Idiotic subsidies must be transparent in Budget

Taxpayer subsidies to big greenhouse gas emitters must, at the very least, be made transparent in the upcoming Budget, the Green Party said today.

Recent reports suggest that 800 firms are now eligible for taxpayer subsidies under National's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), up from 22 under Labour's scheme.

"These unbelievably stupid pollution subsidies make climate change worse and add to the budget deficit. Taxpayers have a right to know which corporations have their snout in the public trough and how much dough they are taking from the public purse," Dr Russel Norman, Green Party Co-leader said today.

"At the moment, the Minister only has to report figures in aggregate. This leaves doubt in the minds of those footing the bill: the people of New Zealand.

"There is a case for limited help for a small number of trade exposed firms, but it really needs to be a transparent process open to public scrutiny," Dr Norman said.

Last year the Greens joined the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in calling for greater transparency in how emissions transfers in the ETS are made.

"It is just honest politics to allow the public to see why some emitters are being helped and others not. We also need full disclosure of political donations so we can trace any connections," Dr Norman said.

"Hiding behind commercial sensitivity is unacceptable when holding your hand out for corporate welfare. If you don’t want taxpayers to know that you are on corporate welfare, then don’t apply for it.

"How can people have confidence their elected officials are behaving with integrity when large wealth transfers from taxpayers to polluters take place behind a veil of secrecy?

"National may be trying to block the sun with plumes of coal dust but we need to open up the whole process to the disinfecting sunlight of public scrutiny," Dr Norman said.

ENDS

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