NZ First stalls carbon law
NZ First is slowing progress on the Government’s proposed climate change legislation, leading to a missed deadline for an announcement.
A source close to the situation told Stuff the party had been more intransigent on the issue than the National Party, which Climate Change Minister James Shaw is working with separately to make sure his Zero Carbon Act gets some level of bipartisan support.
An announcement on the policy was planned for before the end of 2018, but no announcement or draft bill has been forthcoming, despite the Ministry for the Environment planning to have the bill before a select committee by February, according to its website.
However, the parties are confident agreement can be reached and a law introduced in the first half of 2019.
NZ First has not been the only complicating factor, as Shaw is also seeking agreement from the National Party and Labour.
The key holdups have involved the powers of the Climate Change Commission and the ambition of the law itself, in particular its targets.
NZ First MPs were not keen to see a non-political Climate Change Commission given Reserve Banklike powers to independently set carbon budgets.
The party’s MPs were also worried agribusiness would be unfairly disadvantaged with a law that was world leading – rather than simply good enough to meet international obligations.
They want to make the law credible but not set agricultural emissions targets to the level preferred by the Green Party.
The source described NZ First as essentially to the right of the National Party on the issue.
It is understood that the commission issue is now mostly resolved, however, and the law is not expected to remain in limbo.
Shaw would need to get his Zero Carbon Bill through Cabinet before taking it to Parliament, even if he does secure the support of the National Party.
NZ First is not in principle opposed to climate change legislation. The coalition agreement includes a promise to ‘‘introduce a Zero Carbon Act and an independent Climate Commission, based on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’’.
This is followed by an agreement to soften the blow for agriculture if it is included in a new-look emissions trading scheme.
The National Party has signalled an openness to working with the Government on the law, leading to several meetings between Shaw and National MPs, including Simon Bridges and Todd Muller.
It’s understood National MPs are perplexed at the slowness of the process. But getting the National Party on board has been a further complicating factor – and Shaw is understood to be more interested in a lasting law than a perfect one.