The government is concerned about the campaign the Act Party is running against the emissions trading scheme and says figures it is spreading around about the cost are misleading.This came to light yesterday in a memo Agriculture Minister David Carter has
The government is concerned about the campaign the Act Party is running against the emissions trading scheme and says figures it is spreading around about the cost are misleading.
This came to light yesterday in a memo Agriculture Minister David Carter has sent to his cabinet colleagues.
"Many of the figures being circulated in support of this campaign are at best misleading and at worst wrong," he said in the memo.
"They are simply aimed at raising fear amongst farmers ... wild claims such as that the ETS from this year will be costing the average dairy farmer up to $10,000 per annum are simply rubbish."
Act wants the ETS, due to start coming in on July 1, postponed at least until Australia brings in its own.
The Australian government has shelved its ETS because it doesn't have enough support in Parliament to pass it and doesn't expect to get it through until around 2013.
Agriculture is not due to come under New Zealand's ETS until 2015 but farmers don't want it in at all.
Mr Carter said in his memo the government was keeping an open mind on the entry date and was closely watching international developments.
There will be reviews of agriculture's entry date in 2011 and 2014.
ACT has been holding public meetings around the country and says there is strong support for delaying the introduction of the ETS.
In Parliament yesterday, Act leader Rodney Hide quoted National MP Shane Ardern’s comment that “Mr Hide could stop the ETS if he wished by reconsidering his party’s confidence and supply agreement with National” and asked Prime Minister John Key to comment on the ETS and Act's deal with National.
Mr Key thanked Act for "its contribution to our stable and balanced government" and made special reference to Mr Hide’s position as minister for local government, a perk made possible by Act’s election deal with National.
Undeterred, Mr Hide went on to allege that the extra cost of the ETS to households would cancel out tax cuts for those earning between $40,000 and $85,000 a year.
He concluded that “what [Finance Minister] Bill English has given back, [Climate Change Minister] Nick Smith has taken away for over a million middle-income New Zealanders.”
National ministers have dropped hints of a pro-ETS public information campaign leading up to the July 1 rollout.
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