Media statement
For immediate release

Monday, 26 January 2004

Dunne applauds belated Green support

United Future leader Peter Dunne today applauded the Green Party for signing up to a ‘waste-free New Zealand’ policy that he announced 14 years ago.

“As Associate Minister for the Environment in the then Labour Government, I announced on August 3, 1990, a policy aimed at reducing the household rubbish mountain by 20% by 1993,” he said.

“The policy included a major push in the promotion of recycling schemes, making landfills more environmentally sensitive and possible legislation to ban the use of marine pollutants such as plastic yokes around beer cans, which threatened marine life.

“As usual, the self-appointed green activists of the time opposed the policy, saying it didn’t go far enough, which is the customary response of people who are averse to hard work and would prefer standing outside in the street just shouting.”

The policy was never implemented because of a change in Government in late 1990.

Mr Dunne said the Green Party waste policy announced today, was a welcome return to commonsense by a party that usually wastes its time and taxpayer money promoting more drug use and less international trade.

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