The Green Party has discovered Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, has neither sought nor received any advice on what it would mean for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, while his party campaigns on taking the country out of it.
"The majority of current Government coalition parties are ramping up the campaign to remove our country from the world's main climate change agreement, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs hasn't asked his officials a single question about what that would cost us," says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.
"Peters is officially responsible for our international climate negotiations and managing our trade agreements. He hasn't asked for advice because he either isn't serious about the dangerous proposals he's long argued for, or he doesn't care about the consequences to our country and economy."
"Meeting our Paris commitments is written into our Free Trade Agreements with the European Union and the United Kingdom. Farmers and exporters rely on that market access, and they deserve a Foreign Minister who checks what withdrawal would put at risk before he promises it."
"Let's be clear: good climate policy reduces the cost of living, supports jobs and builds our country's resilience. The Luxon Government has managed to both tank the economy and undermine climate commitments."
"It doesn't have to be this way. The Greens are working every single day to ensure New Zealanders have affordable lives, healthy nature, and honest politics,” says Swarbrick.
