Who's the failure now, Minister?

Deborah Coddington Wednesday, 22 June 2005 Press Releases - Environment & Conservation

ACT MP Deborah Coddington today called on Climate Control Convenor Pete Hodgson to stop blaming his advisors and accept full responsibility for hoodwinking the nation over the Kyoto Protocol effects.

“In September 2002 I asked the Minister what estimates the Government had made of the impact of Kyoto measures, including the loss of jobs, on the economy beyond the first commitment period. He replied there were none. When I criticised the Minister he accused me of ‘failing the Kyoto comprehension test’.

“Well who’s the failure now, Minister?” Miss Coddington said.

“Pete Hodgson justified his answers to my queries by saying that ‘domestic and global economic fortunes cannot be modelled a decade from now without substantial uncertainty’.

“Looks like he can’t even safely predict the effects two years ahead. Last week the Minister was forced to admit that even his Government’s short-term estimates are completely wrong. Instead of benefiting the country by around $500 million, as Mr Hodgson claimed, signing up to the Kyoto Protocol will cost taxpayers about the same amount. That’s around $88 a year from every man, woman and child.

“Further to his shame, in just one year the Government spent $550,000 on advertising and public relations firms, to try and ‘educate’ New Zealanders about global warming.

“It’s the Minister who should be educated about the effects of signing up to foreign feel-good treaties. Then he should apologise to the country for his blunders, and contemplate spending the next decade in Opposition while ACT cleans up his mess,” Miss Coddington said.

ENDS

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