Norman Russel: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Norman Russel: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 24 October 2012. Volume:685;Page:6128. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) 
: 
 I think that what has been demonstrated before us in this Parliament today is a Government that does not understand that the foundation of our economy is our environment. We have a Government that has launched a war on the New Zealand environment since it was re-elected. The first term of this Government was problematic enough but to some degree it was responsive to public opinion. The second term of this Government has launched a war against the New Zealand environment and hence against the New Zealand economy. Anyone who understands anything about the New Zealand economy understands that it is based on the environment. 
The Prime Minister has said: “Well we’re not environmental bandits.” Actually Government members have become environmental bandits under the influence particularly of Mr Joyce who does not seem to understand that the environment is important and who is involved in a war against it. The  
Oxford English Dictionary 
 describes a “bandit” as a lawless desperate marauder—something of a gangster. We now seem to have a Cabinet that is full of environmental bandits who are determined to wage war on the environment. Let us look at climate change. This Government in spite of all the evidence showing that climate change is accelerating and the Arctic ice cap is melting more quickly is weakening the emissions trading scheme to such a point that it is completely useless. It is also very supportive of digging up lignite and burning it and burning coal which of course will accelerate climate change. 
Let us look at the Ross Sea. This is a Government that has opposed attempts to protect the Ross Sea. It could not even get alongside the proposal from the United States which was pretty modest. The proposal from New Zealand was even worse than the proposal from the United States in terms of protecting one of the last great pristine seas. 
Let us look at the Maui’s dolphin. There are only 55 Maui’s dolphins left. New Zealand is very likely to be one of the countries to drive a dolphin to extinction yet repeatedly this Government has done very little about it—virtually nothing. New Zealand was the only country to vote against protection measures at the International Union for Conservation of Nature conference. How embarrassing that that was New Zealand’s legacy at that conference. We voted against the protection of marine mammals. When it comes to sea lions this Government decided to allow 68 critically endangered sea lions to be killed rather than having a safer squid fishery. So the Minister made a decision to kill 68 endangered sea lions rather than protect them.  
Let us look at deep-sea mining. We know because of Deepwater Horizon which should have been a wake-up call for all of us that there is no way to plug a hole at 2000 metres under water which is what the Government is proposing to do. The only thing that has worked overseas was a relief rig which drilled a relief well. That was how they managed to solve the Deepwater Horizon problem. This Government is proposing to have deep-water drilling without relief rigs in place. That is grossly irresponsible.  
Then we have seen in respect of fresh water that this is a Government that is subsidising the intensification of agriculture which will drive the deterioration in freshwater quality. When we look overseas what we see is that people overseas buy our dairy products because they think New Zealand is clean green and safe. That is the foundation of our export economy and this Government is determined to destroy that foundation with its attack on the natural environment. This Government needs to get its head in order and realise that if it is truly committed to the long-term sustainability of the New Zealand economy it needs to become committed to the long-term sustainability of the New Zealand environment instead of waging a war on it. Whether you look at climate change whether you look at what it is doing in the Ross Sea whether you look at the Maui’s dolphins or whether you look at sea lions deep-sea mining or fresh water—you could add to the list one issue after another—since the election this Government has been attacking the environment.  
My question is what is going on in Cabinet? Once we thought that maybe there were those in Cabinet who had some sympathy towards the environment—I guess we all hoped Nick Smith would do that. But in the current Cabinet there are no advocates for the New Zealand environment. All we have is decision after decision after decision attacking the New Zealand environment so that future generations will inherit natural capital that will be degraded and hence undermine the long-term sustainability of our economy. Thank you.