Megan Woods
MP for Wigram
Climate Change Spokesperson

MEDIA STATEMENT

4 September 2017

Government supresses Climate Change report

The Government has deliberately sat on a critical Climate Change report for 5 months which they must now release, election or no election, says Labour’s Climate Change spokesperson Megan Woods.

“I want the report released immediately, so that New Zealanders can see for themselves what the risks are from not confronting the Climate Change crisis.

“The Government has tried to hide the report that says the homes of 130,000 New Zealanders are at risk from Climate Change. The Ministry of the Environment report has put the cost alone of replacement homes in coastal areas at $19 billion.

“The report is sobering, arguing that roads, airport and railways will be affected with the worst impact in Canterbury followed by Hawke’s Bay.

“It’s just cavalier and secretive to sit on this 19 days out from an election. Nick Smith has to order his Ministry to put this out in the public arena.

“Labour has promised that it will not duck the Climate Change conversation like the Government. We want carbon emission targets set in legislation, carbon budgeting and an independent climate commission.

“At the moment, for all the empty Government rhetoric, we simply have no plans to make this happen. A long term plan for a transition to a net zero carbon economy is now critical,” says Megan Woods.

ends

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