The ACT Party's claims about rising costs in the agriculture sector from 2013 under the emissions trading scheme (ETS) are misleading, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith said today.
ACT has been campaigning against agriculture's inclusion in the scheme, saying it will generally cost the average dairy farmer thousands extra from July 1 and significantly more when the sector is scheduled to come under the scheme in 2015.
Dr Smith said the cost from July 1 of the ETS would be about $3 a week for the average household due to increased fuel and energy prices.
Federated Farmers has challenged the Government to put up its costs on the ETS for independent scrutiny so there can be more clarity around figures that have been released to date.
In Parliament today ACT MP John Boscawen said Meat and Wool figures suggested the average dairy farmer would have to pay $3900 per annum extra from July 1 under the ETS, then another $7800 after January 1, 2013, and $10,200 after January 1, 2015.
Dr Smith said ACT was being misleading with the figures it was using and said no solid, long-term decisions had been made in relation to the agriculture sector.
"I do not accept the accuracy of those figures for a simple reason -- and that is this Government has made claim that we will not be proceeding with a step up in the emissions trading scheme in 2013 -- or the addition of additional sectors -- unless there is progress by our key trading partners.
"So the figures (Mr Boscawen) is using for 2013 and beyond are quite misleading."
The Government has said there will be ongoing reviews of its position.
The Green Party said today Federated Farmers and the ACT Party needed to "stop putting their hands out for further subsidies in their campaign against National's watered-down emissions trading scheme".
