Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 05 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7133. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
1. 
Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: What policy directives has he given his two Ministers attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 I have not provided any specific directives to the two Ministers—in the same way that I did not provide a specific directive to the acting Leader of the House today on what colour to wear as she sat next to me. However Cabinet has agreed to an updated international climate change negotiations mandate to guide New Zealand’s general approach to the Doha meeting. It is unlikely that there will be a breakthrough at these talks. Our broad goal is to make continued progress towards a comprehensive agreement by 2020. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Dr Russell Norman. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! I want to hear this question. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Is the Prime Minister aware that delegates to the United Nations climate conference are discussing excluding New Zealand from international carbon markets because of the Government’s decision not to sign up to the second period of Kyoto commitments? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No. I am sure there are plenty of discussions going on but New Zealand can hold its head up high when it comes to climate change. Half of all of our emissions come from agriculture. This is a Government that has led the charge when it has come to building global consensus for research in that area. That is likely to do more to actually lower global emissions than any of the wacky ideas that the Greens come up with. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Does he think it is in New Zealand’s best interests for it to be shut out of international carbon markets as a result of his Government’s decision not to sign up to further binding commitments? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Firstly I would not want to pass comment on something the member says has been discussed but certainly has not been agreed. But there would be some people who would believe that access to some of the international carbon markets that would see very cheaply priced carbon coming into New Zealand was not a good thing. I thought that was something that the member’s party was actually opposed to. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Is he aware of the distaste with which many European countries are viewing New Zealand at Doha because of the demand from his Government that New Zealand have full access to Kyoto-compliant units while rejecting a legal obligation to reduce emissions which is the very reason the units were designed in the first place? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I take all of it with a bit of a grain of salt. For a start-off the same European countries that that member is talking about support their agricultural industries with enormous subsidies. Secondly 85 percent of world emissions are excluded so if they do not like what New Zealand is doing they do not like what 85 percent of the world emissions from countries are doing. Thirdly New Zealand will have its own binding target. Fourthly New Zealand actually met its target in the first commitment period. Under this Government emissions targets were met. Under the previous Government they went up by 23 percent. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Is he surprised that there is discussion on the possibility of excluding New Zealand from international carbon markets given that the most senior United Nations climate change figure has said that she was very disappointed in New Zealand’s decision not to sign up for the second commitment period? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: As I said New Zealand finds itself with the majority of countries which represent 85 percent of emissions. New Zealand is going down the convention path. New Zealand will next year set a binding target and that is something that we will meet. But we need to understand the philosophical difference here and that is that the Greens-Labour Government if they ever get there wants a target of between 25— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! No. Order! The Prime Minister is not actually responsible for a Greens - Labour Party Government or what it might do. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: I seek leave to table a statement from Christiana Figueres saying that she is very disappointed that New Zealand will not enter Kyoto II. It is dated 9 November 2012. 
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. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Does he now accept that his Government’s decision not to sign up to binding reductions not only has damaged our international reputation but has threatened our access to the international carbon markets? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: When his Minister delivers New Zealand’s main statement at Doha today will he be arguing that the rest of the world step up action on climate change so that his Government can freeload on their efforts and does he believe that that is doing our fair share? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I do not know the exact details of Mr Groser’s speech but I can say this: the argument that somehow New Zealand is freeloading is a joke. New Zealand is part of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases which is delivering international science and research that will reduce methane and nitrate emissions. They represent half of all of New Zealand’s emissions. The world is getting more populated and more hungry so the Greens’ solution is to shoot one in five cows and this Government’s solution— 
Dr Russel Norman 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That is simply untrue and not relevant to the answer. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Speaking to the point of order— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No I do not think I need any—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! Order I say to the PM. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: If we did that we would be out. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Well I am not sure that members would want me to do that because I suspect that they do want to be able to question the Prime Minister further. [ 
Interruption 
] All I would say to the member—and a point of order has been raised and these interjections should stop. It has been reasonably light-hearted. They should stop. But I say to the member that he accused the Government of freeloading—alleged in his question that the Government was freeloading—so the Prime Minister had some licence in responding. In the way he couched the statement I think anyone could understand that it was not really a serious description of any party’s policy.