Enough rubbish, back RMA Bill, Baldock tells Nats, ACT

National and ACT have been all talk and no action over the Resource Manage Amendment Bill (No.2), United Future environment spokesman Larry Baldock said in Parliament today.

"They moan, they gripe, they pull silly stunts, such as touring the country with meaningless rebel committees, but it was left to United Future to do the real work and move amendments that actually make a difference to this Bill," he said at the third reading.

On Thursday, United Future successfully had the terms "spiritual", "cultural landscapes" and "ancestral landscapes" deleted from the RMA - and opposition parties have since "taken part in an unseemly scramble to climb on-board and claim the credit for that", Mr Baldock said.

"And so we have the rather pathetic sight of Nick Smith - the father of wahi tapu - and Ken Shirley jumping up and down with cries of 'me too, me too'.

"No matter how they spin it, no matter how much they cry, the facts are the facts. They talked, and we acted.

"A more honest approach would simply be to get on board and support this Bill now.

"Forget the spin, the facts are there. We fixed this crucial part of the Bill. Now if National and ACT are interested in what's best for New Zealand, then it's time for them to stop playing games and help us improve it further in other key areas.

"I laid down this same challenge to them last Thursday. They haven't met it yet," Mr Baldock said.

© Scoop Media