- special report by Tony Orman
Nick Smith has told Marlborough people to not vote National in next year's election, if they are opposed to the National-led government's Emissions Trading Scheme.
After an address he was answering questions from the gathering of 150 when he made the statement three or four times. It probably did not dawn on the Climate Change Minister that Colin King, the National MP for Kaikoura, which takes in Marlborough was there chairing the meeting.
The meeting was one of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) road show meetings.
Smith told the audience if any voters are opposed to the Emissions Trading Scheme, then don't vote National next year."
Several from the audience challenged the lack of democracy in government charging ahead with the ETS.
"New Zealand is a democracy but government isn't listening," said one.
Smith replied again saying "If you're not happy and think climate change is nonsense then in next year's election vote for a party that doesn't want an ETS."
The climate Change Minister have an audio-visual presentation which showed graphs but many were not happy. One person, an accountant, said a graph showing forestry plantings "painted a false picture by using dodgey statistics." Another person pointed out afterwards that another graph of temperature rises in the 20th century used a distorted scale to give exaggerated temperature rise. In fact the 1930s were the warmest decade of the 20th century, but the graph failed to show that because of the false exaggeration.
Coal exports to China were termed hypocrisy by four questioners. Minister Smith denied any hypocrisy and said China burning the fuel would pay costs and not New Zealand exporting coal, under Kyoto. (What Smith failed to mention was China does not belong to Kyoto and so would not be obliged to pay anything?)
Smith kept saying too much carbon di-oxide from emissions was the problem. Carbon-di-oxide was vital for life, but there was too much in the atmosphere.
He considered ETS New Zealand's best option. The sooner New Zealand began an ETS, the easier the transition would be be. An ETS was in line with New Zealand's clean, green image and export market access. Planting of trees would greatly increase with an estimated extra 15,000 hectares in Marlborough resulting.
Surprisingly foresters were sceptical. One Marlborough forester said the scheme did not consider natural native regeneration to which Smith replied Kyoto considers only trees over 5 metres in height. A forestry consultant said liabilities under the ETS at logging time would be so so great, owners of forests would be reluctant or not cut trees when mature.
Nick Smith accused one questioner of being a "sceptic". The questioner replied in a democracy anyone was entitled to make up their own mind.
Marlborough farmer Pat O'Sullivan called for a referendum on the issue at the 2011 general election.
Smith replied." No!"
There will be no referendum. National was elected to bring in an ETS."
Pat O'Sullivan then asked for a show of hands here at the meeting.
Chairman and local Kaikoura MP Colin King ruled there would be no vote.
