The Government appears to be standing behind a botched Emission Trading Scheme review, despite the process contributing to millions of dollars of losses for local Iwi.

Te Taumata Chair Chris Karamea Insley says Māori leaders and forestry experts have been angered and dismayed by the Government’s high-handed approach to the consultation.

“Forestry is one of the most significant economic assets for Māori, which the Government fully understood before embarking on this process,” says Chris Insley. “In particular, participation in the carbon economy through the ETS – established as the key platform for Aotearoa’s climate action – represents a $16 billion economic opportunity for Māori.”

“Over many months, we warned the Government that if they continued to pursue the proposals which were announced in the ETS consultation, the risks and costs would be enormous.”

“We warned them directly over many months, we took them to the High Court, we have even raised the matter before the UN, all to prevent the extraordinary level of damage they have created. And yet this Government continues to treat their Treaty partners with absolute disrespect and disdain.”

Chris Insley says it is extraordinary that Minister Parker would characterise the pre-engagement process in particular as ‘appropriate’.

“That ‘appropriate’ pre-engagement process consisted of a hastily arranged briefing for a handful of individuals, with less than 48 hours to respond. Even more concerning, this process was conducted under a strict NDA, prohibiting us from accessing legal advice and appropriately consulting with experts and stakeholders,” says Chris Insley.

“The collapse of the ETS market has indeed taken place – almost as if it was deliberately engineered. But it has occurred solely because of the failure of this Government to build confidence in the ETS and reinforce its commitments to a fair and functioning market,” says Chris Insley. “The immediate impact of that collapse has already been widely felt by Māori. The value of our assets has been slashed, along with our land values and the opportunity for greater investment – taking millions and potentially billions of dollars from the balance sheets of Iwi and the worth of our Treaty Settlements.”

Mr Insley says last week’s exchange in the House highlighted that not every party was intent on ignoring the rights and interest of Māori.

“We are particularly fortunate to have Te Pati Māori prepared to stand up for Māori and ask the hard questions on behalf of our people,” says Chris Insley. “Given the enormous significance of the Māori vote in the forthcoming election, the Government should pay heed to the concerns being expressed.”

© Scoop Media