Graham Kennedy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeGraham Kennedy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 15 April 2014. Volume:698;Page:17227. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM (Green) to theMinister for Climate Change Issues: Does he stand by his statement in this House on 8 August 2013 that: “We have every reason to be concerned about New Zealand’s reputation but our action on climate change right now is not amongst those reasons.”?Hon TIM GROSER (Minister for Climate Change Issues): Yes I stand by that statement which of course was made in the context of very legitimate concerns on 8 August 2013 around the whey protein concentrate issue and where I and many New Zealanders were concerned about New Zealand’s reputation on those grounds until we found out it was a false positive. But I was multitasking. It expressed also my view then which remains my view today that New Zealand’s reputation in terms of our contribution to climate change is just fine.Dr Kennedy Graham: How can he not be concerned about New Zealand’s reputation on climate change when according to Otago University Associate Professor Bob Lloyd New Zealand is widely viewed as a “selfish” climate negotiator on the world stage?Hon TIM GROSER: Because I totally reject the assertion. The reason why I think we are doing our share is as follows. Assuming the Australian Senate does indeed repeal the Australian carbon tax New Zealand will be the only country in the world outside the European Union to have a comprehensive price on carbon. The World Bank mapping report on pricing carbon schemes estimates that a very modest—unfortunately—7 percent of global emissions are covered by pricing schemes. Fortunately New Zealand is among that and therefore we can hold our head high.Dr Kennedy Graham: So what is his response to a comment this week from leading climate scientist Dr JimRenwick of Victoria University that political will on climate change is “lacking” in New Zealand?Hon TIM GROSER: Well I think political will around the world is lacking on climate change in terms of global mitigation for the very simple reason that for example in the Kyoto Protocol neither the United States nor China which are responsible for 40 percent of emissions took any commitment under the Kyoto Protocol. Because 100 countries since then have still offered to do absolutely nothing what we need is a global response but I think New Zealand is absolutely in the right space on this issue.Dr Kennedy Graham: Then what is his response to New Zealand’s lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change mitigation report Professor Ralph Sims of Massey University who said that the Minister’s description of New Zealand’s mitigation opportunities as being limited is “far from correct”?Hon TIM GROSER: I would respectfully suggest to the gentleman that he stick to his field of expertise because when we look at the wild statements that that gentleman made they are palpably wrong on multiple levels. Going around pretending that every country in the world is doing 10 percent 20 percent or 30 percent reductions is complete and utter nonsense so I think that “Stick to the knitting.” would not be a bad piece of advice.Dr Kennedy Graham: Is the Minister credibly saying that New Zealanders should believe his multitask position on climate change rather than that of New Zealand’s leading independent climate scientists who have this week called his Government “wrong” “selfish” and “lacking” in political will?Hon TIM GROSER: I think that the New Zealand community should listen very carefully to the professor when he is talking about his particular field of scientific expertise on which I would have nothing to comment but when he steers across into broader questions of comparability I suggest that actually it would be better to listen to the person who represents the Government and who has access to a wide range of official advice.