Allegations that the Prime Minister’s office withheld information about backroom lobbying by major climate polluters - ahead of legislating to prevent court action against those same corporations - must be investigated, says the Green Party.
“The facts are that major polluters had a meeting with the Prime Minister and that the full extent of that meeting and the briefings provided by Fonterra and Z Energy were not disclosed, intentionally or otherwise, by the Prime Minister’s office,” says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.
“As we now know, those lobbyists got their way when Luxon’s Ministers announced earlier this month they would be changing the law to actively protect those corporate polluters from legal responsibility for their emissions.
“These basic facts inevitably lead to very serious claims of corruption; that the Prime Ministers’ office is not being honest about the extent of the influence that industrial lobbyists have. That Fonterra and Z Energy, both major climate polluters, can turn up with secret hard-copy briefings, and essentially re-write the country’s laws in backroom deals.
“Regular people don’t get to give secret documents and have backroom meetings with the Prime Minister and then have the law changed in their favour,” says Swarbrick.
“There are serious questions here about who Luxon is governing for and how. There’s now tangible proof that even the OIA isn’t enough for the Government to provide transparency or to be up-front-and-honest about conversations so influential that laws will be re-written.
“It’s in everybody’s interest for an independent inquiry to establish the truth, motivations, and who knew what in this situation.”
Latest Environment Announcements
Story
$30m for school drinking water safety is a start but pollution keeps flowing
Story
“End of an era” as Government law change disestablishes Ministry for the Environment
Story
Action needed on widespread drinking water problems
Story
9,000 students faced unsafe drinking water at school last year
Story
Fast-track Decision Looms on Destructive Waitaha Hydro Scheme
Story
Environment comes last as Government abolishes dedicated ministry
Latest Climate Change Announcements
Story
Treasury confirms $5 billion bill for Luxon's climate inaction
Story
Budget 2026 confirms Luxon’s climate ‘plan’ is a trashfire
Story
Luxon quietly borrows $1.4 billion more to hide climate failure
Story
Luxon’s Government found breaching trade agreements again
Story
Luxon protects polluters’ profits in sweeping, rushed climate change law amendment
Story