17 June 2005

Confused Smith gets it wrong again

Nick Smith has once again embarrassed himself and the National party says Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change Pete Hodgson.

Mr Hodgson was referring to the privileges complaint lodged today by Dr Smith.

“Smith has got his facts wrong yet again and should apologise to the Speaker for wasting her time, Michael Cullen for the unfounded allegation he has made and to the National Party for stuffing up yet again.

The true sequence of events is as follows:

Ministry for the Environment advise UN of actual greenhouse gas emissions for the year 2003 on 15 April 2005

Report on forecast for emissions for the period 2008 – 2012 received in Pete Hodgson's office on 27 May 2005

Report goes to Cabinet and is discussed by it on 13 June, and

Report released on 16 June.

"These are two entirely different reports that Nick Smith has confused.

“He has also been partial in his quote of Dr Cullen’s comment. I had already stated that there was a later report which I expected to move through the Cabinet over the next week or two.

The full quote from Dr Cullen makes it clear that he was referring to the same sequence of events. He said: When the Minister was asked about the latest report, he said quite rightly that it was yet to be completed and to go through the process and would be published. The Minister does not have to release a report until it has been through the appropriate processes.

“Clearly the pressures of urgency are getting to the excitable Dr Smith,” Pete Hodgson said.

ENDS

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