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Climate change bill passes despite protest

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Climate change bill passes despite protest

3News NZ

Green Party MP Kennedy Graham, who charged the Government with 'ecocide'

Green Party MP Kennedy Graham, who charged the Government with 'ecocide'

By Peter Wilson

Parliament has passed the Government's latest climate change bill amid Green Party accusations that it has given up on reducing New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions.

The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading and Other Matters) Amendment Bill changes the emission trading scheme (ETS), delaying the introduction of some industry sectors to the polluter-pays regime and giving agriculture an indefinite reprieve.

It passed its third reading 61-58 on Thursday after Climate Change Minister Tim Groser said it struck the right balance between New Zealand "doing its fair share" and ensuring the ETS doesn't impact unreasonably on industries.

The Green's climate change spokesman, Kennedy Graham, says the ETS is now so weak it's pointless.

"Are we mad, are we so blindingly stupid that we do not see what we are doing," he said.

"I charge Mr Groser and Prime Minister John Key with ecocide... I trust in due course they will stand accountable before the children of this world."

Government MPs said he was being absurd.

"Scientists predict that in a decade's time global temperatures will be 0.3 of a degree higher than they are now - our temperature in New Zealand varies between 10 degrees and 15 degrees every day," said Nick Smith.

Labour MPs say the Government hasn't got a hope of meeting its international obligations now the ETS has been rendered useless.

National and its allies ACT and United Future voted for the bill. Labour, the Greens, NZ First, Mana and the Maori Party opposed it.

NZN

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Comments

9/11/2012 4:52:28 p.m.

Greg wrote:

OMG, I thought Nick Smith had some intellectual integrity. It seems not. Eityher that or he is a complete ignoramous.

Ecocide is probably going a bit far, given the extent to which NZ has ever actually meaningfully contributed to climate change is miniscule. But still, everyone's got to do their bit and the main problem with NZ pussyfooting is that we can't take the moral high ground and demand the major polluting countries step up their game.

NZ lead the world in it's trade liberalisation, removing import tariffs and export subsidies. It allowed us to demand, and over time, receive the same from our trading partners. We could do the same with sustainability, and reep the rewards in the long term. But no, it's all aboiut preserving the short term viability of polluting sectors. Dairy farming too expensive because of the ETS? Grow beans instead. You can still make a living off a hill of beans, so to speak. Where is it written that a farmer must always be allowed to farm the same thing he/she has always farmed.

9/11/2012 11:10:25 a.m.

Bruce wrote:

Nick smiths comments clearly shows his ignorance. The science Behring climate change predicts a global average temperature rise of .3 of a degree, not regional temperatures. Temperatures can vary dramatically regionally. The arctic and Antarctic temps can vary by -12 to -24 degrees, the tropic temps can vary between 26 degrees to 45degrees. This gives the global average at 15 degrees. A slight .3 degree increase of the average could see a rise in the arctic and Antarctic of 5 - 8 degrees and a tropical rise of 5 - 8 degrees. This could have a serious effect on global temperatures. Maybe nick smith needs to leave the comments and predictions to the scientists.

9/11/2012 11:02:48 a.m.

Carlos wrote:

This is an unneeded, unwanted and unaffordable Tax. Climate changes all the time, since time began. The World had an "ice-age".....and surprise, surprise, its still turning the same !

9/11/2012 9:26:37 a.m.

Greg wrote:

The flaw in the ETTS paradigm ois that bussiness pass on ALL their mnanufactoring costs onto the consumer.
All the tax will benefit is the share market traders. Its a lie and nonsence to promote it as a mechanism to reduce carbon dioxide out put.
I'l point out the yeast in bread creates CO2, so bread will be rising in price. Global warming itself is a lie, the planet will freeze, its already well past Al Gores tipping point graph for htat too happen. This just shows politicians consider people sheep. Dump the Bill it wont do anything to reduce emmission.

9/11/2012 12:41:22 a.m.

Cole wrote:

Agree with Bill global warming is a load of rubbish. CIA funded greens will do anything to take away New Zealander's Freedom. Save the planet kill the people.

8/11/2012 11:13:20 p.m.

Bill wrote:

At least we have something even though it's a scam, not like all the big polluters in the world that have nothing. Lets face it the Greens would moan about anything, why anyone votes for these clowns is beyond me.