Media statement For immediate release Thursday, 15 February 2007

Climate change demands consensus, not bickering

United Future leader Peter Dunne says the current spat between National and Labour over climate change talks highlights the need for a multi-party conference to be held at Parliament urgently so New Zealand can have an agreed and sensible response to the challenges of global warming.

This follows reports that National's Nick Smith won't meet Climate Change Minister David Parker because of a row over an earlier meeting between Dr Michael Cullen, John Key and Bill English.

"Quite frankly, the public of New Zealand couldn't care less about which Cabinet Minister met with which National Party spokesman and who said what to whom and who exhibited what body language.

"All parties seem to accept that climate change is a long-term problem requiring solutions that may take generations to have any effect.

"I therefore repeat my earlier call for a multi-party conference, broadened to include the business community, to try to get a national consensus on what New Zealand should do.

"In the year 2050, who will recall or care whether Dr Smith met Mr Parker? But they will recall the National Summit meeting that kick-started New Zealand's successful response to the challenges of climate change and helped ensure our grandchildren will be able to live happily on this planet, the only one we have," concluded Mr Dunne.

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