ETS To Cost $3 A Week - If You Don't Eat

ACT New Zealand Climate Change Spokesman John Boscawen today questioned whether Climate Change Minister Nick Smith truly believes that the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will cost the average household only $3 per week, and whether he had forgotten that New Zealanders need to eat.

"National repeatedly cites $3 as the weekly cost to households of the ETS.  But this is based only on higher fuel and power prices and completely excludes the effect that these price increases will have on the cost of other household expenses - like food," Mr Boscawen said.

"Answers I have received to my written Parliamentary Question on this issue show that a mere $3 per week is a significant under-estimate of the cost burden that the ETS will impose on Kiwi households and families.

"Dr Smith himself confirmed this in Parliament when he said that the $3 figure was based on the average household consuming 8,000 kilowatts of electricity at an added cost of one cent per kilowatt, and driving 28,000 kilometres at an added cost of three cents per litre of petrol.  Does he really believe that these price increases will not filter through the economy?  Or does he think that New Zealanders will simply decide to quit eating from July 1?

"Dr Smith and his National colleagues continue to mislead the country over the true cost of the ETS and it's time they came clean.  New Zealanders deserve to know what the ETS will really cost them and it is certainly more than $3 - because, whether National wants to acknowledge or not, New Zealanders are going to continue eating," Mr Boscawen said.