Condemned to inevitable extinction. That's the future for New Zealand's marine animals, and it's all down to the National Party, according to Greens co-leader Metiria Turei.

Ms Turei has wasted no time in condemning National's decision to oppose sending the Marine Animals Protection Law Reform Bill  to a select committee, issuing two press releases – one attacking the bill's rejection on environmental grounds, the other, clearly intended to put the Tourism Minister on the spot, highlighting possible negative effects for New Zealand's tourism and fishing industries .

In response, Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley (and we have to agree with Turia that it is interesting that it's Heatley fronting this, rather than Conservation Minister Tim Groser) points out that the existing legislation  is more than adequate.

Generally, we'd be the first to agree that everyone would benefit if politicians spent a bit less time grandstanding around new legislative initiatives and bit more ensuring the existing legislation was correctly enforced. And, if Turei's bill had been rejected by the select committee on those grounds, we'd have been happy with that. Chucking it out without debate seems a bit abrupt though. Like Turei, we wonder how the BlueGreens are feeling this morning.

And with Turei citing the albatross as a species under threat, it might be time for the Nat's front bench to brush up on their Coleridge.