National's Maureen Pugh 'waiting for evidence' on human impact on climate change
National MP Maureen Pugh says she has yet to see the evidence that humans caused, or the human impact on, climate change . Her comments spurred Climate Change Minister James Shaw to ask if Pugh believes in reality and or gravity, while National deputy leader Nicola Willis said shed be having a conversation with Pugh. I will be having a discussion with Maureen Pugh, as I've said, our position is clear climate change is real, Willis said. Pugh was asked on Tuesday if she thought climate change made the cyclone worse than it would have been otherwise. READ MORE: * What Australia learned from recent devastating floods and how New Zealand can apply those lessons now * It is time for responsible action on climate change * Cyclone Gabrielle scepticism is a sting in Covid's tail Some of the impacts that I've seen, a lot of the damage that was done especially around Auckland, was because people weren't allowed to prune and manage trees that have come down and taken the cliff-sides with them, she said. Asked again, the West Coast-based MP gave the example of the two cyclones we had that impacted Tasman and West Coast in 2018, back to back cyclones, you know, that's just things that nature throws at us. Of course I believe in climate change. Ive seen the impact and the evidence of years and years of mining that shows you... glaciers moraines over time. Asked if she believed in human-caused climate change, Pugh said she had yet to see the response from Shaw after a local councillor wrote to him asking for the evidence. Its not what I think, it's what I can prove. I am waiting on the evidence from the minister that provides that evidence, she said. I have yet to see what the evidence is that they are providing about that. Im not denying climate change. Ive seen the evidence of it. We have cooled and warmed, cooled and warmed over millions of years. Shaw said Pugh should talk to a scientist. Its not my job to provide her with scientific evidence. If it was frustrating to have MPs having that stance, Shaw said, yes. Denying climate change is denying science. You should ask her if she believes in reality and or gravity. Weve just seen as a nation just how devastating the impact of climate change is and I would say there would be thousands, if not tens of thousands of people around the county who would be feeling quite frustrated at those comments. Willis said she had a lot of material that Pugh could read. Shes going to be doing a lot of reading.