Hon Dr Nick Smith
National Party Climate Change Spokesman

3 September 2008

ETS shambles parallels EFA

Government assurances that the hundreds of last minute changes to the legislation to set up the emissions trading scheme will solve concerns are as unconvincing as those put up by Labour on the Electoral Finance Act (EFA), says National’s Climate Change spokesman, Nick Smith.

“”We have the same shonky back-room deals with New Zealand First and the Greens. We have the same legislative process of passing hundreds of amendments at the last minute without scrutiny, and we have the same bland assurances that everything will be okay.

“Labour has learnt nothing from the EFA shambles and is repeating the same errors with the critical and complex emissions trading legislation.

“A further parallel is that both the electoral finance and emissions trading laws are driven by Labour’s electoral needs rather than what is best for New Zealand.

“The mess created by bulldozing the emissions trading law through Parliament will be more difficult to clean up than that of the EFA because valuable property rights are being affected.

“Similar rushed fishing quota legislation from the 1980’s has resulted in decades of litigation.

“Labour’s climate change record over the past nine years has been one of big promises and botched delivery.

“National will take a more cautious and considered approach. We will be making significant, pragmatic amendments to this emissions trading law to make it workable and realistic.”

ENDS

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