Media Release
Tuesday 2nd September 2008

Emissions Trading Scheme a crock

“The government’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is a convoluted, complicated crock” said Stephnie de Ruyter, DSC Party Leader, addressing a meeting in Christchurch today.

“The ETS is nothing more than a complicated polluter-pays scheme and does not offer the incentives necessary for industries to move to cleaner technologies. Instead, many businesses will find the cost of compliance too great to carry.

“The people most likely to benefit from the scheme are the international traders who have been handed yet another commodity to buy, sell and gamble with.

“Although there continues to be debate and disagreement about the voracity of global warming theories, it makes good sense to ensure that all our industries are as clean and as green as is possible. All New Zealanders would benefit from a cleaner, healthier environment.

“The DSC would take a more direct approach to reducing emissions” Ms de Ruyter said.

“We believe the most obvious strategy is to address the matter head on. Our approach would be to significantly and progressively reduce the permitted levels of emissions across the board, and at the same time to enable industry to meet the new standards through investment in cleaner technologies and improved practices by making low interest loans and grants available for that purpose through our programme of Community Credit from the Reserve Bank.

“This approach would satisfactorily address carbon emissions as well as other forms of pollution.”

Ms de Ruyter noted that the government’s enthusiasm for the ETS had precluded serious consideration of a more modern, independent approach such as that promoted by the DSC.

ENDS

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