John Key recently took over the chairmanship of the Pacific Islands forum. It was reported that he wants a change in how development aid is provided, and that addressing climate change will be one of his priorities.The prime minster spoke on behalf of China, saying they weren't going to be bound by the rules and regulations of regional institutions in how to deliver aid to the Pacific, and China would not adhere to the Cairns Compact, an agreement for better aid program coordination.
It seems strange that John Key was speaking for China, and that he said climate change will be one of his priorities... especially considering he's a self admitted climate change denier.
Let's not forget the fact that National and their lackeys have been promoting industries that cause environmental damage and actively undermining the ETS, thus New Zealand's ability to meet its obligations under the Kyoto protocol. They've even been falsifying information to try to gain public support.
Last week the Green party of Aotearoa announced their Green Jobs policy:
These policies are all about addressing climate change.Extend the home insulation programme to a further 200,000 homes.
Faster and fuller implementation of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
A new start-up capital fund of $100m for clean technology small and medium sized entities and community enterprises.
A mandatory renewable electricity generation target of 100 per cent by 2030 and new requirements for state-owned energy companies to work with "green energy entrepreneurs."Protection of the "100 per cent pure" brand with new National Environmental Standards and a moratorium on land use intensification in sensitive catchments.
John Key then showed his true colours and that he has no intention of addressing climate change when he completely contradicted himself and went on the offensive against the Greens plan. TVNZ reports:
"What they're proposing is to add lots of costs, add lots of taxes and then magically, supposedly, all the jobs would be in place," Transport Minister Steven Joyce said. Prime Minister John Key described the initiative as a "job destruction package".
"They are talking about putting enormous taxes on New Zealand that would send a lot of businesses bankrupt," Key said.
"Quite frankly they're dreaming if they think they can stop those companies going under when they are going to be putting taxes on them that would make them totally uncompetitive."
If John Key actually intended to address climate change (as he said he would do at the Pacific Island forum), he would be embracing the Greens progressive initiatives (PDF), not slagging them off before he's even read them.
If he'd bothered to read the policy properly, he would have seen that the Greens intend to prioritize spending away from motorways and that apart from a very small charge for commercial use of water, a CGT and a Christchurch rebuild levy that is inevitable, there will be no additional taxes on the public. In fact the revenue stream created by the Greens plan compared to the cost makes New Zealand nearly $4 billion within three years.
We can obviously take what John Key says with a grain of salt.
If he'd bothered to read the policy properly, he would have seen that the Greens intend to prioritize spending away from motorways and that apart from a very small charge for commercial use of water, a CGT and a Christchurch rebuild levy that is inevitable, there will be no additional taxes on the public. In fact the revenue stream created by the Greens plan compared to the cost makes New Zealand nearly $4 billion within three years.
We can obviously take what John Key says with a grain of salt.
