Gordon Copeland Press Release For Immediate Release Wednesday, 14th May 2008

Copeland to oppose emissions trading scheme

Independent MP Gordon Copeland has today announced that he will be voting against the Emissions Trading Bill.

"Having considered the pros and cons of the Bill carefully, I have come to two conclusions," said Mr Copeland.

"The first is that this Bill is going to increase costs to kiwi households significantly. The price of electricity and transport fuels will increase and because those sources of energy are inputs into virtually every aspect of our economy, costs will increase across the board from basic items such as groceries, right through to the increased costs involved in running a hospital."

"Secondly, we have no way of measuring, at this point, the magnitude of those costs since they are dependent upon the international price, at the time, of carbon."

"In any event, I do not believe that the Emissions Trading scheme is a national priority from either an environmental or climate change point of view. I have held, and actively promoted for some years now, that the planting of millions of trees and active steps to end the degradation of our rivers, streams and lakes from agricultural runoffs are the priority issues."

"New tree plantings have not occurred under Labour. On the contrary, between 2004 and the end of 2007 the Government has overseen a massive net deforestation amounting to 46,000 hectares! Likewise they have done little or nothing to bring the pollution of our waterways to an end."

"I regard their neglect of these two critical issues as unacceptable."

"Instead of a 'pig and a poke' emissions trading scheme, why can't we simply get on and provide incentives to plant masses of trees and bring to an end the degradation of our waterways?"

ENDS

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