Today in Question Time the Greens' Kennedy Graham quizzed Associate Climate Change Minister Simon bridges on the yawning gulf between the government's climate change target and the latest MfE projections. Bridges responded that the government will meet its target, and that the projections are wrong, as they are based on a low carbon price, which will almost "surely rise". That's laughable enough, because MfE will have included higher carbon prices in its emissions estimates, but it gets worse: Bridges then went on to say that an increase in the carbon price would be a Bad Thing:
Rt Hon John Key : What is the likely impact of a much higher carbon price and a much more fulsome emissions trading scheme on residential consumers when they pay their electricity bill, if one was to be promoted?
Hon SIMON BRIDGES : Well, of course prices will rise exponentially, and it will be a terrible thing for consumers all around New Zealand. Let us hope that Labour and the Greens never—
Mr SPEAKER : Order! The last part of that answer is out of order.
So we'll meet our targets because carbon prices will rise, but ongoing National governments will stop carbon prices from rising. The obvious conclusion: we won't meet our targets. The only commitment National has on climate change is a commitment to fail.
