Denial Doesn't Reconcile Differences With PM

KYOTO FORESTRY ASSOCIATION MEDIA STATEMENT

Monday 26 February 2007 For Immediate Release

Anderton Denial Doesn't Reconcile Clear Differences With PM

Forestry Minister Jim Anderton's media release this afternoon has failed to reconcile the differences between statements by the Prime Minister and his own office on assurances given to forest owners about carbon credit ownership in the 1990s, the Kyoto Forestry Association (KFA) said today.

"The Prime Minister told the Sunday Star-Times that no assurances about carbon credit ownership were given to forest owners in the 1990s but Mr Anderton's office had earlier cited to the Gisborne Herald an example of exactly those assurances by former Environment Minister Simon Upton," KFA spokesman Roger Dickie said today.

Mr Dickie said Mr Anderton's office's version of events is the accurate one.

"His office is quite clearly aware that forest owners were led to believe by official statements through the 1990s that they would gain financially from the carbon they were sequestering in their Kyoto-qualifying forests - even though his office says we were 'bloody fools' for doing so."

Mr Dickie said it was ironic that while Mr Anderton's office believes forest owners were 'bloody fools' for relying on government statements about future policy made in the 1990s, he has justified his latest plans announced on Friday to impose new taxes on the industry by saying forest owners should have relied on official warnings about this possibility issued in 2002.

"Mr Anderton can't have it both ways. He seems to think forest owners should be clairvoyant when it comes to official statements and rely only on those which later support his confiscation agenda."

Mr Dickie said it was regrettable that, once again, Mr Anderton had resorted to personal abuse in today's media release.

"His comments do not insult me, but they are an insult to the more than 900 forest owners who have turned up to MAF consultation meetings over the last fortnight to tell officials that the Government's policy is wrong."

ENDS

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