7 Jun 2023

He Waka Eke Noa: Luxon accuses government of 'blowing up' agricultural emissions plan

11:46 am on 7 June 2023
Christopher Luxon

Christopher Luxon said his party had been deeply supportive of the He Waka Eke Noa plan, but the government lost all the consensus. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

National says the government has killed the He Waka Eke Noa plan, and that it is no longer a bipartisan process.

Party leader Christopher Luxon said the government was no longer working in consensus with the sector on its agricultural emissions plan.

He Waka Eke Noa is a partnership between farmers, agricultural sector industry bodies and Māori - with input from Primary Industries and Environment ministries, formed to price greenhouse gas emissions at farm level.

Luxon said his party had been deeply supportive of the plan, but the government lost all the consensus gained with the He Waka Eke Noa over the years.

"We've been deeply supportive of it," he told Morning Report.

"We wanted an industry developed solution. We supported the government on it. We supported the sector. We said let's get the sector led response.

"The sector came forward at the end of the May and the government said stuff that, we're not doing that and ended up blowing the whole thing up."

He said the National party will be releasing its climate and agricultural emissions policy in the next few weeks.

'I would relieve him of his portfolios' - Luxon on Wood

Luxon was standing by his party's calls for Michael Wood to be stripped off all his ministerial portfolios, for failing to disclose he owned shares in Auckland Airport.

Wood has been stood down as transport minister but Luxon said he should also lose his portfolio as Minister for Auckland and an inquiry should be launched.

He said he would have stood down Wood if he was the prime minister.

"I mean where I'm at is, I would have stood him down on Friday when I found out. Worked the weekend, three or four days to find out what the story was.

"But it's obvious after six goes of being asked to sell them, and you haven't, that speaks to judgement.

"And so I would relieve him of his ministerial portfolios."

Luxon said any conflict of interest should be managed by the ministers and the party.

He said he has sold all his shares in Air New Zealand.

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