Labour Gambles Away Prosperity On Kyoto

Friday 13 Sep 2002 Deborah Coddington Press Releases -- Economy

The Labour Government is gambling away the prosperity and happiness of New Zealand children, ACT Economic Development Spokesman Deborah Coddington said today.

"In response to a written question to Hon Pete Hodgson on the impact of Kyoto measures on the New Zealand economy and job losses, the Minister admitted `there are no estimates of the economic impacts of climate change policies beyond the first commitment period'.

"This is typical short-term politics. The first commitment period ends in 2011 when Mr Hodgson and the Prime Minister - who swanned around Johannesburg pretending to save the planet - will be retired from Parliament on healthy pensions. Meanwhile, the rest of the country will be paying through the nose for essential products like petrol.

"Conservative independent estimates show that when the second commitment kicks in, we'll be paying ten times the amount to honour our commitments. That means, for example, an extra 50 cents a litre for petrol.

"And what about livestock? Will there be a new breed of cows that don't emit methane? Or will farmers be forced to reduce their stock numbers?

"The government can't answer these questions because, in the Minister's own words, `there are no estimates of climate change policies beyond the first commitment period'.

"This is outrageous and the Government should come clean with the New Zealand public with the facts: one, that Kyoto does nix for global warming, it just delays the warming by six years, and two, after our carbon sinks are spent the draconian stuff kicks in.

"New Zealanders will be paying heavily for this for the next four decades."

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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