The ACT Party is calling on politicians to give up their entitlement to unlimited taxpayer-funded domestic flights in a bid to cut the country's carbon emissions.
It comes after the Government yesterday declared a climate emergency in New Zealand, along with a promise for the Government to be carbon neutral by 2025. Labour, Greens and the Māori Party voted in favour, while National and ACT were opposed.
“There is no business or organisation in the world that gives their employees unlimited travel benefits to get on a plane on a whim,” ACT Party climate change spokesperson Simon Court said. “There should be more accountability for that.”
The party argues that giving MPs a travel budget with a cap would make them think before they fly.
Court said ending free flights and “asking MPs to take accountability for their climate impacts” would force them to measure its effect on the planet.
“If you measure it, then you have an opportunity to change your behaviours.”
"We must act with urgency," Jacinda Ardern told the house.
Green Party co-leader and Climate Change Minister James Shaw rejected the notion, calling air travel a “necessary evil”.
“I’d consider that virtue signalling,” Shaw said. “Obviously, Members of Parliament are located in different parts of the country and have constituents all over the country and so it’s a necessary evil. It's attached to your work."
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said it’s “important that we get out there, that we’re seen to be out there”.
“If you can convince me that there’s a policy about restricting politicians’ travel is going to help the climate, with all due respect, you’re in lala land,” National climate change spokesperson Stuart Smith added.
Physicist and data modelling expert Professor Shaun Hendy, who spent one year without flying, said politicians may be surprised at what they could do.
“With good planning, MPs can get around the country and speak to their constituents and can use public transport,” he said.
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