Simpson ScottSCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): Might I start my contribution on this momentous debate with a message to the good people of Coromandel who this afternoon have bearing down upon them the remains of Cyclone Cook. My advice is to go home and stay home. Do not go out onto the roads unless it is absolutely necessary. My best wishes are with you. Look after your neighbours. I am heading home as fast as I can. Across the House this is a momentous debate. The popular perception of this Parliament is that MPs constantly work in an adversarial manner constantly batting their sharp tongues and their policy initiatives against each other constantly trying to score points and constantly trying to outwit and outmatch each other. Much of that occurs to the absolute bemusement of most New Zealand voters. This report—this very fine Vivid report—is an example of our Parliament working I think at its very best. That 35 members of this Parliament—representative of every party in this House—could come together to embark upon a project of common interest of shared interest in climate change and climate change issues is I think a historic and momentous event. I wish to thank Dr Kennedy Graham who chairs the New Zealand chapter of GLOBE International. I want to thank my parliamentary colleagues I want to thank the funders who have made this report possible and I want to thank of course the Vivid team which has actually produced it.This report is actually Vivid's report. This is not our report as MPs. This does not belong to one particular party. This is a report that I hope many New Zealanders will read will think about will debate and will engage with in an active informed conversation about the options that we as a country might take in order to fulfil our ambitious Paris Agreement obligations. It is appropriate that parties will and should have different policy perspectives. There will be differences across this Parliament about how we might as a party or as a Government or as a nation achieve those climate change commitments that we as a nation have signed up to. That is good and proper. That is as it should be because there will be differences in tone there will be differences in focus and there will be differences in the pace and speed of initiatives that are going to be required to achieve those targets. That is something that we should not shy away from; it is something that we should not shirk from.This report and the various scenarios that are enunciated in it and are given up for debate and discussion are all long term. We have got ourselves as a world into this situation over a long period of time and it is going to take us a long period of time to change the direction in which we are going in which we are traveling. Some would say that we do not have much time and I am of that opinion so I am very fascinated by the various scenarios that are presented to us.Although this piece of work starts the conversation the actual impacts the cost the implementations and the fine detail remain unanswered. This piece of work is a beginning of a conversation. It is a beginning of a debate in this Parliament. It is a beginning of a debate that we should be having as a nation. It is not an end piece in its own right. So I hope that as a result of this very good report there will be widespread discussion there will be widespread debate amongst politicians amongst any New Zealander who has an interest in the future of the globe and the future of New Zealand's environment and our place and part in both those important areas.I want to acknowledge the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Climate Changes Issues the Hon Paula Bennett. I think this Minister brings to this debate a remarkable communication skill. In her own inimitable style and way she is able to bring to this issue of climate change a vocabulary and a style that I think is important if we are as a nation to grasp the imagination and the hearts of middle New Zealand. And so I am very pleased that she has been so involved in this process right from the beginning and I am looking forward to hearing her later on.This Government's focus is on how to transition to a low-carbon economy while still promoting jobs incomes and a growing economy. This report I think is the foundation stone of a starting point of a national nationwide debate and I commend it to the House and to all New Zealanders.