Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Govt ETS message to households: you're on your own!
UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne says it seems his worst fears have been realised following an exchange in Parliament
today with Climate Change Minister, David Parker.
"For weeks, I have been pressing the Government to come up with figures showing the likely cost to New Zealand
households of the introduction of a carbon emissions trading scheme and further, what its plans are for compensating
households for the increased costs they will bear so that New Zealand can look good to the international hairshirt
brigade.
"Under pressure during Question Time in the House today, Mr Parker snapped that households were likely to be compensated
solely for increased electricity prices.
"So it seems that last week's tax cuts were indeed the down payment to Kiwi households for future costs as I feared, and
not the payoff for past good times.
"Every week, the evidence is mounting that the ETS will harm ordinary New Zealanders and it will be interesting to see
just who supports the ETS legislation when it is reported back from select committee in a couple of weeks," said Mr
Dunne.
ENDS