An opinion piece by Rod Oram of the Sunday Star Times on New Zealand’s tenuous credibility regarding climate change, and the issue having become ‘the litmus test of National’s political skills’.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“This is the final showdown between the enlightened forces for positive change and the dark forces of climate change deniers, self-interest pleaders and business flat-earthers.
“The scene was set by the release last week of the select committee review of the ETS legislation enacted last year by the previous government.
“As a result of the lack of agreement on key issues and the dearth of concrete recommendations, the review sprouted minority reports from Labour, the Greens, the Maori Party and Act. Their views ranged widely from strong engagement on climate change to denial; from an ETS to a carbon tax; and from more help for consumers and special support for Maori to exemption of agriculture to name but three areas.
“Out of this morass, National has to find enough votes to support the changes it wants to make to the ETS.”