Choudhary Ashraf: Resource Management (Climate Protection) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Choudhary Ashraf: Resource Management (Climate Protection) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 17 June 2009. Volume:655;Page:4388. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour) 
: 
 I first acknowledge Jeanette Fitzsimons for putting forward this Resource Management (Climate Protection) Amendment Bill. I am delighted to rise to support the bill because I believe this is very important legislation that we must support. This bill is basically very simple. It allows regional councils to take into account the effects on climate change of greenhouse gas emissions when considering applications for air discharge consents and developing rules for regional plans. There are really only two issues there. The bill repeals sections 70A and 104E of the Resource Management Act. I think that is very important. 
Unfortunately we have just heard a whole lot of garbage from the previous speaker Chris Auchinvole. The member accepted that he is not a scientist and does not know much about this topic; obviously somebody has written his speech for him. I for one can say that I am a scientist and know something about this subject. I have personally measured some of these greenhouse gases. I have measured nitrous oxide in the agricultural area I have measured carbon dioxide. I am very familiar with the topic so I can say with some authority that I know something about this subject. 
The Government really has no policy in a number of areas—and I mean a number of areas. If we look at the forestry sector the emerging issues in the whole carbon sector and the biofuel industry there is nothing there. Also there is the area of electricity generation. The Government cancelled a whole lot of environmentally friendly plants that had been planned and it has a whole lot of new generation on hold. I am really sad to see that this Government over time has changed its stance on this issue. 
Let me quote a couple of views from the Prime Minister. In May 2005 he stated on climate change: “This is a complete and utter hoax if I may say so. The impact of the Kyoto Protocol even if one believes in global warming—and I am somewhat suspicious of it—”. Then he went on to state in November 2006: “I firmly believe in climate change and always have. Like most New Zealanders I take the risks caused by climate change seriously. The scientific analysis indicates that the world is getting warmer and if this doesn’t change the results could be catastrophic for our society as well as for our environment.” Then in December 2008 last year John Key stated: “I believe that human-induced climate change is accurate.” What a somersault what a flip-flop! 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: Slow learner. 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: It takes time and it seems that since National members have become the Government they have not really done anything at all in terms of doing something for climate change issues. 
As I said this bill is a very simple bill. It clearly states that regional councils should “take into account the effect of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change” when making new rules and also when considering applications for air discharge consents. Clearly this is a major issue in New Zealand particularly in agriculture: 50 percent of our gas emissions is from agriculture. Carbon dioxide nitrous oxide and methane are the major issues for us. This Government has really done nothing in this area to ameliorate some of the effects of greenhouse gases on climate change. Similarly on the whole waste management area there is nothing there. 
On land management and on the crop production system New Zealand has done quite a bit of work over the years. For example I have been doing some research myself including at Massey University in measuring nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide from various cropping systems and from various land management systems where there are crops and pasture and in other plant production systems. But this Government has no strategy on how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which is a major issue for us in New Zealand. 
Similarly there is no waste management strategy—particularly anything to do with the recovery or management of waste with energy efficiency or with regard to conservation. Again major savings if you like could be made in terms of economic development if some of these issues were to be seriously considered particularly in the agriculture area. I keep saying that I am an agriculture guy; I have been personally involved in that research. In New Zealand we have a serious issue in controlling emissions from agriculture and this Government has done nothing in terms of promoting more sustainable agriculture particularly in the land management area. Nothing has been done. 
I am really disappointed that this Government is not taking any of these issues seriously because its members do not believe in climate change. I do not believe that the Prime Minister and his colleagues actually believe in a whole lot of the issues around climate change so there has been only lip service in this area. Labour certainly had an emissions trading scheme and I do not believe that this Government is sincere in following the scheme. We are sure that the emissions trading scheme will be one of those useful tools that we have in New Zealand to promote more sustainable transport and agriculture. 
We heard recently about the issues in Auckland over transportation. We now have the Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide saying that he is concerned with what is happening in Auckland with the Auckland Council. He is another Minister who does not believe in climate change. In October 2008 Rodney Hide the leader of the ACT Party was speaking against the emissions trading scheme. He stated: “I think the idea that increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is causing the globe to warm is a theory just a theory. It’s an interesting theory. It’s been around for a long long time and I think the evidence doesn’t support it.” 
I think this Government needs to take this issue seriously. I am delighted that Jeanette Fitzsimons has taken this stand and promoted this member’s bill to ensure that our regional councils when doing their planning in terms of consents and making rules take into account greenhouse gas emissions. This century I believe is a century in which we need to make sure that we leave the resources that we have whether land or other resources for future generations so that they can enjoy the benefits of those resources. If we continue as we are and keep using resources particularly oil resources and land resources in the way that we are then it will be a disastrous future for our children. Having said that I am delighted to support this bill and I commend it to the House.