“..The Maori Party is being accused of “selling out” Maori families after a deal over the Government’s climate change law that delivers concessions to big iwi.
In exchange for the party’s support, the Government will make conservation land available to some iwi to plant trees for carbon credits, but says public access is guaranteed.
There is also more money to insulate low-income households.
A last-ditch bid by ACT to delay the legislation failed yesterday after the Government agreed to concessions, including a $25 million to $50m forestry deal for some iwi and an extra $24m in home insulation.
The Government needed Maori Party support to get the legislation through under urgency this week to put an emissions trading scheme in place on July 1 next year. That is six months after Labour’s scheme was to kick in.
The scheme will mean higher petrol and power prices as households are forced to share the cost of pollution.
ACT leader Rodney Hide urged the Government yesterday to delay rather than do a backroom deal with the Maori Party and iwi..”
go to source/story>>‘Sellout’ claims over Maori ETS deal | Stuff.co.nz
