"Um... Can Phil come out to play?" 3 September 2009

Cartoon shows Prime Minister, John Key, as a boy holding a cap labelled ETS (Emissions Trading Scheme) and begging in a rather humble way that Phil (Phil Goff) Leader of the Labour Party, be allowed to come out to play. The shadowy woman standing at the door of the 'Labour' house holds a newspaper with a headline reading 'Govt partners withdraw emissions Trading Scheme support'. Refers to the government's attempt to gain the support of Labour, the Maori Party and the Greens for the new radically changed Emissions Trading Scheme that would water down incentives to cut greenhouse gases. National is still looking for cross-party support on a new model amid signs that industry and energy will get a reprieve from the present timetable, which would see them included from 2010. But a select committee review of the scheme shows National, UnitedFuture and ACT back a so-called intensity-based scheme with no cap that would allow increased emissions for free provided they produced more goods relative to the extra pollution. That would bring New Zealand closer to Australia's regime, but is opposed by Labour, the Maori Party and the Greens. (Dom Post)

Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).