Don’t quote me on that, Mr Key
new-zealand-labour-party
Fri Sep 30 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Don’t quote me on that, Mr Key
Friday, 30 September 2011, 3:16 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Brendon
BURNS
Water Spokesperson
30 September 2011 MEDIA STATEMENT
Don’t quote me on that, Mr Key
More water has been poured on the Prime Minister’s overly glowing view of New Zealand’s 100% Pure image with a challenge in the House this week over his selective use of quotes.
“The Prime Minister’s eagerness to accentuate the positive while overlooking the truth is becoming an embarrassment,” Labour’s Water Spokesperson Brendon Burns said.
“He put his foot in it earlier this year during BBC’s Hardtalk show when he claimed New Zealand’s water quality was 100% pure compared to other countries and suggested the negative views of one expert scientist could always be counted by another scientist with a different take on things.
“Challenged in the House about that theory at the time, John Key then quoted Lincoln University’s Professor Ken Hughey saying the ‘perceived state of NZ freshwater is good – a view supported by science’.
“However the quote from Professor Hughey, which I tabled in the House this week, actually concludes ‘…lowland streams not so good; farming issues increasingly seen as a major cause of damage; management improving but issues around farm run-off’,” Brendon Burns said.
“Mr Key has been economical with the truth. Not only did he use only half a quote, but the document he quoted from was a survey of people’s views on water quality, not an actual scientific assessment.
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“There is mounting evidence - from the OECD, water scientists, environmentalists and the Auditor-General - that water quality is getting worse, with little prospect of improvement while National’s pro-growth strategy continues.
“Pretending it is not happening – as reputable scientists have consistently warned not to do - won’t make it go away,” Brendon Burns said.
ENDS
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