Come clean on climate change, Mr Key

Following an embarrassing leak, Prime Minister John Key must rule out any future moves by his government to join a conservative climate-change coalition with Australia, says Labour Leader David Cunliffe.

“I’m personally shocked that New Zealand is in the sights of a proposal by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to oppose United States plans for more progressive climate change policies.

“Mr Key should move immediately to reassure New Zealanders that his government truly does ‘take climate change seriously’, has not at any level engaged on this proposal, and would reject any such initiative.

“New Zealanders could be forgiven for taking Mr Key’s climate change ‘lines’ with a pinch of salt. They will see them for what they are: PR spin.

“His government has gutted Labour’s Emissions Trading Scheme.

“It pulled out of the Kyoto protocol to address climate change.

“Its approach to energy is ‘more fossil fuels’, and has lacked any real moves toward a low-carbon, clean-tech economy.

“Labour applauds Barack Obama’s initiatives on climate change. “In Government we would support such international moves and reaffirm our commitment to playing our own part domestically.

“Climate change is one of the great challenges of our time and the government I lead will not shirk from the responsibility of meeting it,’’ said David Cunliffe.

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