Greens tip short life for ETS
The emissions trading scheme which is now in law won't survive for long in its present form, the Green Party says.
Parliament yesterday passed legislation that sets up the Government's new emissions trading scheme (ETS) by 63 votes to 58 after striking a deal with the Maori Party.
It is a watered down version of the ETS passed by the previous government just before last year's election and gives big polluters a much easier ride.
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman told NZPA the allocation of free carbon credits would put an enormous burden on taxpayers.
"It can't possibly survive in its current form because the level of subsidy is so great, the taxpayer-funded liability is enormous," he said.
"There's just no way the taxpayer can possibly carry the burden."
Dr Norman said National and the Maori Party had failed to take on their generation's responsibility to cut emissions.
"They've passed it on to the next, and it's quite shocking."
Labour also opposed the ETS and, like the Greens, considers it is an inadequate response to climate change.
Climate Change Minister Nick Smith, who is in charge of it, told Parliament it was a workable, affordable scheme.
"New Zealand has been going round in circles for a decade on how to impose a cost on carbon pollution," he said.
"This bill means that from July 1 next year there will be a price on carbon and an incentive for afforestation."
Labour's climate change spokesman, Charles Chauvel, said the ETS was fundamentally flawed.
"It is economically irrational, socially inequitable, environmentally counter-productive and fiscally unsustainable," he said.
Back to home
Back to top
Print
Email
Share
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Google
Yahoo
Technorati
Scoopit
NBR SERVICES
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Sign up for NBR subscriber content or email alerts
Latest
Comments and questions12
The Greens are at last talking sense. The tax payer IS New Zealand. New Zealand can not afford it full stop. It is moronic as NZ is not a weathy country, does nothing to stop the plane'ts natural climate cycle. All it does is make NZ poorer. Now that is brilliant.
Aussie Norman should worry about his country ,and Charlie Chauvel Labours retread MP should tell the real truth about his party's ETS which was twice as punitive as National's, and that saying something.
Both Norman and Chauvel are correct on two counts (which must be an unfamiliar position for these two)
The ETS is flawed as was the first ETS
The ETS won't last long - neither did the First One
But, as usual they are wrong in context.
1) The ETS is flawed because global warming is a corrupt con and you can't force opportunism in markets that reject being punished for the con and it's cause.
2) It won't last long it is current form. Correct. The United Nations will be all over Key and Smith like a bad rash. They'll change the carbon cost indices in minutes, changing the ETS. This of course to topple the economy and set the path to global government.
As Bill English says - they'll be a lot of re-configuration.
As English admits the con has been watered down. Therefore the con-tax can only be harsher from here.
Then - add in English's debt pursuit.
Yet, despite Global Warming now proving to be a con - Key has still failed to prove he is a leader - proving the intent to join the US/EN/EU as one big corrupt T-Party.
Total corruption = Total Economic Collapse decided as and when by the UN. Housing boom you say. The UN don't agree with property rights period.
Wake up. Smell the coffee people.
How many carbon credits for marijuana? It’s a wonder the Greens haven’t put this forward to increase the number of dope heads and green supporters.
Bob I agree that the ETS won't survive in its current form if at all but probably not for the same reasons as you. I'm curious to know who you propose will do the educating of the "many ill-informed naieve (sic) people out in 'cuckoo land'", if you are consider it inappropriate to accept teh (sic) word of 'experts'.
Problem is that as the globe continues to cool, undoing this new vast bureaucracy, plus the new "ENRON like" fiasco with derivatives surrounding these new "carbon credits", it will be impossible to remove without another unravelling of of the banking system .
As for the Australian ETS name, "carbon" pollution reduction bill, it amazes me that the Australians can call carbon a pollutant. We all know it is not, it is a building block across nature. So when will we get the notion to tax old people because they've had their breathing CO2 quota? The unintended consequences are usualyy worse than the "cure". Look at NZ's leaky homes fiasco, caused in a major part by the use of non-treated timber, because that's what the Greens wanted.
The Greens are correct, the ETS won't survive; it will eventually be eliminated from statute.
John Key inherited this scam from Comrade Clark and her deluded followers, he can't dump it overnight, as there are too many ill-informed naieve people out in 'cuckoo land', who need to be educated about the real world. Once that happens then the ETS will go.
Remember that the antiprogress movement and the One World Govt movement have spent the last 40 years subtly indoctrinating the populace to stop thinking, and just accept teh word of 'experts'!!!.
Imagine teh furore, and media headlines if this ETS had been cancelled, as it should be.
One day the NZ people will realise that we, in NZ, determine our lifestyle, not un-elected social failures domiciled in New York at the UN.
bob. Valid points. However, this is a high risk hope as the signs of Key's political behaviour, in favour of your arguement, are few and far between. in fact none.
However, Key is extremely strained by the political chess waiting for this con to be debunked or his silence indicates greed orientated collaboration.
Yet - the risk is that Key is NOT in control as NZ does not control the carbon indices. i.e. it's out of his control.
hence, NZ is in deep doo doo.
point: Key has had the opportunity to pause the entire ETS in favour political due dilligence - even at the same time as the fraud has been exposed. He hasn't. He's allowed bribery and corruption to occur to pass and continue fraudulant legislation.
he has had the opportunity to demonstrate leadership by doing a Lange of the 80's and telling the UN to stick it.
However, he's allowed Smith to signal the UN that we are party to this fraud
The so called 'experts' are nearly all pushing an ideology.
It is very hard to get two scientists to agree, - bit like economists really, - but most of the media and political hype is coming from individuals who specialise in taking comments and reported facts out of context, and massaging them to suit their own ideology.
john Key has inherited a ' loaded game of chess', and sadly, I don't think that the majority of our population are mature enough to recognise that they have been indoctrinated and conned.
Perhaps if we had continued to teach basic science in Primary School, instead of Green ideology, then people may have developed an interest in, and and understanding of simple science.
and Bob hits it on the head.
society will only mature when they latently realise what's gone on. that will only occur as homes are taken away from them. for that's what this is all about.
hence, the ever so timely by english and co to broaden the tax base over a debt riddled - financially skint society .....guess what to include land based taxes....no pay. no home.
UN governmenting - 101.
Ets meltdown in Copenhagen,what lies in store for the world ,Western Country's BE VERY AFRAID.
Post new comment or question
To share this article, click on a service below