Govts Gung Ho Approach on Kyoto Carries Huge Risks

Friday 9 Nov 2001 Ken Shirley Press Releases -- Governance & Constitution

ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader Ken Shirley urges a more precautionary approach by New Zealand at the Moroccan meeting of the Kyoto Protocol negotiations.

"The gung ho approach of the Labour Government on this issue is totally inappropriate when the Protocol is surrounded in uncertainty with huge risks of economic damage to New Zealand. A recent report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research showed a negative impact on New Zealand's commercial forestry industry and yet, up to that point, the Government had been claiming that forestry would be the big winner under the Kyoto Protocol.

Ken Shirley is writing to Pete Hodgson asking him why the New Zealand delegation will not support the joint proposal of Japan, Canada, and Australia urging that the adoption of any rules under the Kyoto protocol be deferred until 2003.

"It is clear that the proposed rules are unsatisfactory and will inevitably result in damage to the New Zealand economy. Obviously Japan, Canada and Australia realise this but the New Zealand government is locked into an ideological mindset on this issue.

"Romania is the only country that has ratified the Kyoto Protocol and it seems the New Zealand government is determined to be the first OCED country to ratify it.

"The Kyoto Protocol, as written, is fundamentally flawed. It is both politically and economically non-sustainable in its current form. For some reason in spite of these limitations the Labour/Alliance government is prepared to inflict massive damage to the New Zealand economy when New Zealand's adoption of this protocol wont make one jot of difference to global CO2 emissions even assuming they are the problem that some purport," concluded Mr Shirley.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

© Scoop Media