Denis O’Rourke MP
New Zealand First Spokesperson for
Climate Change
25 MAY 2017

Prime Minister Unable to Justify Carbon Tax

Prime Minister Bill English is unable to justify the huge $1.4 billion annual cost to New Zealand families, farmers and businesses, of a useless Emissions Trading Scheme, says New Zealand First.

“This scheme has made no progress internationally and cannot be credibly measured,” says Spokesperson for Climate Change Denis O’Rourke.

“That amount of money represents thousands of houses that could be built. This is a government that claims the media has manufactured homelessness.

“This National government is so out of touch that they see nothing wrong with paying foreigners billions of dollars to buy carbon credits. It’s a useless exercise, it will do nothing to cut our emissions, and it will continue to cost us more.

“National has already spent $2.3 billion overseas for these useless credits since 2008.

“Mr English denied these facts even though they were revealed in a table sent in March this year by Minister in charge of Climate Change Paula Bennett in reply to questions from NZ First (table attached). It shows $1,411,852 million total net climate change related expenses for the 2015/16 year; and the total of each year recorded since 2008 is indisputably $2.3 Billion.

“A Prime Minister who is so out-of-touch has no hope of successfully leading New Zealand to the carbon-neutral future we signed up to in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

“Mr English claims he has ‘multi-party support’ for his worthless ETS policy. Untrue.

“New Zealand First has clearly stated it would abolish the ETS so that the $1.4 billion could be invested in a range of other actions, including research and development, insulating homes, planting forests, and implementing electrification in transport.”

ENDS

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