National MP Matt King has shared the belief that climate change "is natural" after posting a rant, taken from a US far-right source, to his Facebook page on Saturday.
The National MP for Northland attributed his rant to "some words taken from NZCPR website". The article 'Setting New Zealand Up to Fail' was uploaded to the New Zealand Centre for Political Research website last Sunday. It includes an adapted script taken from a 2012 video by Free Market America - but swaps out 'America' for New Zealand.
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"If I wanted New Zealand to fail... I'd use our schools to teach one generation of children that our factories and cars and cows are causing runaway global warming, and I'd muster a straight face so I could teach the next generation that their parents are to blame for killing the planet," says a section from the adapted script, posted by King and NZCPR.
"And when it's cold outside, I'd call it climate change instead.
"I would ridicule as 'deniers' those who question the climate scaremongering of politicians, and when they remind people about the laws of nature - that climate change is natural and mankind's impact is minimal - I'd enlist a sympathetic media to drown them out."
The original source, a 5-minute video titled 'If I Wanted America to Fail', was originally produced by Free Market America - a public relations campaign supported by Americans for Limited Government.
The book Under Pressure: Coal Industry Rhetoric and Neoliberalism describes Americans for Limited Government as "a non-profit group that supports and organises state ballot initiatives that are strongly neoliberal and anti-regulatory."
"Our mission is to defend economic freedom against environmental extremism," says Free Market America's official website.
"The United States has been down the same destructive path that we are now on," says the NZCPR website, before introducing the adapted version of the video.
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"If I wanted New Zealand to fail, I'd convince New Zealanders that capitalism is harmful, and that socialism and more regulation is the answer. I would prey on the goodness and decency of ordinary New Zealanders.
"I would only need to convince them... that all of this is for the greater good. If I wanted New Zealand to fail, I suppose I wouldn't change a thing. Roll on election 2020," King concluded his Facebook post.
The post, which has since been shared over 60 times and has over 150 comments, has proved controversial among New Zealanders.
"You'll have your children, grandchildren and future generations to answer to with this nonsense... wake up to your dinosaur-thinking before it runs us all to the ground," one person commented.
"If I wanted NZ to fail, I'd take this post seriously," wrote another.
King defended his point of view in the comments, saying his views and beliefs are being falsely labelled as "alt-right, racist and facist".
"A common techniques of the loopy left. I'm very comfortable with where I sit," he wrote.
"It's a common left wing tactic to link things like the Christchurch massacre, Nazis, racism and terms such as alt-right with people that question the leftie doctrine."
Newshub.
