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Key accused of climate change u-turn

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Key accused of climate change u-turn

3News NZ

Prime Minister John Key

Prime Minister John Key

Bringing agriculture into the emissions trading scheme wasn't negotiable for the Government in 2009 but now it has walked away from the problem, Labour says.

The sector had a 2015 deadline for coming under the polluter pays regime but the Government on Monday gave it an indefinite reprieve.

Labour's climate change spokeswoman Moana Mackey is reminding Prime Minister John Key that in November 2009 he told Federated Farmers national conference:

"You've got no option - if you don't deal with it now you will be punished. The consumers of the world won't buy your products."

Mr Key told reporters on Monday international progress on curbing greenhouse gas emissions had been "very modest, at best" and New Zealand couldn't afford to get ahead of the pack.

Climate Change Minister Tim Groser said the government was still committed to putting agriculture under the ETS "but now isn't the time to put the foot on the accelerator".

Farmers have always fought the ETS because most of their emissions come from methane-belching cattle and they can't do much about it.

Intensive research is being carried out to find ways to reduce it and farmers say they shouldn't be made to pay for pollution until answers are found.

Labour says the government's "ever-changing position" isn't tenable.

"The ETS was designed as an `all gases, all sectors' scheme - it simply cannot function without our single largest emitting sector - agriculture," Ms Mackey said.

NZN

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Comments

4/07/2012 11:58:37 a.m.

Carlos wrote:

Its all BS anyway, the Earth has already had an "ice-age". Climate changes all the time, that's what it does, and is meant to do. None of us should be taxed for "hippy bunkum" ?!!

4/07/2012 8:58:07 a.m.

aiden wrote:

evidence shows in the past 15 years NO rise in global temperatures. ETS is a global scam the left forced onto the world. there is no global warming, anyone with a brain knows the worlds rise and falls in temperature is directly related to the activity on the sun.

3/07/2012 7:23:47 p.m.

David wrote:

@Vicki.. Mike barely knows what he is on about... he is paid By National to post Propaganda... his last incarnation on the site before he got chased off was lightseed... before that he posted under the name alien. His facts are always made up... his opinion is always paid for.

3/07/2012 6:47:14 p.m.

vicki wrote:

@Mike, but John Key himself said that if the farmers don't join up now then their products will be rejected by consumers but I am sure the far reaching implications e.g. government having to pay the costs the farmers aren't and the subsequent debt the government has to incur to cover this cost is not in the interests of NZ at all, especially future generations. Like it or not, carbon tax is here to stay and if we don't make sensible choices now then in the future your children will have to pay for it. As for farmers not paying much tax, well they tell us they have had a bumper few seasons, and we all know how taxation works, with writing off expenses and expanding business etc so I don't think your figures stack up at all.

3/07/2012 4:36:09 p.m.

Grant wrote:

Voted for Key twice so I can comment, I am disappointed with Key on this topic.When will we get a politician who isn't afraid to make a decision without trading policies .MMP is a joke!!!

3/07/2012 4:27:29 p.m.

jan.. wrote:

What an arrogant person, why bother at all agreed to the Climate Changed that he thought it wasnt necesarry but to waste the taxpayers money on a protect misleading the people of this country to believed that he was doing good for the country and all the time that he disliked the idea of the Climate Changed..
Key you are nothing but an inexperience wimp AND YOUR HIDDEN TEAPOT TAPE..

3/07/2012 4:20:37 p.m.

Philip wrote:

Thank God some commonsense has been demonstrated here. Although to ditch the entire ETS nonsense would be the ultimate in commonsense.

3/07/2012 3:51:11 p.m.

S wrote:

I thought the Greens were going to sign an agreement with National to fix the pollution of waterways and pollution in this area - but obviously the Greens didn't sign the agreement-it's better to work the Govt which has been voted in that the one that's not to get results.

3/07/2012 3:48:49 p.m.

Mike wrote:

More kill the golden goose policy from Labour.

Who would pay for the ETS? Because the first thing that would happen in NZ if farmers have to pay for ETS is they will pass the ETS costs straight to NZ consumers as the only consumers they can charge for the tax. International prices are not set by farmers so they can't collect ETS there. Fonterra cant collect more for dairy in the world market, and nobody in the world is yet charging a life tax on stock - which what the ETS effectively is!

So how much would NZ dairy prices rise with the ETS? Well people are saying $1.5 billion per year, so that would have to be tacked onto existing Dairy consumption in NZ, ie expect NZ dairy prices to double! This is what Ms Mackey is asking for, for NZ consumers to pay double the price for Dairy in the form of an ETS tax!

Come on Labour, be honest about effects of tax for once! Who would be paying the ETS? It would be consumers. Fonterra should mark their packaging carefully, explaining to consumers the ETS portion of the cost so consumers can vote with their feet at election time. Allow a little decrease in dairy consumption and a 2ltr of milk currently at $3 would be $3 for the milk and $3 added ETS tax = $6. A block of chesse of say $8 would be $8 + 8 ETS = $16.

The average farmer in 2009 paid around $1500 in income tax because they dont have wealthy incomes like Labour continuely lies that they do. Farmers work long hours, and for little pay, but Labour is a bunch of idiots who can't add 2+2 let alone distinguish between things like turnover and profit!

Labour wants to kill the golden goose of NZ while so much of NZ is dependant on farming. Killing farming currently and it would make NZ in worse state financially than Greece is currently - this is what Labour really wants. Who are Labour really working for, as sure not any NZ interests!

If we tax cows for breathing, why not those on welfare? At least cows make a positive effort for NZ!