Bryce McKenzie: Groundswell co-founder explains why New Zealand should pull out of the Paris Agreement

Groundswell is using Fieldays' first day to call for New Zealand to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement. 

The grassroots advocacy group seeks to halt or rewrite what regulations impacting farmers it calls 'unworkable'. 

Co-founder Bryce McKenzie says the agreement's costing New Zealand money and farming land. 

He says the wind's changed on this issue. 

"And I think Winston is certainly going to look at it and it's going to be more of an election issue, I think, than anything else. We all know Winston's pretty astute at picking where the people are going."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
But now it's the first day of field Days today
and thank God for the farmers pulling us out of recession.
Ground Swell is using today to ramp up their campaign
for New Zealand to quit the Paris Climate Accord. Bryce
McKenzie's Groundswell's co founder and with us. Now, Hey Bryce good,
are you very well? Thank you mate? Why should we
quit it?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Well, simply because it's costing the country a lot of money,
and that's costing it a lot of farming production.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Here that.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
We all know that because of these agreements that a
lot of our good farm land is getting planted out
in trees and that's not good for New Zealand or
food production going forward.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Okay, Now, I tend to agree with you for different reasons.
I agree with you that we should pull out of this,
but I don't think we are going to pull out
of it. Are we until others pull out of it first?
What do you think?

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Well, look, there is certainly a change in the wind,
I think, and I think Winston is certainly going to
look at it and it's going to be more of
an election issue, I.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Think, than anything else. And we all know that.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Winston's pretty a student picking where the people are going?

Speaker 1 (01:05):
What is he telling you this behind the scenes.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
He has mentioned that their Paris agreement needs to be
relocked at, so that could be pretty open ended.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
But at least he's open to re looking at it.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
Did he say re looked at? Because relooked at is
not the same as just pulling out all together, which
is what we need to do, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
Yes, I know we do.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
We don't need to be However, it's a concession for
a start that it needs something done, and I guess
we've just got to use that as a bit of
a leverage.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Pricelessen But just for politics. We can't actually be the
first to pull out because we are so reliant on
people buying our stuff and it would just look terrible
if we were if we were accused of being climate
deniers as a country, So we can't be amongst the
first to pull out, can we. We sort of have
to wait for the big guys to go first.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
Well, of course USA has pulled out of it.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
Yeah, but that's not a good look for them because
it's the Orange guy doing it. So don't we have
to wait? Do you know what I mean? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, But China, that doesn't have to do anything till
twenty fifty.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, so they're not doing anything.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
So and then we've got India, who is considered to
be a developing nation, so they don't have to do anything.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Russia's not doing it. Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Yeah, and Russia not doing anything. So I think that's
about sixty five percent of worlds and missions.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
I follow your logic and I agree with you, But
what I'm saying to you is we cannot be amongst
the first, even though you will be proven right in
the end when this whole charade falls apart and by
twenty fifty eight nothing going on here, you will be right,
Bryce mackenzie, But we cannot be amongst the first to
pull out, can we?

Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (02:39):
And I think that's where it is going, that nobody
wants to be first, and it's going to be like
a deck of cards because of likes of Argentina and
one or two others go.

Speaker 3 (02:48):
Then I think it'll all start to collect.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
So what makes you think Argentina will be amongst the first.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well, they've already made a few sounds that that's the
way they're going, and we all know that they tend
to be pretty cobbery with the USA just now, so
there'll be a bit of pressure coming on.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Okay, So then here's here's the next thing. If we all,
if those of us who are smart enough to see
what's coming, can see what's coming, then shouldn't and we
all know that we can't be amongst the first just
for political reasons to pull out, Then should farmers start
right now acting as if the Paris ac qord is over?

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Ooh gee, I guess farmers will do that to some
extent anyway, Heather, Just how far they can push that,
I'm not too sure because they farmers really don't get
a lot of say in this because it mainly the
companies that they farmers deal with that are involved in this.
So farmers themselves don't get a lot of say.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Interesting, Hey, is it a good vibe there today?

Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, actually it is a good vibe.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
There's a lot of people around, yes, brilliant. And I
think I think there'll even be some buying here because
maybe not big ticket items, but who knows. There's certainly
been a good season for most sheep and bee farmers
and for dairy farmers, so there will be a little
bit of money around.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
I think Yeah, brilliant stuff. You go and enjoy yourself.
Bryce appreciated. Bryce McKenzie ground as well. Co founder. For
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