7 June 2008 Media Statement

National prepared to gut emissions trading scheme

National has once again proved it’s slippery on climate change, and will tell audiences whatever they think they want to hear, David Parker said today.

His comments come after David Carter told a Federated Farmers’ conference in Wanaka yesterday that New Zealand agriculture will decline if it is “locked” into an emissions trading scheme.

David Carter is reported as saying that “the effect of the emissions trading scheme on agriculture has the potential to be more devastating than the reforms of the 1980s”.

“Not only is this factually incorrect, it is clear that that if National had their way they would completely gut the emissions trading legislation despite their pretence to the contrary,” David Parker said.

“Until now they have said they supported the core principle that the ETS should include all sectors and all greenhouse gases over time, but David Carter’s comments show the opposite is true.

“It’s embarrassing for National that their agriculture spokesperson cannot see that leaving half of New Zealand’s emissions out of an emissions trading scheme is just not credible.

“The ETS would not work properly and would not be fair to other sectors in the economy. Other businesses and all New Zealand taxpayers would suffer the consequences.

“This is typical of the National Party. On the one hand it is scaremongering. On the other, they have been caught yet again telling a section of the public what they think they want to hear – for political advantage – in a way that is irreconcilable with their comments to others.

“The Labour-led government is investing more money than ever before into research that will help find more of the solutions to agricultural emissions the whole world is looking for. Some have been found that are plainly economic for farmers. More can and will be found. This will help farm productivity, help the environment by cutting emissions and preserve market access for our farm exports.”

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