Estimates Debate — Vote Environment

The appropriation for Vote Environment totals about $57 million, which is quite a lot of money. The total amount across all ministries is something like a billion-plus dollars—2 percent of the vote. That is a lot, too. One could ask whether it is enough. In fact, real savings could be made. There are things we could be doing to look after the environment. We certainly do not look after it—not in the way we might—and those things would cost a lot less than what we are doing. In respect of waste, New Zealanders still throw away about 10 million kilograms every day. Between 1981 and 2001 the population of this country grew by 19 percent, but the amount of stuff we threw away increased by over 100 percent. New Zealanders throw out something like 10 million kilograms of waste every day. My grandchildren’s inheritance goes into those holes in the ground.

I do not want to talk about recycling. We have done a good job in terms of getting people to think about the stuff they are throwing away. We have a good waste strategy; it just needs to have some more teeth. But we have to move on from recycling to persuading people not to take home stuff that they will throw away in short order. We import extraordinary amounts of stuff.

The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson): I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member. The time for this debate has expired.

I seek leave to continue.

The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson): I am sorry. The member cannot seek leave, because this is a set-time debate.

I seek leave to continue.

The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson): The member is seeking leave to complete his speech. Is there any objection to that course of action? There is objection.

I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. That is ludicrous. Labour will be looking to the Greens to form a coalition Government after the election, yet it turns the Greens down and treats them like some sort of doormat—

The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson): That is not a point of order. The Government has made its objection quite clear.

I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. As far as I recollect, although Mr Mallard is, of course, an important instrument for the Government, he is not the Government on his own. Perhaps he thought Mr Ward was seeking to change a vote again, or suchlike. It seems to me to be an extreme demonstration of a lack of generosity not to allow the man to take another 2 minutes to finish what may well be his last speech in Parliament.

The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson): I thank the member, but I have made a decision.

I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I had requested that perhaps the leave could be put again, as your decision was unclear.

The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson): I have already made a decision. The leave has been denied. All the remaining votes will be taken together.

The question was put that Vote Environment, Vote National Archives, Vote National Library, Vote Official Development Assistance, Vote ACC, Vote Child, Youth and Family Services, Vote Senior Citizens, Vote Women’s Affairs, Vote Conservation, Vote Local Government, Vote Community and Voluntary Sector, Vote Courts, Vote Customs, Vote Fisheries, Vote Consumer Affairs, Vote Racing, Vote Communications, the preamble, clauses 1 to 13, and schedules 5 to 7 be agreed to.