Press release - May 20, 2010
Today’s budget confirms the Government has completely failed to understand that New Zealand’s economic future is intrinsically tied to our environment, says Greenpeace.
"It has ignored not only the global realities of climate change,
but also the global green revolution," said Greenpeace Political
Adviser Geoff Keey. "It has officially positioned itself to miss
the green wave completely.
"Its approach to climate change is to spend over $600 million
dollars of taxpayers' money on carbon credits to bail out the
country's biggest polluters while spending a measly $300,000 to
help the victims of climate change around the world.
"The sooner John Key realises that our environment IS our
economy, the sooner New Zealand will start to look like a country
living in the 21st century."
"The Government should have strengthened the ETS instead of
raising GST. It's hypocritical for the Government to say the ETS
would be too hard on households and then raise GST.
"Where is the investment in cutting edge clean technology? Where
are the environmental taxes to penalise polluters? Where is the
investment in New Zealand's clean green brand?
"John Key needs to look to his UK text friend David Cameron for
some ideas."
Other contacts: Geoff Keey – Greenpeace Political Adviser – 021504486