National betrays taxpayers with its support of the Zero Carbon Bill, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “As written, the Zero Carbon Bill is likely to lead to higher taxes on fuel, energy, and businesses – all of which will flow through to family budgets. National’s support for the Bill betrays its official party values of limited government, competitive enterprise, and strong families.”

“By treating climate change as a moral issue that requires a ‘blank cheque’, the Bill comes with serious costs. According to the NZ Initiative, the Bill’s requirement to limit offsets to New Zealand will add $300 billion to our emissions bill. NZIER forecasts that, under this legislation, GDP could be up to 22 per cent smaller by 2050. If that’s not a new regulatory tax, we don’t know what is.”

“Worst of all, the Bill in its final form will not do anything about climate change, because it focuses on domestic emissions, and ignores the likelihood of emission-producing activity shifting overseas.”

“National’s promise to rein in the Bill once they’re in power is a cop out. By supporting the Bill’s passage, they’ve given a mandate for future left-wing governments to tax and regulate on an extreme level in order to meet the Bill’s targets.”

The Taxpayers’ Union’s submission on the Zero Carbon Bill can be read at www.taxpayers.org.nz/zero_carbon.

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