Chris Luxon is a climate change denier. He opposes every government policy which might reduce emissions. This morning, he proposed cutting public transport spending, without having thought of the emissions effect. At the same time, he purports to think that the government is "too conservative" on climate change:
National Party leader Christopher Luxon this morning said a concrete plan was needed.This is pretty obviously just the usual CEO noises from Luxon, an attempt to portray him as Taking Charge and Doing Something. But as with his blurt about public transport, it again shows how little thinking he does on the topic. Luxon might be surprised to learn that we already have a statutory requirement for such a plan, and the first of them will be delivered in May, alongside this year's budget. At which stage, I expect him to oppose every concrete measure in it, while continuing to decry government "inaction", because that's just the sort of incoherent foot-dragging he does."We've all got more to do but ... what I would be doing is taking each of the categories of emissions and putting a proper concrete plan, working with the sector, working with the industries, to be able to hunt those down and to be able to close them down."
It was "possible" the government's approach was too conservative, he said.
But maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt and take him at face value. If so, then I look forward to his support for rapidly shutting down Huntly, Glenbrook, and Motonui; for quickly killing the NZ fossil fuel industry and phasing out fossil-fuelled boilers and vehicles; for halving the polluting dairy herd; and of course for planting trees on unprofitable farmland and restoring our forests to soak up all the carbon we've emitted over the last two centuries. But if you really think Luxon supports that, supports what is necessary and achievable, then I have an airline to sell you.
