Opposition Plays Hard Ball Over ETS Support
June 4th, 2008
The Greens have thrown down the gauntlet to the Govt by threatening to vote against the Emissions Trading Bill unless it is toughened up in some key areas. Greens Co-Leader Jeanette Fitz-s-imons is particularly concerned the agriculture sector is getting off too lightly under the legislation in its current form. Fitzsimons is hinting the Greens could make the earlier inclusion of the farming sector a bottom-line condition for supporting the Bill. If the Greens refuse to budge, the Bill may well fall over, as the Govt will not want to upset the agriculture sector in election year.
Helen Clark stresses the Govt has a long-standing commitment to the farming sector it will not be included in the first Kyoto period, to give farmers time to adapt to the costs of emissions trading, given there are no quick or easy ways for them to reduce emissions. Clark acknowledges the Govt will have difficulty getting the numbers to pass the Bill, as it has to rely on the minor parties, now National has withdrawn its support. But she is playing down the potential embarrassment for the Govt by noting Labour has to rely on third party support for all its legislation, so “it’s business as usual.”
NZ First Leader Winston Peters is not making any commitment to support the ETS legislation, saying he is concerned particularly about cost of scheme to individual households. Peters adds the ETS is a “complex issue” and NZ first is still grappling with it. National Party Leader John Key believes it’s possible the Bill could fail to get the numbers but National will not support it in its current form. The Bill is due to go back to Parliament on June 10.
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