Luxon protects polluters’ profits in sweeping, rushed climate change law amendment

The Government’s surprise announcement this morning to amend the Climate Change Response Act is yet another example of Luxon loosening the leash for corporate profits at the expense of our people and our planet, the Green Party says.

“Luxon’s Government is using its dying breaths to unravel New Zealanders’ right to hold big polluters accountable,” says the Green Party Co-leader and Climate Change spokesperson, Chlöe Swarbrick. 

 “While New Zealanders are demanding affordable power bills and decent jobs, Luxon’s Government has decided to prioritise protecting big polluters’ profits in the limited parliamentary time before the election.” 

 “That tells us everything we need to know about who they work for. It’s the corporations ripping us off and destroying the ecosystems necessary for life as we know it.” 

 “Luxon’s Government shows it can act with urgency when their mates’ profits are at risk, while New Zealanders’ cost-of-living concerns stay on the backburner.” 

 “They’ve spent two and a half years taking a wrecking ball to climate laws and, at the eleventh hour, they’re now ripping away New Zealanders’ and the courts’ ability to do what this Government lacks the spine to do.” 

 “Our country deserves so much better than this shady cookery,” Swarbrick says. 

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