The Government is not going to raise the price of petrol by 70 cents a litre to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, says Energy Minister Pete Hodgson.

Mr Hodgson was responding to a claim by Act MP Gerry Eckhoff that such a tax increase is being contemplated.

"If Mr MP Gerry Eckhoff wants to see Government policy on climate change he only has to look at the Cabinet papers we have been releasing routinely," Mr Hodgson said.

"Instead he has gone off half-cocked, as usual, on the basis of a passing remark in a year-old Treasury paper that has nothing to do with the climate change policy
process. The Treasury comment makes as much sense to me as Mr Eckhoff does, which is to say none whatsoever."

For climate change Cabinet papers see http://www.climatechange.govt.nz

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