Goff wants face-to-face talks with Key on emissions plan

Labour is trying to rope Prime Minister John Key into the climate change negotiations, saying leader-to-leader talks are the way ahead.

National formally reached out to Labour over the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) yesterday, with a letter from Climate Change Minister Nick Smith.

But this was not good enough for Labour leader Phil Goff, who said through a spokesman that "a meeting of the party leaders is necessary to ensure lasting and real progress on this very important issue".

Mr Key's office said Mr Goff would have to put up with Dr Smith for now "as the minister is doing negotiations for the Government with [Labour] and that's where we believe the appropriate responsibility lies".

The PM has said a "grand coalition" with Labour is one way of getting the Government's changes to the ETS through.

If Mr Goff did help to find a solution, he would be in a similar position to Mr Key in 2007 when, as Opposition leader, he engineered the compromise that allowed the smacking bill to be passed.

Mr Goff wrote to the PM on August 11 requesting a meeting about the ETS, but has still not heard back.

It is unlikely that Mr Key would get involved with any negotiations with Mr Goff until absolutely necessary.

Dr Smith's letter has set up negotiations with Labour's climate change spokesman, Charles Chauvel, nextweek.

Mr Goff's spokesman said this was "a positive development", although the Labour leader would probably not be there.

"[Mr Goff] is ready to meet Mr Key. It doesn't look like the talks next week will provide that opportunity."

The Government faces a headache in changing the ETS as it cannot find a willing partner to give it the parliamentary majority to back its plan.

It is also still negotiating with both the Maori Party and Act. Act campaigned on abolishing the ETS altogether.