Scott’s Thoughts

Hon Scott Simpson

MP For Coromandel

The Informer

November 2022

In my role as National’s Climate Change spokesperson I was part of New Zealand’s delegation to COP27. These conferences are an important building block to ensure nations are working toward the same goal. Climate change isn’t something that we can solve alone; we need partnerships throughout the public and private sector, and the international community. While our approach to managing climate change will differ from the Government’s approach, we are deeply committed to reaching our goal of net zero 2050. What you’ll see from a National-led government will be sensible, practical, evidence-based approaches. For instance, we wouldn’t continue to slam our farmers with unworkable regulations which do nothing to reduce global emissions. He Waka Eke Noa was the culmination of three years of broad consensus across the agricultural sector. There was plenty of disagreement along the way, but it represented a positive step forward for the sector. Labour threw all that hard work and goodwill out the door just to make a headline. In other news, if you’re fed up with the 80km speed limits that have been placed on some State Highways, get ready for lots more. Maps provided to National show the Government has marked almost the entire state highway network as not having a ‘safe and appropriate speed’ - meaning speed limits are potentially going to be slashed under Labour’s plans to slow New Zealanders down. Getting around New Zealand in a safe and efficient way is critically important to all New Zealanders, especially our rural communities and those who transport freight around the country. However, lowering speed limits simply mean it will take longer to get around and make people more isolated; it will do nothing to address the poor state of our roads which have become peppered with potholes. Our roads need urgent attention. Every time they get neglected in favour of a pet project like light rail, its provincial New Zealanders who suffer.

ENDS

Authorised by Scott Simpson MP, 614 Pollen St, Thames