Via Andrew Bolt in email, some surprising revelations about New Zealand’s Prime minister and his previous opinion of the ETS. It appears he has done a complete about face from his very strong opinions of 2005.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, (shown above) has just introduced the world’s first Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) today for new Zealand. It is not going over well with voters.
This is the same man who, when in opposition, described anthropogenic climate change as a hoax on the 10th may, 2005.
See Hansard debates at:
EXCERPTS:
JOHN KEY (National—Helensville) : “I rise on behalf of the National Party to give the good news to the people of New Zealand—that is, the Climate Change Response Amendment Bill is a load of rubbish and the National Party will not be supporting it, for very, very good reasons indeed.”
…
“Yet here we are down in New Zealand, a very little country with about 0.2 percent of the world’s emissions, putting a self-imposed straitjacket on our businesses, and waving a huge flag that says: “Foreign investment, don’t come anywhere near us. Australia is over there—the West Island. Go over there to pour your dollars in.” To the Chinese we are saying: “Come in and buy as much coal as you like from our West Coast. We’ll sell it to you and you can burn it without a carbon charge—but, by the way, to those back here in Aotearoa New Zealand we will be slapping on a carbon charge and you won’t be able to operate.”
…
“This is a complete and utter hoax, if I may say so. The impact of the Kyoto Protocol, even if one believes in global warming—and I am somewhat suspicious of it—is that we will see billions and billions of dollars poured into fixing something that we are not even sure is a problem. Even if it is a problem, it will be delayed for about 6 years. Then it will hit the world in 2096 instead of 2102, or something like that. It will not work.”
===========================
Meanwhile, carbon trading in the USA flatlines.
Unfortunately Kiwis are an apathetic bunch.
“She’ll be right mate” is hardwired into the national consciousness.
Now that the ETS is up and running we’ll whinge and moan for a couple of weeks, then there will be an important rugby game on and everyone will forget the facts that we produce only 0.3% of the worlds GHG emissions and that 70% of our power is already produced from renewable sources (hydro, geo, wind) but all power prices are rising.
The National party are banking that with weak political opposition they’ll be able to paper over this by the next election, throw the peasants some sweeteners closer to the election and they’ll romp back in no worries.
Personally I think they have misjudged the mood of the country, especially from farmers, who make up a large percentage of our export producers and are scheduled to be extorted further under the ETS in progressive tranches in 2013 and 2015. National may find they have bitten off a little more than they can chew.
politicians lie to get elected. duh.
i just don’t understand how people keep voting for them when we know they are lying. they are all just marketing packages designed to get a share of the market, like coke or pepsi, with absolutely no difference in the underlying reality.
otherwise reasonable people persist in believing ‘their’ candidate is different, against all evidence. as long as you keep voting for the usaul parties you will only get the continuing slide toward totalitarianism.
I despair. I thought the Kiwis were a pretty level headed sort of people. When is the next election? For God’s sake advance with bayonets fixed.
Napoleon’s Return from Elba in 1815 –
And the contemporary commentary from Le Moniteur” –
March 9
The Monster has escaped from his place of banishment.
March 13
The Tyrant is now at Lyon.
March 18
The Usurper has ventured to approach to within 60 hours’ march of the capital.
March 20
Napoleon will arrive under the walls of Paris tomorrow.
March 22
Yesterday evening His Majesty the Emperor made his public entry and arrived at the Tuileries. Nothing can exceed the universal joy.
<<>>
Plus ça change – – –
@James Baldwin Sexton “Power corrupts…”
Actually, power attracts the corruptible.
If I recall, he was an investment banker prior to going into government.
This decision is disturbing, because it implies the fix is in, and that carbon trading will become a global ponzi scheme over the next few years- the logical blow-out phase of the social mania that is AGW.
Perhaps he hopes that if NZ is in the pyramid early, they might be sheltered from the worst effects when it implodes.
