KEY POINTS:
National's planned changes to the Government's emissions trading scheme if it wins power have been ridiculed by its opponents, who claim many of the party's concerns have been addressed.
The flagship part of Labour's climate change policy push, the scheme is set to pass into law early next week with the support of New Zealand First and the Greens.
National is voting against the emissions trading scheme legislation and has said it would pass amendments within nine months of taking office should it win the election.
But the potential changes outlined in yesterday's Herald by National's climate change spokesman Nick Smith were variously attacked as "mild tinkering" and unnecessary.
"We've heard a lot of bluster from National about how they can't possibly support the scheme, but when it comes to discussing the detail, it's clear the only changes they would like to implement are some very mild tinkering," Climate Change Minister David Parker said.
National plans to introduce a forestry offset scheme so foresters can cut down trees in one area and replant in another without suffering a penalty the Kyoto Protocol's rules would impose on them.
Such an offset scheme has been sought for years by forest owners but Mr Parker said the current legislation allowed for an offset scheme, as long as the international climate change agreements also allowed for it.
National has other changes in mind, including putting the fishing industry on the same footing as other trade-exposed industries by allowing it to have 90 per cent of its 2005 emissions covered by a free allocation of carbon units. At the moment there is 50 per cent coverage for fishing, which will feel the impact of the scheme because of its enormous use of diesel.
But Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said giving the fishing industry extra support would open up new areas of unfairness and lead other users of transport fuels to protest.
"I actually think the 50 per cent is reasonably generous as a transitional thing for them," she said.
There is suspicion among National's political opponents it might want to make more radical changes to the emissions trading scheme, such as delaying the introduction of the agriculture sector beyond 2013.
Asked last night whether National would do that, Dr Smith said his party's view was that the "broad timeline that's been outlined by the government is not in dispute".
"They just can't think of any reasons to oppose it," Mr Parker said of National and the emissions trading scheme.
"On the other hand, it's possible National is too afraid to reveal its real intentions for climate change policy, for fear the public will turn against it."
