O'Connor GregGREG O'CONNOR (Labour—Ōhāriu): I can just imagine that member—the Hon David Bennett—standing in the Senate in the late 1890s in the United States when the horses were being phased out! The reason the horses were being phased out is that New York like many of the other cities around the Northern Hemisphere—London Chicago—were becoming absolutely overrun with horse excrement not that much different perhaps than—I won't go there as a member of my committee over there but I think anyone will get what I'm saying. However also dead horses were left lying around. So essentially those cities were being absolutely overcome with pollution.Move forward 120-odd years which obviously that member has yet to do and we are in a similar situation worldwide. Anyone who would look at what is happening around our globe locally here—look at any country—and look at the incredible changes in climate brought about by the large increases in carbon dioxide. Now anyone who thinks we can't do anything about that that we can sit here and tsk tsk about it but not do anything is living in the 1890s because we simply have to do it.Now as the chair of the select committee which will include that member that will be considering this legislation I'm looking forward to putting some science behind—and the submitters who will come and see us—the commentary which we have heard. We will look at the legislation and how it is going to be enforced if in fact it is passed because the select committee process is one where we will look at how this will work. We will look at how it's going to impact on different parts of New Zealand. Rather than have the rhetoric that has unfortunately been the mainstay of this debate so far we'll actually get to hear from people who understand a little bit more about how this will work—for example those who will be essentially administering this will be the car importers and the incentives for them will be to bring in lower-emitting vehicles. Well that's a fairly smart piece of legislation and you make sure you do involve those who are going to be most impacted.I actually have a lot of confidence in my fellow Kiwis particularly entrepreneurs because they will adapt like we have adapted to all those things that we've had to change or change will be imposed on us. I say change imposed on us". I recently heard a presentation around climate requirements about changes that are being imposed particularly on farming in Europe. Now one would say that you've got to be careful because some of those changes yes will make farming a little more expensive some aspect of it. But what they won't do is they will not export those problems; in other words what they won't do is allow the production to go offshore or where it is offshore nobody who is not adhering to their requirements will be able to import food into Europe or into the UK likely—obviously different places now.So if we don't comply if we consider to keep our heads in the sand to keep our heads in the 1890s then quite frankly those who will suffer will be our farmers will be our primary producers who will struggle to get produce into Europe the very place we're currently looking for a free-trade agreement. So those who don't understand that: doing nothing is not an option doing nothing for the climate is not an option and doing nothing economically for New Zealand's ability to continue to trade with the world is not an option. I hear the previous speaker talking about how we're going to be worse off than Europe; the UK and Norway are going to be banning petrol vehicles in a fairly short time. I've looked through the legislation and I don't think we're quite there yet.In fact nobody is banning utes. If anyone still wishes to have a ute they can; they will just actually pay for the privilege of doing it. In fact it may well be like a farmer who I spoke to at Fieldays who was lamenting the fact that his next ute was going to cost him extra. However I asked him what sort of vehicle his wife drove and she actually drives a hybrid. So I did point out to him that he was actually going to be better off next time they changed both vehicles. So classic carrot and stick which this bill is about.So I am looking forward to having this at select committee. In its current form in the spirit of it I commend it to the House."