10. Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions—MitigationJAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime MinisterAgricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions—Mitigation10. JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes in the context they were made.James Shaw: Does he stand by his statement in relation to agriculture and climate change that science will deal with the issues as long as we keep investing."?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Definitely.James Shaw: Is he concerned that the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report on agricultural emissions out today says "there is no silver bullet on the horizon."?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No I am not concerned but I did not need to read the report to know that. But what I do know is that the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases which New Zealand has been an inaugural member of is well on its way I believe to finding solutions over time—scientific solutions—to the issue of agricultural emissions.James Shaw: Why did he announce another $20 million of agricultural emissions research when Treasury said that there was no analysis behind the number and no evidence that extra funding would improve research outcomes?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think it is plainly obvious for the world to see that with a growing global population more food is going to be required. It is also known that New Zealand agriculture has a low carbon footprint relative to other countries in the world so if the option is destocking and then not increasing that supply in other parts of the world—James Shaw: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was in relation to Treasury advice rather than a general theory of agricultural emissions.Mr SPEAKER: The question mentioned Treasury advice. It asked specifically why the Prime Minister was making an announcement of an additional $20 million to such research in light of the Treasury announcement. The Prime Minister is now addressing that question.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Before I was interrupted the point I was simply making is that the world does not have an option of credibly destocking in a major way. It certainly would not be in New Zealand's interests to do that because that production would be moved to a less carbon-friendly environment offshore. On the basis that that is the case the world actually does need to find scientific solutions and I would have thought that as the co-leader of the Green Party and as someone who sometimes talks about science and innovation he would support that.James Shaw: Does he accept advice from the Ministry for the Environment that "Any significant reduction in agricultural emissions even in the long term would require trade-offs against plans to grow the economy through the export of ruminant animal products."?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No I do not accept that advice. I think over time there will be scientific solutions that will allow us to combat that and I think it will be eminently possible that New Zealand will be able to increase its production and lower its carbon footprint from agriculture.James Shaw: I seek leave to table advice from the Ministry for the Environment received under the Official Information Act (OIA).Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular advice. Is there any objection? There is none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.James Shaw: If his Government's research fails to find a silver bullet to cut agricultural emissions does he have a plan B?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think the member is taking a pretty narrow perspective on it. We are part of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases in which there are over 40 countries investing. With such an enormous amount of scientific research brainpower and effort going in what is the probability that there will not be solutions found? We actually already know that there were some solutions found in this area. There were other issues around dicyandiamide and the like that were side effects of that and we need to go and deal with those issues but the point is that progress is being made. You would have to be the most unambitious most unoptimistic person in the world to not believe that we are going to find some solutions to these issues through science.Dr Megan Woods: Will his Government do as Simon Upton has suggested and put a price on agricultural emissions or is he happy to put farmers and the economy at risk by continuing to ignore advice?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Firstly we would have to check the veracity of that statement. Secondly farmers already have a price on some of their inputs for agriculture and further we have one of the very few sets of farmers in the world who operate on a completely unsubsidised basis. Putting an additional tax on them that no other farmers face is I think grossly unfair. I know the member comes from a party that hates farmers but over here we actually like them.Mr SPEAKER: Order!James Shaw: I seek leave to table Treasury advice obtained under the Official Information Act that says it is unclear what additional benefits New Zealand will obtain from the additional $20 million of agricultural emissions research.Mr SPEAKER: Has the member bothered to check whether such advice is also now freely available on the internet?James Shaw: I received it under the Official Information Act.Mr SPEAKER: I will put the leave but in the future I am likely to ask whether it is available via the website. I would be grateful if members would check that fact first but on this occasion I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table that particular advice received under the OIA from Treasury. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I seek leave of the House to table the speech that the Rt Hon Simon Upton did give on this issue in which he advocated a different approach to agricultural and other emissions—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No. I thank the member but again that is a speech that is very easily available for members to obtain. I remind members that the point of tabling documents is to inform the House not to make a political point."