Nats vision contradictory

Green media release - August 5 2007

There is a deep contradiction between the National Party’s economic policy and the environmental aspirations that they have voiced over the course of their weekend conference, says the Green Party.

“National missed the opportunity to incorporate their new found interest in the environment into their economic thinking, with the result that their economic approach is undermining their apparent environmental concern,” says Dr. Russel Norman, Green Party Co-Leader.

“National’s policy of gutting the Resource Management Act to enable new developments regardless of their impact, will mean that that environmental concerns will be pushed to one side. When community groups fight to protect precious green space in our cities and towns from developers, or to stop uncontrolled coastal development, National calls it an obstacle to economic growth, but these community groups are actually protecting our environment.

“National’s policy of increasing Labour’s already excessive motorway building means that there will be an increase in car use and traffic. More cars means more greenhouse gases and air pollution. What we really need to do is increase support for public transport, walking and cycling.

“National’s support for uncontrolled urban sprawl by opening up more and more land on the edges of our cities, means that people have to drive even further to work, along National’s ever growing network of congested motorways. This will again result in more greenhouse emissions and air pollution and less liveable cities. Medium density living along public transport corridors is a much greener way to go.

“And National’s worship of the golden cow, and its inability to recognise that there are limits to how far dairy can grow, means that our rivers and aquifers will be sucked dry, our rivers polluted, and electricity use for irrigators to skyrocket.

“Until National (and Labour) incorporate environmental concerns into core economic, transport, agriculture and urban design policies, environmental policy will continue to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.”

ENDS

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