CONSERVATION MINISTER, NICK SMITH, ACCUSED OF MISLEADING PARLIAMENT OVER MAUI DOLPHIN CLAIMS.

English: Nick Smith at the Agpac Opening, November 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Conservation Minister Nick Smith misled Parliament

with his statement that not a single Maui’s dolphin has been sighted inside an area opened up by the Government for oil drilling, the Green Party said today.

“Conservation Minister Nick Smith is not telling the truth when he says that no Maui’s dolphins have been observed in the area that the Government has opened up for oil and gas exploration,” said Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman.

“Nick Smith’s own department has documented evidence that he is wrong, and that there have been sightings of Maui’s dolphins in the area that National is opening up for oil exploration.

“This gives us no confidence that this Government is taking the plight of the Maui’s dolphin seriously.”

English: Official photo of Russel Norman, Co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, supplied by the Green Party webmaster. See “You are allowed to use…” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)