Ardern Shane: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeArdern Shane: General Debate[Sitting date: 31 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:12130. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country):Rather than respond to that last call I thought I might talk about the likely face of a new Government if there were to be a change. If there were to be a change what would it look like? What would it look like if we were to have an election and there were to be a change of Government? It would potentially be a Green-Labour coalition based on—Tim Macindoe: Who else would be that?SHANE ARDERN: Well who else is there? That is exactly right—very good question. What is it that the Greens and Labour would do? What is it that they have said that they would do?Well let us touch on the areas that the Green Party in particular spent a lot of time campaigning on: environmental issues. Let us have a look at what some of its rhetoric in that area compared with what it actually does itself has been like. For example just recently there was an environmental award handed out to the Taranaki Regional Council for the fact that it has planted 90 percent of the stream banks in the Taranaki region which incidentally add up to more kilometres than the whole coastline of New Zealand—the whole coastline of New Zealand—in riparian margin planting in consultation and in collaboration with other organisations including of course the farmers who were the main leaders.What did the Greens say when the council won that prize? What did they say? They said that it was “an undeserving winner of that prize.” In fact what Dr Russel Norman said was there was an academic scientist from Massey University—I am not going to name the gentleman because I do not want to malign the gentleman—who would have been a far better recipient of the prize. That pretty much sums it up. What the Greens do talk about what they would like to see done but they do not actually acknowledge those who do it—they do not acknowledge those who would do it.So let us have a look at some economic facts around some of what they have talked about. We know that the world population is growing. We know that New Zealand is a low-carbon producer of food. We know that there is going to be a growing demand for food. We know that currently there are 2.5 million children a year who starve to death. We know that there are 850 million people who are living below the poverty line around the world. The Greens are going to impose a suite of policies on New Zealand agriculture that could lead to only one thing and that is a decline in the production of healthy wholesome sustainable food. Where does that fit in with their philosophy of being a caring compassionate group? Where does it fit in with Labour’s policies?Well if you look at what Labour has said it would do in conjunction with its Green coalition partners is it would introduce a capital gains tax. It would introduce and immediately bring into effect an emissions trading tax on animal emissions. It would introduce higher income tax. It would introduce higher company tax. It would put a limit on livestock numbers in our agricultural industries. It would limit the use of water. In fact when you talk about the greatest potential for increasing food production and economic well-being not only for “New Zealand Incorporated” but for the feeding of the world as the population grows Labour would introduce limits on water use the No. 1 driver of production.It would also introduce a limit on nitrogen use on the basis that somehow or other this is going to stop environmental damage. I have here two photographs which I will table at the end of my speech. One of them is a dairy farm in Taranaki with a river running through it with the riparian margin planted. The other one isZealandia reserve here in Wellington. I invite members to take a look at these photographs and tell me which one they would prefer to drink or swim in. Both of them are waterways within New Zealand. One is in the middle of an urban area; the other is in the middle of a dairy farm in Taranaki. Yet if you listen to the Greens this one inZealandia is apparently pristine unpolluted and without problem. But that is nitrate. That is pure nitrate. That is what that algae is growing on—pure nitrate. And that one is in the middle—Hon Trevor Mallard: And why?SHANE ARDERN: Not because of agriculture. And why and why? Well there you go. Father Time over there who has been in the Parliament for 35 years says: “And why?”. Well I will tell the member why. It is because it has high nitrate running into that reservoir—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption ] Order! Your time has expired.SHANE ARDERN: I seek leave the leave of the House to table two photographs demonstrating—