A tense interview forced Duncan Garner and James Shaw to "agree to disagree" on the failure to push a climate change emergency through Parliament.
The climate change minister appeared on Wednesday's episode of The AM Show to discuss the Zero Carbon Bill, which passed it's second reading on Tuesday.
However the interview took a turn when Duncan Garner asked why the Government is yet to declare a climate emergency.
"I'm happy to get up as climate change minister and say that's what we have but the most important thing is that we have a plan [ to deal with climate change]" Shaw replied.
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Unsatisfied with the answer, Garner asked again.
"Why doesn't the Government formally declare this a state of emergency? Why don't you have some guts?"
Shaw replied the accusation wasn't true.
"We actually put up a motion to declare an emergency in the house some months ago and it was blocked by the opposition," he told Garner.
Garner asked a third time, saying Jacinda Ardern said the declaration was nothing but a slogan.
"You can't convince Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to sign up to it - why can't you convince her?"
"Duncan, I've already told you this," came Shaw's exasperated reply.
"We actually put up a motion in the house, some months ago to declare an emergency in Parliament and the opposition blocked it..."
Garner then cut off Shaw's explanation saying "No, no your Prime Minister doesn't want it."
At this point, Shaw looked frustrated.
"No, look, I'm just going to repeat myself Duncan. I have got up and said in Parliament that we are living in crisis, this is an emergency, and that motion was blocked. But the most important thing is that we have a plan to deal with it," he said.
"But why can't you convince her that it's an emergency?" asked Garner for the fourth time.
"Duncan, I don't know why you're repeating yourself."
At this point, Garner cut Shaw off again, insisting they would have to agree to disagree.
Newshub.
