Talk-Fest Won't Clean Up Waterways

green-party

Tue Jul 02 2002 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Talk-Fest Won't Clean Up Waterways

Tuesday, 2 July 2002, 3:00 pm
Press Release: Green Party

Green Party Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons is dismissing National's Environment and Conservation policy as long on rhetoric and thin on action.

"It carefully avoids any issue that tells industry or farmers that they need to behave differently," Jeanette Fitzsimons said today.

"They've avoided talking about biosecurity because it impacts on free trade; they've not mentioned fishing practices that kill thousands of endangered albatrosses, petrels and hectors dolphins because that would offend fishing interests and the policy avoids mention of climate change because that would be unpopular with the energy industries.

"Even their priority - cleaning up our waterways - falls short of addressing the real problem.

"Instead of coming up with new, practical solutions to keeping cows out of streams and fencing off or planting margins of waterways, they're proposing a Royal Commission talk-fest. We already know the real causes of water pollution and what needs to be done.

"Meanwhile, Bill English has either the effrontery or ignorance to sermonise about the importance of keeping New Zealand '100% Pure.'

"Well I'm sorry, Mr English, letting GE out of the lab means letting go to any claims that we're 100% Pure," said Jeanette Fitzsimons. "If he thinks New Zealand can still market itself in that way after the commercial release of GE, then Mr English is speaking 100% pure rubbish.

"We are, however, pleased to see that National has adopted the Greens' ideas for moving New Zealand towards zero waste with a levy on tonnes of waste going to landfill. That is part of our policy on ecological tax reform. We look forward to working with National and Labour in implementing this Green vision in the next parliament."

Jeanette will launch the Green Party's environmental policy in Christchurch on Thursday at 1pm.

Ends

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