“Grumpy Old Man says:
July 1, 2010 at 9:29 am
I despair. I thought the Kiwis were a pretty level headed sort of people. When is the next election? For God’s sake advance with bayonets fixed.”
“singularian says:
July 1, 2010 at 9:20 am ”
No they are not, anymore. Popularity is Key!
Hmm, so it was just a mistake?
Try comparing the fifth sentence with the third excerpt, or follow the link.
{We can’t make everyone happy, and today is just not your day. ~dbs]
Metryq says:
July 1, 2010 at 9:36 am
@James Baldwin Sexton “Power corrupts…”
“Actually, power attracts the corruptible.”
That, too, is true. But, even the well intentioned can fall to the allure of power. With this literal grab of power, not just in N.Z., but all across the globe, it is very disconcerting. Already we see blatant lies, character assassination, half truths and made up numbers, respected and published scientists advocating scare tactics, and the list goes on…..
If and when we acquiesce the control over our power and the use of it, we will see the most hideous form of human enslavement. Totalitarianism. With the usurpation of all forms of energy(coal, oil, nuke, gas, ect) and the regulatory authority, a small group of people will control every aspect of our lives. (When we can shower, when we can run our AC, how much petrol we can purchase….the list is endless.) We should resolve to fight all aspects of this attempted takeover.
The Prime Minister, or President, of a country is shown “stuff” that the deputy, or Vice-President, is not. Nor are they allowed to divulge said stuff. To anyone. They are then persuaded that whatever opinion they proffered before ascending to the throne they, if needs be, must change their mind and their policies. Even if this change appears to be a 180 degree about face and the exact opposite of manifesto “promises”.
The difference between displaying pragmatism and merely coming to terms with their countries’ secrets, or best interests, is what makes a politician great, or not.
When these creatures are shown the projected turnover of the new carbon bubble they ALL bow to circumstance.
The trillions of dollars locked up in carbon futures trading will fill the pension holes, the national treasuries and their pants pockets nicely thank you. So what if some countries are bankrupted along the way. So what if people starve. The status quo must be maintained.
This is why, whatever we do to expose the complete and utter paucity of evidence that CO2 does anything much to current, or future climate and the mendacious grubbing of the climbatologists we are doomed to failure while the promise of vast unearned wealth is dangled in front of these people.
Sorry.
Be grateful NZ is doing this.
It will fail in every respect, no less emission, more expensive energy, less investment, fewer jobs and a degraded standard of living. This will happen to the most indignant people on Earth. People who will object to anything they don’t like in an instant.
Unfortunately the average Kiwi believes the propaganda he is fed by the “progressives” so it takes a while for them to wake up. This will wake them up pronto and Key will join the rest of those phonies who have tried to pretend they have a grip while running NZ.
This is a good thing, wait and see what the world will learn from disaffected Kiwis.
I met a wonderful New Zealander many years ago. His name is Hugh Tucker. He was in the sales business like I was at the time. He had a saying that really applies to the subject of this article :”You can hit me, but don’t sh!t me.”
thethinkingman says:
July 1, 2010 at 10:30 am
“This is a good thing, wait and see what the world will learn from disaffected Kiwis.”
I can appreciate the thought, but recent history shows us that we don’t learn very much from recent examples. From the EU’s carbon trading scheme to the alt energy embraced by Spain to the financial crisis in Greece, other western nations are still rushing headlong into this self-imposed energy crisis and job killing scheme. Our president, just the other day expressed his desire for a price on carbon. He, apparently, hasn’t observed the prior failures of that very same plot.
thethinkingman says (July 1, 2010 at 10:30 am): “This is a good thing, wait and see what the world will learn from disaffected Kiwis.”
But if we haven’t already learned from Spain…
peterhodges says:
July 1, 2010 at 9:29 am
politicians lie to get elected. duh
And everywhere and everytime is the same. Not a single hard working individual has ever imagining running for office. Why?. Consciousness prevents it.
Hence democracy would be better if honest people would choose being politicians but since none of them dares, democracy is doomed.
