Kevin Hague and the Green Party tells us more-or-less how it is (leaving invertebrates and other species essential to the ecosystem out of the picture) but Radio NZ quibbles over the figures and follows this up with an article that showcases gardener-minister Maggie Barry and her obfuscations/lies.
National responsible for 142 species under threat -Green Party
National responsible for 142 species under threat -Green Party
In
eight years 142 species have moved closer to extinction since
National came into power, according to figures obtained by the Green
Party.
Conservationfunding debate shows little sign of dying out
The
Conservation Minister has hit back at suggestions more New Zealand
species are facing extinction because of a lack of funding.
Kevin
Hague and Maggie Barry Photo: RNZ
The
Green Party says figures it has obtained under the Official
Information Act show that in the past eight years, 142 species
classified as 'non-threatened' have been reclassified as 'at-risk',
and some 'at-risk' species are now rated 'threatened'.
Conservation
spokesperson Kevin Hague said the Department of Conservation had less
capacity to protect species because of a lack of funding.
He
said the government was spending $55 million less each year on
conservation than when the National Party took office.
Mr
Hague said the increased threat to such unique biodiversity should be
prompting more investment, not less.
But
Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said the Greens were being
disingenuous in their interpretation of the figures, with only 14
species reclassified because of a population decline.
She
told Morning Report there had been no reduction in
funding and the government was protecting more species.
She
said the government was taking the right approach.
"It
is working. We needed to take a broader based approach than just
species-specific, but with the work we are doing, it has been very
successful. And I think that probably there has been some, shall we
say, disengenious interpretaion of some of the figures that Kevin
Hague obtaine dunder the OIA."
Ms
Barry said there had been no reduction in funding and the government
was protecting more species.
Are these guys just ignorant of reality or are they liars and opportunists?
You be the judge.
Plan needed to tackle climate change - Greens
There
has been a total policy failure during the past decade to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Party says.
The
government needs fulfil its international obligations on climate
change Green Party co-leader James Shaw said. Photo: 123rf
The
latest assessment of the country's greenhouse
gas emissions shows
they are at their highest level since 1990.
The
agriculture and energy sectors continued to be the highest
contributors - making up almost 90 percent of New Zealand's
climate-damaging emissions.
Green
Party co-leader James Shaw said he is disappointed by the latest
results and he wanted the government to step up and fulfil its
international obligations.
He
said the government has the data at its fingertips to create
effective climate policies, and he is willing to help it with that.
"The
government has the opportunity to do the right thing.
"They
have signed up to the Paris Agreement which commits the county to
doing everything in our power to limit global warming to one and a
half degrees," he said.
"We
have extended an offer to work with them to ensure that we deliver on
that commitment."
The
Green Party have a comprehensive plan, including a price on carbon
and tax cuts, to reduce emissions, Mr Shaw said.
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