National endorses Labour over climate change
Mr Key must move beyond a glib target to dealing with the tough questions, which can't be answered with a smile and a slogan.
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Acting Climate Change Minister Michael Cullen today welcomed National's belated embrace of climate change as a major economic and environmental challenge.
"However, Mr Key is saying nothing new, merely echoing what the Labour-led government has been saying for a long time.
"Mr Key's 50 by 50 target is an easy one to promise, harder to deliver.
"But even that is less than it seems. It promises only to target 50 per cent of emissions, as it appears to leave agriculture outside any cap and trade system.
"Mr Key has moved from being an "armchair sceptic" a year ago to reading the opinion polls and realising the public sees this as a major issue.
"To date National has opposed every initiative we have proposed. It is the only party not to have been involved in discussions with the government over the issue.
"Now we shall see if they really are prepared to accept a cap and trade emissions system as a real solution to the problem.
"The Labour-led government has taking climate change seriously for a long time, even before it was fashionable, and we continue to provide the leadership necessary.
"We have a raft of work under way. Climate Change Minister David Parker last week outlined the time line for the next stage of policy development leading to legislation over the next few months assuming approval is given to introduce a cap and trade system,
"It is important for Mr Key to now front up when he talks about changes to the RMA. Does he mean people who are faced with a major wind farm near their property will have no democratic input into the decision-making process?
"Does he accept that cap and trade will mean increases in the price of petrol and diesel?
Mr Key must move beyond a glib target to dealing with the tough questions, which can't be answered with a smile and a slogan. I hope his contribution is more successful than National's last attempt at discussions over the other major economic challenge we face - the over-valued exchange rate."
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Acting Climate Change Minister Michael Cullen today welcomed National's belated embrace of climate change as a major economic and environmental challenge.
"However, Mr Key is saying nothing new, merely echoing what the Labour-led government has been saying for a long time.
"Mr Key's 50 by 50 target is an easy one to promise, harder to deliver.
"But even that is less than it seems. It promises only to target 50 per cent of emissions, as it appears to leave agriculture outside any cap and trade system.
"Mr Key has moved from being an "armchair sceptic" a year ago to reading the opinion polls and realising the public sees this as a major issue.
"To date National has opposed every initiative we have proposed. It is the only party not to have been involved in discussions with the government over the issue.
"Now we shall see if they really are prepared to accept a cap and trade emissions system as a real solution to the problem.
"The Labour-led government has taking climate change seriously for a long time, even before it was fashionable, and we continue to provide the leadership necessary.
"We have a raft of work under way. Climate Change Minister David Parker last week outlined the time line for the next stage of policy development leading to legislation over the next few months assuming approval is given to introduce a cap and trade system,
"It is important for Mr Key to now front up when he talks about changes to the RMA. Does he mean people who are faced with a major wind farm near their property will have no democratic input into the decision-making process?
"Does he accept that cap and trade will mean increases in the price of petrol and diesel?
Mr Key must move beyond a glib target to dealing with the tough questions, which can't be answered with a smile and a slogan. I hope his contribution is more successful than National's last attempt at discussions over the other major economic challenge we face - the over-valued exchange rate."