Summarised by Centrist
Winston Peters is calling for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, arguing the country is wasting billions while global superpowers ignore the deal.
According to The Country host Jamie Mackay, Peters was blunt: “What’s the use of being in when the US, China, and Russia aren’t there?”
Peters has long criticised the agreement, and with compliance costs estimated at billions of dollars, he is demanding a serious rethink.
Peters argues that New Zealand’s sacrifice is meaningless on a global scale. While the Labour-Green bloc insists on sticking with the accord, Peters suggests it’s nothing more than virtue signalling at massive expense. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has yet to commit either way.
ACT leader David Seymour has reportedly hinted at a future exit, stating, “At some stage in the future, the cost of being in it will be greater than the punishment for leaving.” But Peters doesn’t see the point in waiting, warning that clinging to a costly climate agreement while economic pressures mount is a mistake.
