21 Jun 2009

Govt accused of rushing emissions scheme

11:52 am on 21 June 2009

The Government is being accused of rushing into emissions trading and making up its mind long before a select committee examining the issue delivers its report.

The accusation comes from the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition, an organisation of Kyoto Protocol sceptics.

The chair of the coalition's policy panel, Owen McShane, says the Government has committed over half-a-billion dollars to emissions trading in this year's estimates, indicating it is prejudging the select committee's findings.

Mr McShane says emissions trading is being pushed through without the benefit of a proper regulatory impact statement.

However the office of Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says its comments have been cautious, and this week's economics consultancy report addresses many issues raised by the coalition.