Crony Socialism: Environmental Lawyer Attacks Green Policy
act-new-zealand
Tue Nov 01 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Crony Socialism: Environmental Lawyer Attacks Green Policy
Tuesday, 1 November 2011, 11:38 am
Press Release: ACT New Zealand
Crony Socialism: Environmental Lawyer Attacks Green 'Picking Winners' Policy
ACT Environment Spokesman and environmental lawyer Kath McCabe today condemned the Green Party's environmental policies as a dogma of crony socialism and picking winners after they specifically singled out a business that would receive taxpayer subsidies and special treatment if their policies were implemented.
"In their opening broadcast the Greens stated their intention to support, through research subsidies and tax incentives, businesses such as biomass management company Aquaflow. ACT is all about supporting entrepreneurs - and Aquaflow is certainly a Kiwi success story - but businesses thrive when the government gets off their back, not when it picks winners," Ms McCabe said.
"Imagine the hysteria that we would hear from the Greens if a centre-right party dared to mention that a specific business was going to personally benefit from their policy. There would be allegations of corruption, crony capitalism, and of looking after rich prick mates. Why then is it OK for the Greens to indulge in such 'crony socialism'?
"Picking winners in the name of the environment is not just unethical it also makes no economic sense. A recent study prepared by Dr Gabriel Calzada of Rey Juan Carol University in Madrid showed that for every 'green job' created by environmental subsidies, 2.2 jobs had been lost in manufacturing and 5.7 jobs had been lost in the energy sector.
"What is more Spanish taxpayers spent $774,000 to create each 'green job'. Quite simply the policy has been a disaster.
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"ACT believes in genuine prosperity. Getting bureaucrats off the backs of businesses is a far more effective policy to create jobs than picking winners as the Greens would have us do. That is why ACT is campaigning strongly to cut the bureaucracy of the Resource Management Act, as well as putting politicians on a budget and substantially reducing the tax burden on hardworking New Zealanders.
"The best way to guarantee a clean, healthy environment is to have a plan to boost the economy. A prosperous economy can easily afford to keep its rivers and beaches clean. A destitute economy cannot," Ms McCabe said.
ENDS
Authorised by Garry Mallett, 809 River Rd, Hamilton.
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