David Seymour: ACT leader hopeful National will get on board with leaving the Paris Agreement

There's hopes from David Seymour that he can convince National to get on board with ditching climate change targets. 

The ACT leader wants New Zealand to leave the Paris climate change agreement - unless we can negotiate a better deal.

But Prime Minister Chris Luxon says leaving the deal will only hurt our farmers, as international consumers value New Zealand's clean brand. 

David Seymour says his party is influential. 

"We've got a pretty good track record - if you look at the influence that ACT has had over this Government, I think it's profound. So watch this space." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Paris Climate Accord needs to change or New Zealand needs
to leave. That's the message from the ACT Party. This
means both of National's coalition partners now want to leave
or evaluate the Paris Agreement. To ACT Party leader David
Seymour's with us now, Hi, David, Hey, okay, So you
say it has to reform or we leave. So what's
the reform that you want to see?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well, I think the best reform would be something that
reflects our own emissions profile. We're a country, like some
in South America that have a very high exposure around
methane less so around CO two and the gases that
might relate to cities or industry, and at the moment

(00:41):
we face being punished for being a methane heavy economy.
I think it's about time that we perhaps along with
like minded nations. I'm thinking South America nations like Uruguay
that have a lot of livestock, also a lot of
Southeast Asian nations which produce a lot of rice, which
turns actually produces a lot of methane. We should be

(01:02):
going to Powis saying hang on a minute, instead of
our government officials making representations to the public that pay
them on behalf of these global institutions, maybe they should
actually be going on our behalf overseas to say, you
guys need to give a fair deal to methane heavy
economies because methane is a very different gas. It has

(01:24):
a much different effect on climate because it breaks down
over time, and therefore that scientific reality needs to be recognized.
Maybe then we should stay in it because we like
to be good global citizens. But like a bad boyfriend,
if the abuse continues and it doesn't change, then I
think we need to pull out.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Now. National says we can't pull out because if we do,
our farmers get punished and get pulled off shelves.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Is that what happens, Well, that is what some people
in the sector will say. So Myles Hurrell, for example,
sat down with him a month back. I think he's
a hell of a great guy, Miles, and that's an
argument that he's made. However, I just make the point
that the New Zealand agricultural sector is known for its

(02:07):
world beating innovation. Everybody is trying to create a mix
of products that actually appeal to foreign customers according to
their taste, and some people are going above and beyond
and actually doing zero carbon beef and so on. They
don't need the entire country to do that in order
for them to succeed. Likewise, there are others who are

(02:28):
selling to customers and markets who have other concerns. So
I don't believe that it needs to be one size
fits all as a country. I believe what is important
is that New Zealand as a country does its bit,
but does not drive the most efficient farmers in the
world out of business, so that used to be customers

(02:49):
end up buying their food from farmers overseas that actually
emit more per calorie of nutrition than we do.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
Okay, So are you arguing that if Miles Harrell wants
to continue to supply people people who want to buy
milk and various products that are climate friendly, he can
continue to do so without us being in the Paris Accord.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
He absolutely can, because ultimately, if you're a major supplier
and you're dealing with say a n Essay, then you
have the ability to make a deal with them. And
I know there's the argument, and I've gone back and
forth with various people say, oh, the rest of the
world just sees one brand, brand New Zealand. I actually
don't believe that is how most of the New Zealand

(03:29):
agricultural sector works. Actually, they're very sharp at innovating and
offering product offerings that are recognized for their merit rather
than their origin.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Brilliant stuff. David appreciate it. By the way. Actually, before
I let you go, do you reckon?

Speaker 3 (03:42):
You can convince national well, we've got a pretty good
track record if you look at the influence that actors
had over this government is I think profound and I'm
very proud of what we're doing to make New Zealand
a better place.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
So watch this space.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
Thank you, David. David Seymour as party leader. For more
from Hither Dupless Allen Drive, listen live to news talks.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
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