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Iwi get to go to Copenhagen on taxpayer money

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Climate Change Minister Nick Smith is making no apologies for using taxpayer money to send iwi to the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen

Climate Change Minister Nick Smith is making no apologies for using taxpayer money to send iwi to the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 8:54p.m.
Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says he is making no apologies for using taxpayers' money to send two Iwi Leadership Group members to the upcoming climate change talks in Copenhagen.

National negotiated with the group over forestry policy as part of today's deal to pass an emissions trading scheme (ETS) with the support of the Maori Party.

Those iwi with pre-1990 forests wanted the right to clear their forests and plant elsewhere to avoid penalties under the ETS and Kyoto Protocol agreement.

Climate Change Minister Nick Smith said this was not allowed under current international agreements.

Instead he gave those iwi with treaty settlements the right to plant trees on crown land and keep the carbon credits.

This will not help iwi or any other foresters with pre-1990 forests, but Dr Smith said New Zealand hoped to negotiate a change to international climate change rules.

As part of today's deal the Iwi Leadership Group nominated Roger Pikia and Chris Karamea Insley to go to Copenhagen as part of New Zealand's official delegation.

Dr Smith said he made "no apology" for the decision, saying the two men had relevant experience and as indigenous people would be able to strongly put the case to developing nations about the need to change the forestry rules.

Cabinet had yet to finalise who else would be travelling to the negotiations as part of the official delegation.

NZPA
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Comments [5]

Jim
26 Nov 2009 9:35a.m.

Shane
One other thing. I bet you have all the mod-coms at your disposal and are probably quite clever at using them, also I bet you would not want to give one of them up in the name of conservation. Who do you think invented them?.....oh yeh, now go back to your 51 inch screen, cell phone, computer and comfy house and think about who is selfish!!!

annon
24 Nov 2009 10:26p.m.

Wooh I've gone from a skeptic to a flat-earther! I notice that the green brigade from the cult of Carbonic like catchy name calling. I would agree with Climate change, It changes all the time, funny that. I love how you bring Age-ism into your ramblings, I gather you didn't have parents!., if you did they have dis-owned you for the contempt you have shown them! . Pity about your science education otherwise you might be able to read both sides of the GW debate and realise that ETS is a money grabbing scam based on an unscientific hoax based on imaginary fear!. Grow-up.

Shane
24 Nov 2009 1:44p.m.

Just a comment on the journalism here - but maybe you could explain the concept of Kyoto forests and non-Kyoto forests and why we are penalised for cutting them down and whether it is a good idea or bad idea? Or do your journalists not understand the issues either? Sorry Brian - but when are you and all you other flat-earthers going to understand that climate change is real and is the greatest threat that humanity has ever faced? My generation and my childrens' generation are going to have to pick up the mess that the baby boomers have made - the ETS is also another example of inter-generational theft the coming generations of taxpayers are going to pay for the big corporates profits and they are all owned and run by the baby boomers who want all their retirement schemes to be paid by us - they took what their parents sacrificed for them and now they are stealing from their children and grand children. They have to be the most selfish generation ever.

Brian
24 Nov 2009 1:04a.m.

annon, couldn't agree more. Better still though would be a total boycott, why go on a fools errand The more intelligent have already come to the obvious conclusion that the Kyoto Rout along with the IPCC and Al Gore are all touting out a huge scam.

annon
23 Nov 2009 9:47p.m.

At least they will lift the overall IQ of the NZ delegation, maybe not the mean!.

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