Will Key bucket OECD scientists on water quality?

new-zealand-labour-party

Thu Sep 22 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Will Key bucket OECD scientists on water quality?

Thursday, 22 September 2011, 10:27 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Brendon BURNS
Water Spokesperson

22 September 2011
Will Key bucket OECD scientists on water quality?
Further international commentary that New Zealand’s water quality is continuing to deteriorate deserves a response from Prime Minister John Key, says Labour’s Water spokesperson Brendon Burns says.

OECD water quality expert Dr Kevin Parris said today that while New Zealand’s water quality was generally good it was deteriorating, in large part due to pollution from intensifying agriculture. One measure of this was that in the rest of the OECD, nitrogen per hectare had dropped 15kgs since 2000, but in New Zealand it has gone up 10 kgs.

“When the Prime Minister John Key was previously challenged on the state of New Zealand’s water quality on the BBC Hardtalk programme, which quoted Dr Mike Joy of Massey University, he simply bucketed the research” Brendon Burns said.

“The Prime Minister stated that was just the opinion of one scientist and that if you asked another scientist you would get a completely different opinion.

“Now, as the evidence begins to mount from home and abroad that New Zealand’s water quality needs urgent intervention, will the Prime Minister continue to dismiss the scientists?

“Under the National Government New Zealand’s water quality continues to deteriorate because of its laissez-faire attitude to improving environmental outcomes, as evidenced by it gutting the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management received from its own consultative body, the Land and Water Forum.

“Perhaps Mr Key would now like to say whether the OECD’ s analysis is accurate or will he bucket this, like he has done with other scientists’ findings,” Brendon Burns said.

ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from New Zealand Labour Party on InfoPages.