10. Question No. 10—Climate ChangeHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Labour—Wigram) to the Minister of Climate ChangeQuestion No. 10—Climate Change10. Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Labour—Wigram) to the Minister of Climate Change: Has he received advice that the science of biogenic methane's impact on climate change is already settled; if so does he agree with that advice?Hon SIMON WATTS (Minister of Climate Change): As the Minister of Climate Change I have not received advice from officials saying the science of methane's impact on climate change is settled. However I do meet with a wide range of stakeholders including the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment who shares their reports with me on a regular basis. This Government has commissioned a review to ensure that we have the latest science as part of our coalition agreement. I look forward to seeing the results of that review.Hon Dr Megan Woods: Does he agree then with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's chief economist when he said the real debate was not [about] the science but what was fair for farmers to do—and that was a question for politicians to solve"; furthermore and "If the government is looking to save money the science is done and was done pretty comprehensively so they should be looking at our work before commissioning anything new. They'll just be dealing with all the same scientists again."?SPEAKER: Well that question rivals the answer just given by the Hon David Seymour for its length and its relevance to the initial question. However the Minister may choose to respond.Hon SIMON WATTS: The review that the member is citing was undertaken nearly five years ago. It is an imperative for this coalition Government to use the latest science available and that's what our review will undertake. Hon Dr Megan Woods: Is he aware that the rest of the economy will pay a higher price than otherwise if agricultural methane emissions are not required to assist with reducing the rise in global temperatures—a price that one report has estimated equates to a 1 percent change in our methane targets will require 40 megatons of extra reductions or removals in long-lived gases and that will put an undue strain on our economy?Hon SIMON WATTS: What I can say is that I'm acutely aware of the significant role that our primary sector plays in driving our economy and on this side of our House the coalition Government is wanting to work with that sector not against them to ensure that the review of methane that they undertake in their part of it is based on the best available science.Hon Dr Megan Woods: Will he guarantee this House that if he were to make any changes to targets or the Act he will continue the previous Government's approach and do this via cross-party consensus?Hon SIMON WATTS: I'm not going to pre-empt a review that hasn't actually started yet but what I can be clear about is this review will be comprehensive it will have integrity and the results once received will be in addition to the work undertaken by the Climate Change Commission and we'll go from there.Hon Dr Megan Woods: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The point of that question—of what I asked the member and it was a straight question—is whether he will commit once receiving that report if there are to be changes to do that in a cross-party manner as the previous Government had done.SPEAKER: Yes but you asked him if he would guarantee something that he said is not yet even a decision and I think that's quite a reasonable answer on his part.Hon Dr Megan Woods: Will he rule out using the findings of the review as a justification for his Government making a choice to have less ambitious reduction targets than those signed up to in the Paris climate change agreement in 2016?Hon SIMON WATTS: Once again the review hasn't actually been started yet so I am unable to make comments in regard to what that review will indicate. But what is clear is that all industries within this country need to play their part in order to reduce emissions to enable us to hit our targets. On this side of the House we are committed to achieving those targets and we're committed to working with the primary sector and the important role they provide with our economy."