Greenpeace view lost in Maharey’s translation

The Green Party is calling on Education Minister Steve Maharey to step up and correct statements he made to the House yesterday about environmental group Greenpeace.

Following the recent United Nations climate change meeting in Vienna, Greenpeace issued a statement saying the Government “behaved obstructively and shamefully” in trying to block moves to set a goal of 25-40 percent emissions cuts, Greens Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.

“In describing the Government’s actions Greenpeace used words like ‘utterly ashamed’, ‘time wasting and reckless self-interest’ and ‘appalling’.”

Yet during General Debate yesterday Mr Maharey translated that statement into a claim that the group had voiced its support for the Government. He said: “… my understanding is that at the plenary session the negotiators there made it very clear that New Zealand was willing to sign up to binding emission targets. They made it clear - binding emission targets. That they helped draft the material on it and that even Greenpeace, who don't seem to have an awful lot of love for this particular government, were very happy with the performance of Labour there.”

Ms Fitzsimons says: “It is clear from Greenpeace’s statement that they are not ‘very happy with the performance of Labour’ and I call on Mr Maharey to correct the statement he made to the House and apologise to Greenpeace.”

An attempt by Ms Fitzsimons to raise the matter in the House today was blocked, as was a later bid to table the relevant documents.

“Greenpeace is a hardworking environmental group and it deserves to have its position properly represented. If Mr Maharey does not step up and do this himself, Parliament has left me no option but to raise this formally with the Speaker.”