Tuesday, 30th April, 2002

Kyoto To Raise Taxes, Add Energy Costs, Create Bureaucracy, Cut Investment

New Zealand will be the poorer if we ultimately adopt the policies for ratifying the Kyoto Protocol announced today, the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) says.

"Government acknowledges its preferred route to Kyoto will result in higher taxes and higher energy costs yet still says its measures will help economic growth," said Alasdair Thompson. EMA's chief executive.

"Pigs might fly too, powered by their own methane emissions.

"Our worst fears are being realized; we're to become the only country in the southern hemisphere to ratify the protocol, probably the only country on the Pacific Rim.

"We're doing this when our major trading partners are heading in a different direction. We're to be isolated, an experiment for the world.

"We can kiss goodbye to thoughts of attracting much more foreign direct investment.

"This Government position statement alone, though its precepts won't apply until 2007, will guarantee offshore investors from now on will look askance at funding any job rich employment project here.

"Government is making a major strategic business blunder.

"New Zealand's competitive edge as a place to do business is about to become a casualty of Government's new age naivety based on the advice of people like Dr Robert Watson who's since been sacked from his job as head of the United Nations Climate Change Panel."

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