Nick Smith MP
National Party Environment Spokesman

20 October 2008

Green/Labour deal is no surprise

National’s Environment spokesman, Nick Smith says he is disappointed, but not surprised the Greens are opting to go with Labour in any post-election arrangement.

“New Zealand has been going backwards environmentally for the past nine years. Greenhouse gas emissions have been growing at ever-increasing rates, we have record deforestation, and a deterioration in water quality.

“It is extraordinary that the Greens are signing up to more of the same with Labour, when co-leader Russell Norman has strongly criticised the Labour Government’s poor record.”

Dr Norman told the New Zealand Herald on October 8 that: ‘We've got more progress on social policy than we've managed to get out of them in environmental policy, because they don't have an environmental bone in their body. On environmental issues, as a country we've gone backwards over the past nine years’.

“A Greens/Labour government is a recipe for a no-growth government. If the Greens were really serious about the environment they would be prepared to work with either major party to advance important environmental issues.

“National has a strong and practical environment policy, which carefully balances economic development with environmental protection.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media