On Saturday I attended the National Party’s Bluegreens conference in Blenheim. It is clear that it will be a National government that sees us meet our climate change commitments while simultaneously growing our economy and lifting incomes for all.

The two are not mutually exclusive, as Labour and the Greens would have you believe, their way to reduce emissions is to shrink our primary sector, contract GDP and tell everyone what they can and can’t do. This is intellectually lazy and ideologically driven. Our approach is much different. While the two major parties agree on New Zealand being net carbon zero by 2050; we have totally different visions and approaches on how to achieve this.

But first, a wander through history. National reduced emissions when last in government; this Labour government has increased them. National signed New Zealand up to the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and Todd Muller was one of the chief architects of the Zero Carbon Act. National built more renewables than any other party, while this Labour government is now importing three times as much coal since coming to office.

We will achieve net zero, but under National we will do so in a manner that leverages our world leading primary sector, the most carbon efficient farmers in the world. We will move away from coal and towards cleaner transition fuels. We will enable technology to reduce emissions and improve efficiency. We will develop more renewable energy.

National will achieve lower emissions and sustainable economic growth.