The only alternative: A green monarchy! ☺
Hard working Kiwis will be welcomed in south american countries!
John Egan says:
July 1, 2010 at 9:31 am
Great!, however it means that there is still hope for us, daily workers on this planet. Let’s hope some sceptic bids for more, or like in not long ago in South America, where, after a Coup d’etat, politicians inmediately changed T-shirts (as we use to say), like soccer players when ending a soccer game. I would like to see something of the like in a “developed” country, as part of the current “interesting times”.
Patrick Davis: “Post Bank, a wholy NZ owned and operated bank, was sold to ANZ, unpon Govn’t approval (Of course), in the early 1990′s…2000 comes around and a Labour landslide win under Helen Clark (HC). HC, with support from “the people” starts up Kiwi Bank…”
Different administrations, different policies. As for Key’s 2005 comments, at the time he was in opposition. Oppositions oppose. He did so in a vigorous manner, which has come back to embarass him. Happens.
” Henry chance says: July 1, 2010 at 6:44 am
People don’t want to be fleeced. The tyrants want to go against the will of the people. Algore had problems with “what is it about no you don’t understand”
In every carbon tax scheme, there is a promise of lower energy costs. It never happens.”
I’m sorry Henry, but I completely disagree. Obama’s openly stated agenda is to raise fees on the fossil burning power industry (mostly US coal). This will make the more expensive wind and solar power more competitive.
What they do NOT say, is that this will raise the electricity rates for everybody. Then (I am guessing) they will change the rate structure and charge more to industrial and other large users of electricity, so that they can send rebate checks to small users that vote.
John Egan July 1, 2010 at 6:55 am got it right. It is the way of all politicians as they move into power – the potential tax revenue from the ETS was too good to reject so he modified his stance (gradually of course). But we New Zealanders were just too happy to be rid of to mother of all control freaks (Helen Clark) that John Key was a breath of fresh air. Sad thing is that they (the politicians) are really controlled by the faceless bureaucrats who act without responsibility. We have Hobson’s choice here in selecting a government – its Tweedledum or Tweedledumber
The ETS is flawed, but at least nobody said we’d pay less for power – oh no, everyone was straight up and said we’d pay more. No word on where the proceeds of this stealth tax are going though.
To start with, you can only buy carbon credits off the government, at a fixed price of (off the top of my fuzzy head) NZD25/tonne. If I went to Chicago I could by a tonne of credit for USD0.10. Go figure.
Key is only enforcing legislation that was passed by the previous house, by the way, as this act of parliament is the bastard offspring of the Green Party and Labour (under was Helen “I love the UN” Clarke). One can only hope titanks and is repealed in short order.
* edit – “titanks” = “it tanks” of course. Sorry all.
singularian says: July 1, 2010 at 9:20 am
Unfortunately Kiwis are an apathetic bunch.
“She’ll be right mate” is hardwired into the national consciousness.
Don’t worry, be happy.
“Enneagram says:
July 1, 2010 at 8:05 am
Perhaps, after the harsh opposition in the whole world, bedwetters have chosen NZ like a test, to see what happens when a country applies all their creed´s beliefs.”
You’ve hit the nail on the head. NZ has been a leading Guinea Pig of sorts for various Socialist Change, etc over the years. Trying to Be Numero Uno on the World stage first. Well some of us NZers have had a complete gutsful of this kind of arrogance by our leaders.
John Key doesn’t know if he’s Arthur or Martha half the time. More often than not. He says one thing and then backs down and does the opposite of what he originally stated. He has a fairly regular habit of doing that kind of thing. It’s what we call his ‘Flip-Flop’ style of leadership.
I believe that John Key was saying that the Kyoto Protocol was a complete and utter hoax (which of course it is).
As I posted yesterday, Key said:
“This is a complete and utter hoax, if I may say so. The impact of the Kyoto Protocol, even if one believes in global warming—and I am somewhat suspicious of it—is that we will see billions and billions of dollars poured into fixing something that we are not even sure is a problem. “