To John Key and others from Alan N 25 June 2010
I am disappointed that the National Government still appears to be going ahead with its ill thought out ETS.
Nick Smith has continually argued that ACT is using misleading information to stir up opposition to the ETS. If anyone can be accused of misleading the public it is Nick Smith who may yet go down in history as being the one single individual that cost National the next election.
I challenge you to prove these following figures false or misleading:
Ranking Country Has ETS
1 Australia No
2 USA No
3 China No
4 Japan No
5 UK yes
6 Korea No
7 Indonesia No
8 Singapore No
9 Hong Kong No
10 Taiwan No
11 Germany Yes
12 Malaysia No
13 India No
14 Philippines No
15 France Yes
16 Canada No
17 Belgium Yes
18 Saudi Arabia No
19 Netherlands Yes
20 Thailand No
As you can see 9 of our top 10 trading partners do not have an ETS contrary to figures Nick Smith has promoted. Furthermore only 5 of our top 20 trading partners have an ETS and they are all grouped together in Europe and as 80% of their trade is within Europe. I would also like to know how many New Zealanders you think will not buy products from countries other than UK, France, Belgium, Germany or the Netherlands based on whether or not they have an ETS.
I would like to record my opposition to the ETS and urge you to defer any introduction until such time as our major trading partners USA, China and Australia decide there is a case for doing so.
I have said previously New Zealand does not again have to be a world leader in such an expensive scheme without any guarantee that others will follow. It will make our goods more expensive in our overseas markets.
It will also add an unwarranted burden on the tax paying public.
Alan N