ACT to scrap costly climate bureaucracy, abolish the Climate Change Commission

ACT will cut costs and remove duplication by disestablishing the Climate Change Commission and transferring its monitoring and reporting duties to existing bodies,” says ACT candidate Paul Henry.

“The Climate Change Commission has cost taxpayers $100 million since its establishment, and is costing a further $14–15 million every year it continues to exist. Left in place, that's another $42–45 million of taxpayer money gone by the next election spent on writing reports, duplicating work, and proposing ludicrous ideas that will be ignored.

“But it doesn’t just stop at operating costs. Emissions targets and recommendations don’t exist in a vacuum. If met, they have real‑world implications, and real costs for you and me.

“Their barking mad recommendation to increase our 2050 emissions reduction commitment would have lowered GDP by 2.2%. That’s around $2 billion a year by 2035, rising to about $12.5 billion every year by 2050, wiped from our economy to meet an arbitrary target.

“They put up proposals even Labour and the Greens can’t get behind. In the last term of Government they recommended tighter Emissions Trading Scheme restrictions, but Cabinet rejected it. Commission-linked advice supported a 54% net reduction for the 2030 emissions reduction pledge, but Cabinet opted for a 50% reduction instead. Even the left could recognise a stupid idea.

“The Commission also proposed reducing New Zealand’s dairy herd, despite New Zealand being one of the most emissions‑efficient dairy industries on the planet, and dairy being one of our most valuable industries – a ridiculous proposal that would have also risked increasing global emissions.

“The Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) already measures greenhouse gas inventory and manages the Emissions Trading Scheme. Having the Climate Change Commission on top of that creates unnecessary duplication and costs on taxpayers that must be eliminated.

“ACT will put an end to this duplication and fold the responsibility to assess New Zealand’s progress towards emissions targets into MCERT. The Commission will cease to exist as an independent Crown entity. Its board, executive and separate corporate overhead go with it.

“We can’t afford to see taxpayer dollars blown on inefficient government agencies and counterproductive climate policies. To unlock New Zealand’s potential and make life more affordable, the waste and duplication need to go. Go sell stupid somewhere else, we’re all full up here.”