Toilet protest flushed out of Parliament

Security today pulled the chain on a protest timed to coincide with the opening ceremony of Parliament.

Greenpeace had placed 36 toilets on the lawn in front of Parliament. In each was a globe representing the earth and placards urged: "don't flush our climate down the John".

Greenpeace campaigner Simon Boxer said the protest was happy to move once asked and the protest resumed on an adjacent street.

The goal was to highlight the issue before the Governor-General Anand Satyanand's speech from the throne outlining the government's agenda for the next three years but also to draw attention to United Nations climate talks in Poland.

"We want John Key to start taking climate change seriously, we want him also to instruct the New Zealand delegation in Poland to take it seriously and commit to reductions in emissions immediately," Mr Boxer said.

Greenpeace also ran ads in newspapers - a yellow sticker reminder note said United States president-elect Barack Obama had called looking for climate change allies. However he realised he had rung the wrong number.

Labour leader Phil Goff took delight in reading the note during a motion in Parliament congratulating Mr Obama on his win.

National is holding a parliamentary committee inquiry into climate change policy but will not re-litigate the science that blames humans for global warming.

The National government has put the emissions trading scheme (ETS) on hold while it conducts a complete review.

- NZPA