Smith Nick: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSmith Nick: General Debate[Sitting date: 02 December 2015. Volume:710;Page:8473. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment): I move That the House take note of miscellaneous business. Two issues today highlight the solid sensible approach that this Government takes to environmental issues that will let us build more houses get more jobs develop our regions and get infrastructure. One is the introduction of the significant 200-plus page Resource Legislation Amendment Bill that came into Parliament last week. Our approach is also reflected in the very sensible position and the leadership that the Prime Minister and Tim Groser are giving to this country in those important negotiations that are going on in Paris.I want to say particularly on the issue of fossil fuel subsidies that the Government is showing that it understands the connectedness between the economy and the environment. Getting rid of subsidies of fossil fuels would result in a 12 percent reduction in global emissions—that is over a hundred times more than New Zealand’s total emissions. It is to the credit of Tim Groser and the Prime Minister that over 40 countries have signed up to that initiative and I want to acknowledge how hard Tim Groser has worked going around the capitals of the world promoting that position and securing that support.I also want to note the increased investment announced by the Prime Minister in terms of agricultural emissions which is crucial not just for New Zealand but actually for this issue globally. This was an initiative that was announced in Copenhagen. I heard a statement that said that actually the best thing that came out of the Copenhagen negotiations was the research alliance around global emissions. That extra $20 million going into that programme shows that this Government is serious about addressing the issue but is also serious about marrying together good environment policy with good economic policy. There should not be a single member of this House who does not understand the importance of those agricultural industries.I also note with some irony that during the time of the previous Government it was actually subsidising fossil fuels. The previous Government with the support of the Greens actually spent taxpayers’ money on building a new oil-fired power station at Whirinaki and a gas-fired power plant. What has happened under this Government? Apply a sensible price through the emissions trading scheme and you will change behaviour. Is it not extraordinary that under a National Government Genesis has announced the closure of New Zealand’s biggest single source of greenhouse gas emissions at Huntly—something that should be celebrated—and it shows how this Government is capable of actually marrying together good environmental policy with good economic policy.That brings me to the Resource Management Act. If there are any parties in this House that are genuinely committed to job growth to housing development and to infrastructure they will support the Government with that large and important Resource Legislation Amendment Bill. I have heard from Labour for 4 years that the Resource Management Act has got absolutely nothing to do with housing and I almost fell off my stool last week when I heard Phil Twyford finally say that actually the Resource Management Act was the root cause of the housing problem. I welcome his conversion his road to Damascus moment at the last moment and look forward to Labour’s support for the bill.The last point I want to make is that I had a letter on housing passed on to me and it was from Mr Little. He was asking constituents for solutions around housing. I cannot blame him for that. He is not going to get many from his spokesperson. What was interesting in the letter from Mr Little to a resident in Ōtaki is that it was asking about how he might solve the housing problems in Masterton. Well I know things are a bit of a mess opposite but at the end of the year Masterton Ōtaki—he cannot find his way around the country let alone lead a party.The progress on the Resource Management Act and the sensible negotiations and leadership going on in Paris show we have got a Government that is serious both about economic growth and responsible management of our environment.I seek the leave of the House to table in the House the letter from Mr Little addressed to a constituent in Ōtaki asking them about housing problems in Masterton.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular letter. Is there any objection? There is objection.