Media Release ACT Party 11 September 2014 Immediate Release

Robin Grieve ACT Climate Change Spokesman

ETS to go this time

ETS to go this time, says ACT

“The ACT Party will make scrapping the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) a high priority during negotiations with National post election” said Robin Grieve, Joint Primary Industry Spokesperson.

Global warming and the ETS have taken a back seat in this election campaign which is a good thing because it indicates that people are less concerned about it now. But this is also a problem for farmers because with no pressure for change being put on National from either side of the debate the ETS sits there like a time bomb.

With the ETS adding unnecessary costs to all energy users why is there is no debate about what having an ETS achieves?

“It’s a tax ready to be cut” the ACT spokesperson said

"Changes made to the ETS by National during this term of government have been panned by the left as having brought down the price of carbon dioxide but in fact it was ACT that, as a condition of its support for the changes, stipulated that emitters must have continued access to international carbon dioxide markets. ACT used its powers to reduce the effect of the ETS, after this election if it holds enough influence it will seek to scrap it.

National has continued to delay the entry of livestock emissions in to the ETS but they have also made it easier to do. A future Minister for Climate Change can just issue an order in council and livestock emissions are in.

National has not done farmers any favours with these changes. ACT wants livestock emissions right out of the equation and the best way to do that is scrap the ETS altogether.

ACT will work hard for farmers with whatever power the voters give us." said Robin Grieve.

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