Scott Simpson - Climate Change

20 December 2019

Businesses will be disappointed that the Government has cynically dumped such a substantial Emissions Trading Scheme Discussion Document in the lead up to Christmas, National’s Climate Change spokesperson Scott Simpson says.

“This is a wide-ranging document with some potentially costly proposals that businesses deserve to be adequately consulted on.

“Releasing it days before Christmas and with a submission period over the summer is a cynical move and suggests the Government does not want to hear feedback.

“National takes a bipartisan approach to Climate Change and supported the establishment of an Independent Climate Change Commission (ICCC).

“It appears the Minister is trying to get out ahead of the ICCC and influence the setting of carbon budgets. Decisions like this are what the ICCC is for and it should be allowed to make its own deliberation.

"Changes of this sort are a quick and rude awakening to businesses making decisions about capital investments in energy. They will add substantial costs and these will be passed on to the consumer.

“This is poor process but sadly unsurprising from a Government who has not given New Zealanders anything but uncertainty and broken promises for Christmas.”

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