Climate Change Leadership Forum policy statement

Climate Change Leadership Forum policy statement process

Business NZ is perfectly entitled to disassociate itself from the Climate Change Leadership Forum's 10 point policy advice to Ministers on the Emissions trading scheme, released on April 28.

This is a voluntary process and any of the 34 Forum members are entitled to opt out if they wish, the Forum's chair, Warehouse Founder Stephen Tindall said today, after Forum member Phil O'Reilly disassociated himself from the statement.

"It is a shame Mr O'Reilly has disassociated himself from the whole 10 point policy statement release when he and Business NZ had the chance to object to the actual points they disagreed with, as Greenpeace did on one point prior to its release. This objection was noted in the policy advice to Government," Mr Tindall said.

"Mr O'Reilly, who is also Chief Executive of Business NZ, was unfortunately unable to attend our last meeting on April 17, but would have seen the 10 points as circulated to all members on April 16 with a note saying we would be discussing these points at the meeting.

"Many of the points were debated at length, altered and edited during the meeting itself to accommodate the consensus.

"Other Forum members, who are also members of Business NZ, attended the meeting. None of them objected to our 10 point policy advice release by the end of the meeting.

"At the conclusion of the meeting the new 10 point edited version was again circulated to all members to give them an opportunity to comment and make edit suggestions should they wish.

"It could be assumed that those attending who were also members of Business NZ could have discussed it with Mr O'Reilly had they felt that was appropriate."

The Chair explained to the meeting that the final version would be forwarded to the Minister and the Select Committee as soon as final approval had been received. Members were asked to make any further comments after the meeting in a timely fashion.

Eight days elapsed with only three or four members making suggested amendments. After this was done the document was released.

ENDS

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