Politics Blog
Peters accuses Greens of 'blistering ignorance' over Paris Agreement claim
Winston Peters has accused Chlöe Swarbrick of “blistering ignorance” after the Greens co-leader said the foreign minister neither sought nor received any advice on what it would mean for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.
The Greens said parties like New Zealand First are “ramping up” their campaign to remove New Zealand from the agreement, but Peters “hasn't asked his officials a single question about what that would cost us”.
“Peters is officially responsible for our international climate negotiations and managing our trade agreements,” Swarbrick said.
“He hasn't asked for advice because he either isn't serious about the dangerous proposals he's long argued for, or he doesn't care about the consequences to our country and economy.”
Peters hit back at Swarbrick, saying she was wrong, and that the minister for climate change and the minister for trade are responsible for climate negotiations and trade agreements.
“After all her time in Parliament she has proven she has learnt nothing. This is from someone who wants to be the minister of finance sitting around Cabinet making decisions for New Zealand,” Peters said.
In a social media post, Peters then reiterated New Zealand First’s policy to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, while labelling the Greens as “a bunch of woke clueless globalists”.
“The implication that because the Paris Agreement is written in Free Trade Agreements it means that ties us to it is simply erroneous,” he said.
“Countries are not going to pull out of mutually beneficial trade agreements because we pull out of Paris.”
The Paris Agreement is at the heart of the international commitment to tackle rising global temperatures caused by climate change. It came into force in 2016, with almost all nations agreeing to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the agreement.
New Zealand signed up to the Paris Agreement in 2016.
The Greens said parties like New Zealand First are “ramping up” their campaign to remove New Zealand from the agreement, but Peters “hasn't asked his officials a single question about what that would cost us”.
“Peters is officially responsible for our international climate negotiations and managing our trade agreements,” Swarbrick said.
“He hasn't asked for advice because he either isn't serious about the dangerous proposals he's long argued for, or he doesn't care about the consequences to our country and economy.”
Peters hit back at Swarbrick, saying she was wrong, and that the minister for climate change and the minister for trade are responsible for climate negotiations and trade agreements.
“After all her time in Parliament she has proven she has learnt nothing. This is from someone who wants to be the minister of finance sitting around Cabinet making decisions for New Zealand,” Peters said.
In a social media post, Peters then reiterated New Zealand First’s policy to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, while labelling the Greens as “a bunch of woke clueless globalists”.
“The implication that because the Paris Agreement is written in Free Trade Agreements it means that ties us to it is simply erroneous,” he said.
“Countries are not going to pull out of mutually beneficial trade agreements because we pull out of Paris.”
The Paris Agreement is at the heart of the international commitment to tackle rising global temperatures caused by climate change. It came into force in 2016, with almost all nations agreeing to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the agreement.
New Zealand signed up to the Paris Agreement in 2016.