23 September 2009

Government needs to say who pays for emissions

The Prime Minister’s New York climate change talks avoid the important question of who foots the bill for emissions in New Zealand, while his Ministers struggle to defend his flawed ETS legislation at home, the Green Party said today.

“While President Obama was busy stressing urgency on climate change, John Key won’t say who will pay for New Zealand’s emissions, preferring to talk about research,” Jeanette Fitzsimons, Green Party Climate Change Spokesperson said.

The Government’s failure of leadership is in stark contrast to the renewed vigour of the United States on climate change.

“The US Government is investing billions in Green New Deal technologies to tackle global warming. The NZ Government is investing hundreds of millions in subsidies to carbon intensive industries, Ms Fitzsimons said.

“Yesterday, Nick Smith tried to confuse Parliament and the public by tabling incomprehensible, back-of-the-envelope ETS figures, but has left open the fundamental question of who will pay for our emissions if farming, industry and householders are all getting freebies,” Ms Fitzsimons said.

The Government has yet to refute the Green Party’s figures that show under the proposed changes, total subsidies to just one company, Methanex, will blow out from $115 million to $1.1 billion under National’s ETS.

“The only leadership being shown on this issue is the one leading us down the garden path,” Ms Fitzsimons said.

President Obama’s moving speech urging prompt action:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/us/politics/23obama.text.html?_r=1

Jeanette’s blog on Methanex:
http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/09/20/is-methanex-poised-to-rort-the-taxpayer-with-nationals-help/

ENDS

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