I have voted National for over 50 years, not for the benefit I could get out of voting that way, but because their policies were the best for small business at the time, and small business is the backbone of this country. Labour was always unuion orintated which appealed to the people who were have always considered what is in it for me, not the country. This ETS scheme is worse than the best of Nordmiers black budget. On October I would have been about 0.83c. per week better off now I will be $5/10.00 a week worse off. under this senario how can National policy be better for the country.

Muriel Newman- NZCPR 14 June 2010

The madness of the Government’s new carbon tax is that New Zealanders will be the only people in the world paying it. It will drive up the costs of living and undermine the competitiveness of New Zealand business for negligible environmental gain. A further concern is its impact on inflation, interest rates and the exchange rate. It will add to the costs of fuel and power and these flow right through the economy to basics like food. This puts pressure on inflation, which in turn drives up interest rates and the kiwi dollar. The Government’s carbon tax is a classic example of the way the Government is making things tougher for the productive exporting sector. The worst aspect of the carbon tax is that it will not make one iota of difference to New Zealand’s emissions. Nick Smith 2005

It is hard to believe that the Member of Parliament who led the successful campaign against the Labour Government’s carbon tax in 2005, is the same MP who is going to impose National’s carbon tax on the country next month.[1] Sure, National’s carbon tax has a fancy new name – it is now called an emissions trading scheme (ETS) – but the arguments against it are still the same. While National’s carbon tax/ETS will have no affect at all on the climate, the estimated 5 percent rise in the cost of power and 4 cents a litre increase in the cost of petrol and diesel will force up the price of food, heating, and all other goods and services in the economy. This will put upward pressure on inflation, drive up interest rates, and push up the kiwi dollar, making things a lot tougher for the export sector.

Hello Nick,

I have read on your web site the following : --

"The Nelson and Marlborough economies are struggling. The last thing we
need is another $25 million being sucked out with this new tax. If you
would like to assist the ‘axecarbontax’ petition and campaign, contact
my office. We need to bury this lemon."
http://www.nick4nelson.co.nz/nelson-marlborough-farming-december-column.html

However when I click on the link to axecarbontax I do not find anything
there. I really want to help to axe all and any carbon taxes because not
only can we not afford them but they have been proven to be fraudulently
based on pseudo-science, merely to create a panic and allow taxes and a
world-wide bureaucracy to be set up to control the world. I think that
it is unconscionable for the present Government to proceed with this
scam while the rest of the world laughs up their sleeve at our stupidity.

Breaking Views: 11 June 2010

Nick Smith and National Party MPs are publishing incorrect and misleading statements to neutralize the ACT campaign against the Emissions Trading Scheme, John Boscawen told a meeting in Hastings on Thursday night. “But this is a last-ditch attempt to justify the unreasonable excesses of the ETS regime”, he said. He urged everyone who opposes the ETS to email Prime Minister John Key and at least the top six members of Cabinet. He did note, however, that anyone who does so would receive a standard email in return containing eight misleading statements.

Climate Change Minister Nick Smith alone is driving the ETS, Boscawen said, with the Prime Minister’s support.

The ETS will be extended across most productive sectors of the economy from July 1 this year, making them instantly more costly for everyone, he said.

By Lawrence Solomon  June 6, 2010 – 10:47 pm