Simon Bridges is telling Extinction Rebellion protesters in Wellington to march on the "woke" Government doing "nothing" about climate change.
The National leader described the Monday morning protest - blocking the entrance of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on Wellington's Stout St - as "nonsense".
"I think climate change is real and think we've got to act," Bridges told Magic Talk. "But this emergency rebellion stuff is nonsense, it scares a lot of young people, and it doesn't achieve anything."
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Despite not supporting the protesters' blockade - the first of 60 disruptive events planned by Extinction Rebellion in cities around the world - Bridges said it would make more sense for them to march on Parliament.
"Protest against the Government, go to Parliament... This is a Government that talked a big game and has done nothing in this area... why MBIE?"
MBIE is New Zealand's ministry for oil, gas and minerals.
Victoria University student Melanie Vautier, one of the protesters, said in a statement that existing oil and gas production is "more than we can burn if we're to limit warming to 1.5degC".
Vautier said despite the "climate emergency", MBIE is releasing "more land in Taranaki for oil and gas exploration".
She was referring to what's called the Block Offer, when more than 2000 square kilometres of Taranaki was put up for offers in May for fossil fuel exploration permits by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, an MBIE agency.
The offer was made following consultation with iwi and hapū, whom permit holders are now required to engage with on an ongoing basis.
Submissions will close on 20 November.
National parks were exempt from the offer, as well as wildlife sanctuaries, World Heritage sites, or areas important to Māori such as Mt Taranaki.
Legislation passed in November 2018, the Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Amendment Act, restricts the allocation of fossil fuel exploration permits to the onshore Taranaki region.
The protesters are voicing frustration over MBIE allowing the land in Taranaki to continue to be explored for fossil fuels, after the Government banned the issuing of new offshore oil and gas licences in April last year.
Permits granted in Block Offer 2019 will be granted for up to 15 years.
Bridges criticised Vautier for protesting against the exploration of gas, saying not using the fossil fuel will "result in more imported coal", the latter which the Government is still allowing exploration permits for.
Coal imports recently hit a record high, MBIE's latest quarterly energy report shows, as "stocks were replenished".
"She's protesting for imported coal. Unless she's going to tell me she's happy to have cold showers, but I doubt it," Bridges said.
Last month, Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand CEO Cameron Madgwick said allowing new exploration permits beyond just onshore Taranaki "could earn tens of billions in revenue for New Zealand".
He's urging policymakers to "unlock the potential of natural gas for New Zealand".
Bridges also took aim at Vautier for wanting New Zealand to reduce greenhouse gases to net-zero by 2025.
"Going carbon neutral by 2025 would cause a whole lot of harm on a bunch of ordinary New Zealanders in terms of cost in electricity, and energy, fuel, etc.," Bridges said.
"It is simply untenable, and no one, not [Prime Minister] Jacinda Ardern, [Greens co-leader] James Shaw, [NZ First leader] Winston Peters, or me, would be advocating for that.
"But again, where they should be protesting is at Parliament and against the Government, because that woke crowd is doing nothing on this subject."
As for National's position on the Zero Carbon Bill, Bridges said he would like to see it moderated so that it "makes a difference but doesn't destroy our economy".
"We'll put some bottom lines in place for our support."
National supported the legislation's first reading, but Bridges would not say if the party will support its second reading expected before the year's end.
"Whether we get some of those through or not will determine our support. Caucus decides as a whole... and we will come to a common position."
Newshub.
