Jamie Mackay: The Country host on whether the Paris Agreement needs to go

The ACT leader wants New Zealand out of the Paris Agreement, unless we get a better deal. 

New Zealand signed up in 2016 - and the previous Government later passed the bipartisan Zero Carbon Act to keep us in line with the Paris targets. 

The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Rural Report on hither Hi host of the Countries
with us l O Jamie good A, Heather, do you
think actors onto something here?

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah? I do. Actually, I didn't hear your chat with
David Seymour just after five, but I did have him
on my show today. Look, I think it's interesting he's
changed his tune awe, but he's saying Paris needs to
change or New Zealand le needs to leave. And this
is very much along the lines of what Winston and
New Zealand First are saying, and it does change a

(00:32):
wee bit from where he sat two or three months ago. Anyhow,
on my show he said, look, I said, should we
stay in Paris? And he said staying and will eventually
prove more expensive than the penalty for leaving. So he's
really gone one step further with that, saying New Zealand
should remain engaged with our trading partners, but only on

(00:52):
terms that make sense for US. Net zero targets have
been set without regard to the real cost for firms,
farms and families. Now, one guy in the act party
who I do really rate, and I've had a lot
to do with them over the years, when he was
the president of Federated Farmers Andrew Hogger. Don't be fooled
by the look of him. There's a very smart mind

(01:14):
in there, and he probably knows more about climate change
than any other politician I know to be perfectly honest.
And he's saying ACT could look to countries like Uruguay
that have achieved sensible, science based differentiation of gas types.
Beef and Lamb have come out just with a press
release hot off the press saying they've consist they support ACT.

(01:36):
They've consistently called for a split gas approach, you know,
so we're on target. They're saying, any how to meet
our twenty thirty targets, which aren't that great, only ten percent,
So pricing of AG admissions is not justified. Look, I
think the real game here is the pressure that New
Zealand First and ACT together now will place on National
and coalition government.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
Do you think that National can get And this is
going to be the interesting thing is that National has
to hold its line right. It has to say before
the election that it's not going to do anything here,
Otherwise it's going to freak out a whole bunch of
middle New Zealanders who can't be bothered taking the time
to actually think about this, and they're just going to
They're going to react to headlines. So it's really what
happens after the election that is the interesting thing. Can
National kind of work this out between the coalition parties

(02:21):
if that if they if they adjust their position on methane.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
I know that might be a good question for Chrystopher
Luxe and I he'd have a lot of egg on
his face if he flip flopped or back flipped on
this one. He's he's been quite adamant that he we
have to stay in Paris. As mate. Miles Hurrell from Fonterra,
another very smart guy, probably you could call him the
smartest chief executive in New Zealand at the moment, saying
we just cannot afford to leave the Paris Agreement. We're

(02:48):
going to be hung out to dry in Europe. So look,
let the games begin, Heather.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Yeah, very interesting, very quickly. What do you make of
Open Country Dairy buying Meduca?

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Great move. Look, Open Country's the second biggest supplier obviously
to Fonterra. Fonterra's got about just on eighty percent of
the milk. I think this gets Open Country up to
twelve thirteen or fourteen. Remembering they bought Mattawa Valley Milk
just outside of Gore only a couple of weeks ago
were announced that that deal took eight or nine months

(03:19):
to get sorted. This Maraka deal came together in the
space of two weeks. And I think the Taling comment
because I think Maraka was under obviously financial pressure. The
chair Bruce Scott said there was significant challenges that come
with being a standalone regional processor operating at a global market.

(03:40):
It's all about the economy of scale and for Open Country,
they've got plants two in Wykato, one in Wanganui, Manu Tu.
This just plugs the middle of the North Island nicely
for them here.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
Nice hey, Thank you very much, Jamie Jammy McKay, hosts
of the Country talked to you in a couple of days.

Speaker 2 (03:55):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drave, listen live to
News Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.