Greens right to ask for public guidance on ETS

Media statement Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Greens right to ask for public guidance on emissions trading law

The Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) says the other political parties should join the Greens and ask the public which way they should vote on the Emissions Trading Bill.

At stake is a scheme that will add huge costs to the budget of every New Zealand family, EMA says.

"The Green Party is to be commended for going to the public to ask which way it should vote on the bill, for both political and practical reasons," said EMA's chief executive Alasdair Thompson.

"For an emissions trading scheme to work the public needs to understand it, and how it will affect them.

"In particular everyone needs to understand how it will reduce the demand for products and services with high carbon emissions.

"With the global price of carbon now at $50 a tonne and rising, if it was in place now the Government's proposed scheme would mean an increase in the price of petrol of 13 cents a litre, and electricity would go up about 20 per cent.

"For the emissions law to work at all it will need public buy-in.

"But this has not been asked for or obtained.

"The present bill requires a lot more work. The public needs to be given wide opportunities to have a say on it, and it needs to be further harmonized with Australia's proposed scheme."

ENDS

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