Maori Party to support ETS - bill to become law in days

The Government has reached an agreement with the Maori Party which will ensure that legislation setting up an emissions trading scheme (ETS) can be passed by Parliament this week, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith announced today.

None of the other parties support the bill and Dr Smith needed the Maori Party's five votes to enact it.

The Maori Party negotiated with the Government on behalf of iwi, and details are currently being released at a press conference also attended by Prime Minister John Key and Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples.

The ETS is a modified version of the one passed by the previous government before last year's election, which Mr Key said struck the right balance between economic and environmental concerns.

Dr Smith said the agreement with the Maori Party included inserting a Treaty of Waitangi clause in the bill, insulating a further 8000 homes occupied by low income families, extra funding for the Enviroschools scheme and protecting the integrity of previous treaty settlements.

He said the introduction of carbon pricing from July was a first step towards a "financial incentive to reduce emissions".

Dr Sharples said many issues affecting Maori under the old scheme had been addressed.

He also said any increases to power and petrol prices would be less under the revised scheme.

- NZPA, NZ HERALD STAFF