Roger Sowry - National Energy Spokesperson

22 March 2004

National says no to carbon taxes

National Energy spokesman Roger Sowry has confirmed National's opposition to carbon taxes under the Kyoto agreement.

"National has serious questions about the Kyoto protocol and thinks it was very unwise for New Zealand to take on these obligations before our key trading partners had signed the protocol.

"Our CO2 emissions are half those of Australia and the United States on a per capita basis. Our businesses should not have to face an unnecessary carbon tax which will undermine their competitiveness.

"National will not impose a carbon tax and will review our obligations under Kyoto to ensure New Zealand businesses are not disadvantaged," said Mr Sowry.

Ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>