Key Fends Off Kyoto “Flip-Flop” Claim
November 5th, 2008
John Key has been feeling the heat from Labour and the Greens over his views on climate change, as they continue to push the line Key has flip-flopped on his position. Key’s statement on climate change in Parliament in May 2005 has come back to haunt him as the election looms. On that occasion, Key stated, “(Climate change) is a complete and utter hoax, if I may say so. The impact of the Kyoto Protocol, even if one believes in global warming – and I am somewhat suspicious of it – is that we will see billions and billions of dollars poured I to fixing something that we are not even sure is a problem.”
Those sentiments would have resonated with many National Party supporters back in 2005 and they are probably still shared by many National voters in NZ’s rural heartland. But the political tide has well and truly turned since then, and Key is doing his utmost to forget he ever uttered such a statement. National has now embraced the environmental age.
But Greens’ Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons is not convinced and she took the opportunity to corner Key when they were both visiting a Paraparaumu shopping mall last week. Fitzsimons says she asked Key why National’s MPs and candidates “are telling farmers one thing on the ETS but John is telling the rest of NZ another.” She says Key assured her National is now committed to the Kyoto Protocol. But Fitzsimons adds she is still concerned under a National-led Govt farmers might get “an even softer ride” than under Labour’s ETS.
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