Parker displays breathtaking hypocrisy on world stage

National Party Environment spokesman Nick Smith says David Parker has “displayed hypocrisy of breathtaking proportions on the world stage” with his call for international co-operation on climate change.

“The message is the right one, but he needs to practise what he preaches. National believes New Zealand needs a policy with cross-party support, because climate change is an issue that will stretch well beyond the term of this current Government.

“Last December, National wrote to the Minister asking for a bipartisan approach to the issue of climate change. So far, Mr Parker hasn’t even had the courtesy to reply to our offer of co-operation.”

Dr Smith says for Mr Parker to now be telling the international community that they need to work together to beat climate change is “a bit rich”.

“New Zealand delegations to climate change conferences have, in the 1990’s and under his predecessor Pete Hodgson, included Opposition representation.

“For Mr Parker to today tell the world he wants co-operation when he is excluding National from international negotiations about commitments beyond 2012, beggars belief.

“Mr Parker represents a Government that has botched, bungled and bumbled its way through climate change issues for the past seven years. For him to tell an international audience they should do what Labour refuses to do here at home is nothing short of an outrage.”

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