We suggest a consensus between Labour/National/Greens and whoever else wants to join:
- that a modest greenhouse gas tax be introduced across all sectors as an interim action (there would be an immediate incentive to individuals and business to change behavior - the greater the amount of behavior change the less tax paid)
- that personal and business taxes be cut by exactly the same amount as the amount that the greenhouse gas tax is expected to raise (thus removing the "cost" of the tax to the overall economy)
- that Government agree that all revenues raised by the greenhouse gas tax be used to invest in greenhouse gas reduction technologies
- that New Zealand seek a plurilateral approach to greenhouse gas reduction involving Australia, Japan, EU and the US (ie we all introduce the same policy thus reducing the scope for leakage to occur
- that we increase the resource devoted to negotiating the replacement for Kyoto I.
