Letter from an expat!

Here's another great letter that has been sent (supplied to us by email):

Dear Prime Minister,
I write as an expat, living and working in London, yet following the affairs of New Zealand with great interest. While I did not vote for your party, I hope that the next parliamentary term will nevertheless deliver some key results that I care about, in this case, relating to climate change.

I was impressed with the swiftness at which you negotiated with the smaller parties and in particular your inclusion of the Maori Party into your coalition arrangements. While I anticipated Act's inclusion, I was concerned to hear of the proposed review of climate change legislation, in particular the ETS. I am concerned because there was an agreement with Act that as part of this review, there will be a review of the basic science of whether climate change exists.

I am convinced through what I have seen in the world's varied media sources that 'disagreement' within the scientific world over the basic science of climate change is manufactured - it is the illusory product of the oft-embraced need to present 'balanced' reporting, that is, contrasting views on a particular subject. I am convinced of the concept of anthropogenic climate change, that is, factors relating to human behaviour that have aggravated environmental cycles on this planet.

New Zealand is a traditional maverick on the world stage in environmental matters: we have distinguished ourselves in our assured departure from ANZUS - to which you referred while here in London - and we capitalise on and encourage our "100%" clean, green image. Not a week goes by without my receiving some sort of recognition of New Zealand's image on the world stage - it is almost invariably one of respect, whether talking about our rugby players, our countryside, or more often (and in sometimes derisory terms), our sheep.

It is therefore most concerning that, at a time when the US president-elect Barack Obama is wielding the spotlight of world attention on to climate change, we should display such petulance and aloofness to assume that global scientists are not in satisfactorily majoritarian agreement of the basic science of climate change, and that a group of politicians from New Zealand should not need to take them seriously.

I would like you to do the following:
- Strike out the review of the basic science
- Insist on a narrow focus - primarily, the cost to New Zealand, economically and politically, of further delays

In light of the environmental demands I am making, I am sure you will appreciate my decision to communicate via email.

Finally, I would like to congratulate you on winning the election - my political beliefs notwithstanding - and I hope that you will provide in your leadership and the policies of your government the surest rebuttal to the National Party's prominent image as a bunch of Hollow Men.

Kind regards,
M.