Act’s Campaign Against The ETS Continues

John Boscawen MP, ACT New Zealand

"The backlash against the Government’s ETS is continuing to build, with National scrambling to justify itself despite the fact that pushing ahead with the ETS no longer makes sense, ACT Climate Change Spokesman John Boscawen said today.

"The ETS is not going to make an iota of difference to the world’s climate – the very thing it was intended to do – therefore the costs it will impose on our economy are utterly pointless," Mr Boscawen said.

"From the year commencing July 1, Treasury forecasts petrol prices to rise by four cents per litre and electricity by five percent. These costs will make their way through the whole economy, increasing the cost of everything.

"Meat and Wool estimate that, for the year commencing July 1 2010, the average dairy farmer will incur a cost of $3,900 per annum - increasing to $7,800 per annum from January 1 2013. Farmers will incur these costs long before agriculture officially comes into the ETS in 2015. Any tax savings farmers received in this week’s budget will be wiped out by the $3,900 ETS tax unless they currently earn over $150,000 per annum.

"The budget also confirmed the allocation of over $1 billion dollars in emissions credits to foresters. Most of these will go to forests planted in the 1990s when there was absolutely no expectation of a windfall taxpayer subsidy – yet, now all New Zealanders must pay.

"I look forward to taking the campaign to the people of Southland, and in particular, the Clutha-Southland electorate which is the electorate of the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bill English. I urge everyone to come along and find out the true costs they will face with the implementation of this new tax," Mr Boscawen said.

The next series of meetings will be held in the following areas:

May 24
Gore: 11am, The Cumming Wing, Ardwick Street

Winton: 3:30pm, The Salvation Army Hall, 7 Dejoux Road

Invercargill: 7:30pm, Sixth Floor Conference Room, Kelvin Hotel, Cnr Kelvin & Esk Streets

May 31
Auckland: 7pm: The Marist Clubhouse, (North Harbour Stadium Grounds)

ENDS

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