill is to enable New Zealand to meet its obligations but those obligations are not of the future not something to be entered into at some stage in the future—and it concerns me that that thought is being put out there by the National Opposition. The bill gives effect to New Zealand paying its way in a scheme that we have already signed up to—and both the big political parties have done that so both of them have a consensus on that issue. This bill enables us to go through that payment process in a market-driven way. 
As my colleagues in the Green Party would rightly say—and I am sure the Minister would agree with me—the ultimate conclusion for this bill is not to have to buy offsets and not to have to pay for increased emissions; it is to reduce emissions and to change behaviour in this country so that we can meet those obligations worldwide and in fact lead the charge because there is money to be made here. 
But more important I urge my colleague David Carter—the chairman of the Primary Production Committee—to encourage farmers to see the efficiencies inherent in this bill. I was a farmer he is a farmer and we know what farmers do when it comes to measuring fertiliser and things like that. It is rough and ready at best. Fertiliser is becoming an increasingly expensive commodity so there will be efficiency in the use of fertiliser on the farms henceforth. We know there is no silver bullet as far as livestock emissions are concerned but also we know that the scientists are working on this problem and believe it or not some breeds of cow emit less gas than others. So it makes sense to breed from the ones that do not emit as much.