Logie Jan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Logie Jan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 06 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7278. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
12. 
JAN LOGIE (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Foreign Affairs 
: Has the Government diverted money from its aid budget in order to pay for its $30 million pledge over three years to help developing countries address climate change? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
 on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs: The Government has not diverted any money from its aid budget as described by the member. We are however investing aid funding in assisting developing countries to address climate change. This for example has seen us invest money in renewable energy initiatives such that Tokelau is now expected to be 100 percent renewable as a result of this investment. I am sure that would be welcomed by the Green Party of New Zealand and its friends in Labour. 
Jan Logie 
: I seek leave to table a report from Oxfam  
The climate “fiscal cliff”: An evaluation of Fast Start Finance and lessons for the future 
 which shows that only 33 percent of the finance appears to be new money. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 








Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Jan Logie 
: I seek leave of the House to table a statement from Oxfam New Zealand showing— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Is this a press statement? 
Jan Logie 
: Yes it is. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We do not table press statements. 
Jan Logie 
: Given New Zealand signed the Copenhagen Accord which commits us to “scaled-up new and additional funding” why did the Government invest our $30 million contribution out of its existing aid budget? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: It was because this should be considered as part of the aid that New Zealand is providing. I would quite like to quote a report about this level of investment and this commitment from the Government. I have read a report that says: “This was an incredibly important step for many reasons—one it would actually help the low income countries avert some disasters through effective adaptation two it would be a sign of good faith by high income countries that could break the gridlock in negotiations that centred around equity.” Those comments were made by Jan Logie MP. 
Jan Logie 
: I seek leave to table the Copenhagen Accord from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think all members have access to the Copenhagen Accord. 
Jan Logie 
: Why are the Pacific Island nations losing aid funding to pay for a problem that they had no part in creating and are set to bear the very worst impacts of? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: It is because the Government has joined with other countries in pledging money to address climate change issues in the Pacific and that has been funded out of the aid budget. There have been some excellent projects such as a new 1-megawatt project in Tonga which will now supply 4.5 percent of— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I am sure these projects are interesting but the member asked a very specific question. 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: As I said this is part of aid to the Pacific and it is quite appropriate that it be funded in this way. As the Government indicated this was our contribution to join with the contributions of others and it has been achieving great projects and great success for people— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thank the Minister. 
Jan Logie 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I did not ask whether investing in climate change adaptation and mitigation was a good thing—of course it is. I asked whether those countries should be having existing aid programmes cut to get that. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister did answer that question because he argued in his answer that the reason why that made sense was that this is aid to those countries. That was his answer. I cannot judge the quality of the answer. The member still has a further supplementary question as I understand it and can pursue that further. 
Jan Logie 
: Will he now commit to continuing the funding beyond the 3-year period currently agreed to and confirm that this funding will not come at the expense of money for other aid projects? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I am not in a position to give an answer to that because that would no doubt be subject to discussions with the Minister of Finance who of course is under some considerable pressure to continue investing in the excellent performance of the New Zealand public health service.