by Tony Orman
Minister of Agriculture David Carter told a 100 plus gathering of farmers and others at a meeting at Meadowbank Station near Blenheim, held a fortnight ago that he is a believer of global warming.
However his admission brought cries of derision from the audience.
"Do you believe in Kyoto? There's a substantial number of scientists who don't!" responded William Harrison.
David Dillon told David Carter he should be ashamed to follow a fantasy of US global warming advocate Al Gore. Tony Willey accused the government of joining Kyoto based on "a mere suspicion" rather than proven fact.
"Why is New Zealand doing it?" he asked.
Others made similar comments.
But the minister was not moved to reconsider and urged farmers to plant trees and gain carbon credits. He outlined the political ramifications.
"We knew it wouldn't be a vote winner. Those on the political right think we've gone too far, those on the left think not far enough. Besides government polling shows middle New Zealand wants something done about it," said David Carter.
But David Dillon disagreed.
"The government treats us like a rag doll and thinks it can take the farmer vote for granted," he said.
David Carter attributed blame the previous Labour government for joining New Zealand up to Kyoto and warned if next election, Labour was elected, that membership of Kyoto would be entrenched more deeply than under National.
Reviews were to take place over the next few years at which New Zealand could reconsider.
'Besides New Zealand could pull out tomorrow," he added.
"Why don't you then?" asked Waihopai farmer Aidan Mackenzie.
Marlborough Federated Farmers' president Geoff Evans said under the Emissions Trading Scheme, farmers were being asked to bear yet another cost on top of depressed returns. The idea farmers can handle the extra costs was nonsensical especially since agriculture was earning 65 percent of the country's exports.
Minister Carter said government was apprehensive about a reaction from export markets if New Zealand withdrew from Kyoto. Government had given serious thought to pulling out of Kyoto which expires in 2012 after which new rules will be set.
"Fears of a market reaction stopped us withdrawing."
Other farmers expressed strong disapproval. Michael Davidson described Kyoto as the biggest swindle the world has seen and "taxation based on the whim of global warming."
"It's enough to make me sign off from National forever," he told David Carter before walking off.
Tony Willey said Kyoto and the ETS was based on "a very tenuous basis for such sweeping actions and taxation. He said David Carter's fears of a "market reaction" were based on a suspicion and not fact. He challenged Minister of Agriculture David Carter to counter Climate Change minister Nick Smith's "zealous rhetoric."
One farmer Warren Taylor, said farmers should not protest but profit from Kyoto.
"Let's make a buck out of it," he said.
<c> David Carter -"I believe in global warming"
