As the crew spoke of closing the gap on our Trans Tasman rivals, deckhand Smith decided to throw out a sea anchor. 29 June 2010

The cartoon shows a boat race between an Australian and New Zealand crew. Text reads that as the 'crew spoke of closing the gap on our Trans Tasman rivals, deckhand Smith decided to throw out a sea anchor'. 'Deckhand Smith' is Nick Smith Minister for the Environment, who is throwing an 'ETS' anchor into the sea. Refers to the fact that New Zealand starts paying for the Emissions Trading Scheme from 1st July and 'closing the gap' between New Zealand's and Australia's economy was one of the prime minister's election promises. Power prices are already on the rise and fuel prices are set to increase as transport fuels and industry enter the scheme on 1st July. Increased ACC levies also come into play. Nick Smith says he has been advised the country's carbon dioxide emissions will reduce by 19 million tonnes by 2012. He says it will allow the country to meet its Kyoto Protocol targets and not have to pay for excess emissions. Geoff Bertram of Victoria University's Climate Change Research Institute says New Zealand's emissions are not going to fall. He also says that taxpayers are paying for the government to gloat to the rest of the world about its emissions trading scheme. He says it is just a money go round with those handling the transactions clipping the ticket. The cartoon relates to the fact that Australia has not as yet got an ETS.

Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).