23 October 2008

Who to believe on climate change?

The confusion about what National really has in mind for the Emissions Trading Scheme continues now they have released their agriculture policy, Labour's climate change spokesperson David Parker said today.

"National's spokespeople are saying all sorts of things about climate change and agriculture, depending on their audience, and the policy release today fails to clarify the situation," Mr Parker said.

"Today John Key reported in his Herald diary he told a rural audience that National would amend the ETS – presumably he didn't tell those farmers he'd be making it any tougher, so we must assume he means National would make it softer.

"Yet at the beginning of the week Nick Smith angrily denied that National would 'soften' the ETS for agriculture, even though that was the exact word he used when talking to Federated Farmers in Hamilton .

"Then we had associate environment spokesperson Jacqui Dean's promising the party would 'repeal' the ETS .

"And last month David Carter said it was 'economic folly' to bring agriculture into an emissions trading scheme.

"Why won't National be clear about its intentions? They've had plenty of time to make up their minds and the election is fast approaching. Climate change is an important issue to New Zealanders, as is the state of the economy. It was only after being pinned down at a public meeting that Nick Smith was forced to admit National would abandon the billion dollar household fund to help New Zealanders reduce energy costs.

"If National is going to increase the cost to taxpayers by making changes to the ETS, we should hear exactly what they are."

ENDS

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