Muller ToddTODD MULLER (National—Bay of Plenty): Mr Speaker thank you. Just over a year ago in the Fieldays Simon Bridges stood up and outlined the National Party's principles that we intend to take to the conversation around climate change that unfolded over the subsequent year. He knew at his core that New Zealand thrives when we get the judgments right between what the science is telling us the available innovation and technology to adopt across sectors what the rest of the world are doing—being acutely conscious of the economic costs—and the value to this country of a commission that can stand above the day-to-day politics and provide that prudent considered advice on how we manage our emissions down.So we are pleased to see significant elements of what we have taken to those negotiations appear in the bill that has been announced by the Government today. We were supportive of a split gas approach and it is in there. We're supportive of the commission being advisory and it is in there. We are supportive of the principles that underpin the National Party's approach to climate change being in that bill. We're supportive of the focus on adaptation because along with the journey to mitigate our impact we must always be conscious of the fact that despite our efforts the global effort may not be enough and we must learn to adapt to climate change as it changes. And so we support that being in there.But targets matter. The 2050 targets matter. Holding a view of where ultimately you need to go matters. Whilst we have signalled that we support the landing of the long-lived gases being reduced to net zero the idea that we need to drive our methane emissions to somewhere between 24 and 47 percent less than what they are today—emissions that come from cows and sheep and other ruminant animals' natural diet. This is not a function of a farmer building a fence to stop runoff meeting the river. These are animals. Our cows are no different to everybody else's yet this is a task that this Government thinks should be put in front of our agricultural sector when there is no technology available at this time to do it. What makes it worse is that it is our view that it is unnecessarily onerous and there are many other scientists within the New Zealand context that suggest a much lesser target than what has been promulgated.But I guess the issue which irritates me in particular—and we heard it traversed this afternoon in the House—is that this has been a good-faith negotiation. For the last eight of the 10 months it has been a good faith negotiation—and then there was silence. Then there was no opportunity to progress this critical issue of where we could meet common ground. And whilst I acknowledge the apology this afternoon from my counterpart James Shaw it is the putting right that counts. There sits in front of us an opportunity through the select committee process to look at this point and find a solution so that this House has the opportunity to stand in unison and support an institution. It should not be beyond us and I am looking directly to those in the Government whose influence in this conversation does not go unnoticed.There is an opportunity here to land because we have to do it. As the Minister himself said emissions continue to rise. It is all very well to create an institution to guide and advise our trajectory over the next 20 30 years but emissions continue to rise. And he has acknowledged that they will continue to do so to the mid-2020s.Eventually a tough transition awaits this country. It will be far better for the policy conversations that will need to be had in this House if there is an institution that sits above it that is filled with people who have the respect of both sides of the House; who are not there because of a political axe to grind but because of their deep understanding of the science on the available innovation on the economic and distributional impacts on what the rest of the world is doing to ensure that ultimately as we make this transition as New Zealand we do it at a pace that means our communities can thrive. The people that send us here deserve that and I very much hope the Government takes up that opportunity and we find a solution. Thank you.