Jones ShaneHon SHANE JONES (NZ First): It's a pleasure to stand and make a contribution which will consume the entire 10 minutes unlike the deputy leader of the National Party who having called for a snap debate both ran out of things to say and was in need of gas herself. Today is a historic day because there's been a clear line of sight as to what happens when three parties come together for a common purpose. Now there will be those who seek to make mischief but let's go to the depth of this purpose. We have inherited a set of obligations signed up to by the current deputy leader of the National Party and signed up to by the former Prime Minister Mr John Key who thoroughly enjoyed by all accounts swanning around the world going to major events and talking up the credentials environmentally of New Zealand but on coming home however never once confronted the stakeholders the power brokers that lie beyond what we see today of the National Party. So with our negotiating skill and ability to navigate the challenges of MMP politics we've placed a stake on the political and geopolitical landscape. What have we done? On my side of the Government we ensured that those parties who already hold enforceable rights—statutory entitlements—do not lose them. We have ensured that the investors the planners and the strategists behind the current statutory rights holders can enjoy clear air. Now in addition to that as a consequence of the advocacy of the co-leader of the Green Party and also the leadership shown by our energy Minister and the passion shown by our Prime Minister we have given a clear sense of the direction of travel that this Government seeks to take. It is enabling us with utter clarity to share with New Zealanders that we are not climate change deniers. I guarantee you the other side of the House will soon stand up and they will prove as a consequence of their rhetoric that they might like going to these international conventions—hobnobbing—but their words are hollow their actions are non-existent and a number of them are going to be shown up as having no practical response. Paula Bennett received proposals and trotted around the countryside promising to deliver pragmatic outcomes when she had a responsibility in this broad climate change area. Within one month this Government—this Government—had allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to actually roll out a programme supported I would say by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment that said the best way in the short term to enable Kiwis to cope with the impost of climate change as a consequence of that side of the House signing up to these obligations was to plant one billion trees. One billion trees—a vision shared by my Labour colleagues the Green leaders and obviously my own leader. That's the difference. We're not just spouting words; we are going to change the political economy of our country. We are going to change it as a consequence of redirecting capital into those areas that generate high-paying jobs those areas that generate durable jobs and those areas that don't create businesses where the quality of water the quality of air and indeed the quality of life is a second consideration. That is what lies at the essence of our response today to the challenges as to how does a modern Government deal with an existential issue such as climate change. This is not about pitting young against old. I'm a grandfather. I love the prospect—Hon Ruth Dyson: What? Hon SHANE JONES: —of my mokopunas—I know I know. Despite various facial countenances—you may not believe that I am 58 but I can assure you I am a virile 58-year-old. However more on that later—more on that later. [Interruption] Too much detail." my bald-headed friend Ron Mark sitting in front of me says. But I want to come back to the practical things that we're going to do. Let's just walk them through. You see there is a counter-narrative on the other side of the House. They don't want us to tidy up the quality of water. They don't want us to take any robust steps to address our climate change obligations. They don't want us to move towards a better more efficient less polluting transport fleet. They don't want us to actually take changes that stop the next generation—or as I said my mokopunas—being imperilled as a consequence of massive climate change forces. What do we hear? We hear scaremongering about coal whilst the very leaders that they purport to represent from the dairy sector are privately telling us that we're not going fast enough. They're coming into our offices and saying "We salute your boldness. Let's join forces. The nation needs a plan. The nation needs a strategy." Why? Why do they say that? Because they know this is no longer the case under the last crowd where they promised that the best way to turn the fortunes of New Zealand around was to expand output and to hell with the environment. We're not going to do that. We're willing to be measured and we're willing to be challenged in 2020—Todd Muller: You will be. Hon SHANE JONES: —when the next election comes. Oh I've just heard from the Ken Barlow of New Zealand politics—the forgettable actor parading around as the climate change spokesman for the other side of the House. He is a man who tells the media he's going to bring us together under the rubric of climate change; a man who has the first opportunity to join forces with the co-leader of the Green Party the energy Minister and our own Prime Minister. I guarantee you he will turn his back. He will turn his back because they are afraid to confront the stakeholders who lie behind them—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Hon SHANE JONES: —and who pull their strings. They—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Now that is transgressing the Standing Orders. Hon SHANE JONES: I withdraw that remark Madam Deputy Speaker. I won't bother arguing the toss. The reality is—[Interruption] I withdraw that remark. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. Hon SHANE JONES: The key point is this is a transparent demonstration of the willingness to make long-term decisions absorb the downside of making those long-term calls and not lose heart or not lose confidence whilst at the same time demonstrating coherence. Hon David Parker: Investing for the future. Hon SHANE JONES: That is the essence of MMP politics. Well naturally the "Darling of the Regions" will continue to invest in the future—sorry the first citizen I should say—and I might be pilloried as a consequence in some corners on the other side of the House about the robust decision we took today. But that's what leadership and being a part of a bold team is about. Don't consign these problematic decisions to the mokopunas and the next generation. We're setting a long-term direction but we're securing the rights of people who go to work today go to work next week go to work next year and go to work in 2020. A host of the people on the other side of the House will be going to different work in 2020 of that I can assure you. So yes I am happy that our leaders will be going to Taranaki but the Taranaki business community themselves know they've got to go through a transition. The engineers that people are fearful might lose their jobs: once our infrastructure programme opens up and once we actually get along and build a host of infrastructure services to deal with water degradation—a further bequeathment from the other side of the House to us—we will need every engineer in the country. And I tell you what when we absorb the slack resources that time to time come from other sectors of the economy we will ensure they're adequately trained. We will ensure that those seeking a vocational form of training have the opportunity in the transition economy. I stand with pride today as a champion of the regions to give them heart that this message has no short-term downside and much long-term upside."