Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNorman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 14 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14708. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) to thePrime Minister: Does he have confidence in all his Ministers?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery) on behalf of thePrime Minister: Yes.Dr Russel Norman: Does he agree with the views and have confidence in the accuracy of the views of his climate change Minister Tim Groser who said yesterday that the evidence of human-induced climate change is overwhelming and that you would have to be denying reality if you did not accept that?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Yes.Dr Russel Norman: Then does he agree with the views of his Minister of Finance who yesterday refused to accept the scientific consensus that human-induced climate change is happening?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: What the Deputy Prime Minister was not prepared to accept were the mad excesses often quoted by the Green Party.Dr Russel Norman: If the finance Minister refuses to accept the science around climate change has the Prime Minister asked the finance Minister what he thinks the explanation for climate change is and does he believe that it could be the circulation of the planets that is causing climate change as Colin Craig seems to think?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: As far as I know he does not.Dr Russel Norman: Has he asked his finance Minister whether he thinks the science around climate is like whether you believe in the tooth fairy or not—whether it is something you believe in—or does he think that his Minister of Finance should base his views on the science around climate change?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: No. We talk about substantial things not fairy tales.Dr Russel Norman: Is the reason his Ministers and his Government are promoting fossil fuel extraction and mining that they do not accept the science of climate change and hence do not realise that we cannot continue to increase the burning of fossil fuels?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: No. A well-known noted professor made the point back in the 1970s that if the world today was to replace with horses all the horsepower that internal combustion provides a city like London would be 30 metres deep in manure.Dr Russel Norman: Aside from stories about London and manure has he discussed with all his Ministers whether they accept the science of climate change and can he tell the House whether apart from Tim Groser there is any other Minister in his Cabinet who does accept the science of climate change?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: It may be difficult for the member to recognise this but it was this group of Ministers and this Government that brought in the emissions trading scheme which is currently operative in New Zealand. Further it was this Government that started the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases this Government that started the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre this Government that brought in the Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change Plan of Action and this Government that brought in the Primary Growth Partnership. It is this Government that has the forestry projects on the East Coast the Afforestation Grants Scheme and of course the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative. That tells me that the Ministers in the Government are very much on board with doing what New Zealand should do around climate change.Dr Russel Norman: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I took your advice and waited until the end of the question. My question was very simply whether there was anyone else other than Tim Groser who accepts the science of climate change. I am none the wiser.Mr SPEAKER: The member now needs to go back and read his original question. That was not his original question. His original question included the words “has he discussed with all his Ministers”.