Media Statement

Hon Peter Dunne
MP for Ohariu
Leader of UnitedFuture

Wednesday, 24 October 2012

Dunne to support emissions trading bill

UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne today announced he would be supporting the remaining stages of the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading and other Matters) Amendment Bill, fulfilling a commitment in the party’s confidence and supply agreement with National.

“In that agreement, we undertook with National to slow the phasing-in of the emissions trading scheme (ETS) and to allow off-setting for pre-1990 forest owners,” Mr Dunne said.

He said that he is aware of concerns about the carbon price, but is satisfied that provisions in the existing legislation, and reinforced in this bill, mean that there are regulatory powers that will enable the Minister to place quantitative and qualitative restrictions on international carbon credit units.

“This means that appropriate safeguards are in place for New Zealand,” he said.

Mr Dunne said that he will be consulting closely with Climate Change Issues Minister Tim Groser to ensure that those regulations are acted on as and when necessary.

Ends

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