ETS Chickens Coming Home To Roost

President Obama’s decision to abandon his planned Emissions Trading Scheme is further proof that New Zealand is now completely isolated from its major trading partners; the National Government’s ETS chickens are predictably coming home to roost – to the detriment of all New Zealanders, ACT Deputy Leader and Climate Change Spokesman John Boscawen said today.

“National originally claimed that New Zealand would be a fast follower on climate change: we would wait to see what our major trading partners – the US, China, Japan and Australia – would do before we implemented an ETS,” Mr Boscawen said.

“But, like Helen Clark before him, Climate Change Minister Dr Nick Smith became blinded by the desire to be a world-beater; to make New Zealand the first country to implement a comprehensive ETS – no matter the cost to the nation.

“Common sense gave way to economic recklessness.  The Government discarded the responsible ‘wait and see’ approach and became hellbent on implementing the ETS on July 1 – even after Australia’s April announcement that it would delay its own ETS until 2013.

“As a result, New Zealanders are burdened by significant extra costs for no environmental benefit; our economy has been distorted by the misallocation and redistribution of resources for no reason; and our exporters are at a disadvantage in the international market.

“Not that this comes as any surprise.  I predicted this outcome when campaigning to have the ETS scrapped – or at least delayed – but, then, the Government was more interested in being a world first than looking to the welfare of its citizens.

“Now New Zealand is reaping what National sowed – and it will only get worse.  I just hope that this latest development in the US is enough to open the Government’s eyes and show it that the ETS must be repealed before it is too late and even more damage is done to our economy,” Mr Boscawen said.