OPINION: The Hound was astounded at the glib response from Greens leader James Shaw to a written parliamentary question from ACT MP Mark Cameron.
Shaw was asked if he was surprised that farmer confidence was at a record low in the latest Farm Confidence Survey and if he believed one of the top concerns of farmer respondents was "regulation and compliance costs - a catch-all for the wave of reform, regulation, red tape and costs swamping the sector?"
Shaw replied: "The agriculture sector contributes 50% of New Zealand's gross emissions. Approximately 94% of our nitrous oxide emissions and around 91% of our biogenic methane emissions are from agriculture."
Cameron actually thought Shaw's office had mistakenly submitted the wrong answer, but they clarified it is exactly what the Climate Change Minister intended to say.