$1m climate change exercise draws fire

The Government has allocated nearly a million dollars for a public information campaign this year about climate change.

The National Party yesterday called the campaign an expensive propaganda exercise designed to justify ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

The protocol commits New Zealand to reducing emissions of six key greenhouse gases to 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.

It aims to cut greenhouse gases worldwide to reduce the potentially catastrophic effects of long-term climate change.

National MP David Carter has released replies to written parliamentary questions in which Pete Hodgson, the minister in charge of climate change strategy, said $914,000 had been set aside for public education programmes.

Mr Carter said he thought most of the money would go to the Climate Defence Network, which he described as a little known, privately organised group closely associated with promoting the protocol.

"New Zealanders will be on the receiving end of an expensive propaganda campaign using taxpayer money to sell Government initiatives," he said.

- NZPA

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