Submitters get short notice over emissions hearing

Parliament's finance and expenditure select committee has reached for the fast-forward button in its hearing of submissions on legislation to amend the emissions trading scheme.

More than 300 organisations and individuals had made written submission on the 97-page bill by the deadline on Tuesday, of whom about half had indicated they wanted to be heard as well.

Some submitters were called on Wednesday night and others yesterday morning inviting them to Parliament yesterday. They get 10 minutes apiece.

More will be heard next week, and that is it. Then the committee will undertake its deliberations before reporting back to the House by November 16.

Green MP Jeanette Fitzsimons said it had been obvious since that date was set that it would be a very rushed process.

While the general issues around climate change and emissions trading had been extensively debated already this was a highly specific bill with big financial implications, she said.

"We need to debate particular methods of allocation of free credits and the phase-out time for free allocation. We need to debate the impact on forestry. The existing legislation has now been amended beyond recognition."

The purpose of the select committee process is to learn about problems with the way legislation is drafted from those who would be affected by it, she said. "It's democracy's safeguard and we should be doing it."

Craig Foss, who chairs the select committee, contends it is doing its best within the tight report-back frame.

All the written submissions would be considered equally and taken into account.

Mr Foss expected the committee to sit well into the evening on both hearing days.

Among the submitters heard yesterday was Federated Farmers president Don Nicolson who had got the call 3 hours earlier.

"We were just lucky we heard about it today. It is not good process."

In his 10 minutes he was able to do little more than repeat Federated Farmers' call to repeal the scheme in its entirety or failing that to exclude the agricultural gases, methane and nitrous oxide, from it, arguing there is little farmers can do to reduce those emissions and it is hard enough for them to compete with farmers in other countries which are subsidised and protected and are not facing a price on carbon emissions.

Council of Trade Unions secretary Peter Conway described it as a rush job and "almost the ETS you have when you don't really want an ETS."

The CTU was concerned about the risks of damage to New Zealand's credibility and a consumer backlash in export markets arising from amendments substantially improving the deal for trade-exposed emitters.