Green Party Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons is dismissing National's Environment and Conservation policy as long on
rhetoric and thin on action.
"It carefully avoids any issue that tells industry or farmers that they need to behave differently," Jeanette Fitzsimons
said today.
"They've avoided talking about biosecurity because it impacts on free trade; they've not mentioned fishing practices
that kill thousands of endangered albatrosses, petrels and hectors dolphins because that would offend fishing interests
and the policy avoids mention of climate change because that would be unpopular with the energy industries.
"Even their priority - cleaning up our waterways - falls short of addressing the real problem.
"Instead of coming up with new, practical solutions to keeping cows out of streams and fencing off or planting margins
of waterways, they're proposing a Royal Commission talk-fest. We already know the real causes of water pollution and
what needs to be done.
"Meanwhile, Bill English has either the effrontery or ignorance to sermonise about the importance of keeping New Zealand
'100% Pure.'
"Well I'm sorry, Mr English, letting GE out of the lab means letting go to any claims that we're 100% Pure," said
Jeanette Fitzsimons. "If he thinks New Zealand can still market itself in that way after the commercial release of GE,
then Mr English is speaking 100% pure rubbish.
"We are, however, pleased to see that National has adopted the Greens' ideas for moving New Zealand towards zero waste
with a levy on tonnes of waste going to landfill. That is part of our policy on ecological tax reform. We look forward
to working with National and Labour in implementing this Green vision in the next parliament."
Jeanette will launch the Green Party's environmental policy in Christchurch on Thursday at 1pm.
Ends