I've found a copy of the damaging headline about the National Leader that the Herald ran for hours. It would've been seen by thousands who may now withdraw support for him:
The Insidious Climate Denialism of Christopher Luxon
The headline was run simply because the Leader of the Opposition dared to oppose the transfer of $140 million of tax-payers money to NZ Steel to help pay for a new furnace to reduce emissions. Amazingly, as part of my little investigation into this affair, it emerges that the Green and Labour Parties have presided over a subsidy to NZ Steel specifically designed to increase the company's carbon emissions these past years. Gosh, maybe the Herald should start writing articles calling the Green Party a bunch of insidious climate deniers?
Yes, a world leading environment economics professor pointed out to me that Bluescope, which owns NZ Steel, has been given subsidized carbon credits - subsidized so heavily that they've been costing the company nothing - handed out to it for free. Stuff News reported in 2019, "The company receives about 90% of the carbon credits it needs for free from the Government" and that, "The largest recipient of free credits [in NZ] has been Australia's BlueScope Steel, which owns the Glenbrook Steel Mill south of Auckland. It has received credits worth $172m since 2010". Then in 2023 it was reported, "NZ Steel’s holding company Tasman Steel increased its profit by 153% to a bumper $340 million in the year to June while receiving free carbon credits worth $117m from the Government".
Hang on, that's a total $172m + $117m = $289 million in pollution subsidies, not even including 2020 and 2021. If you add the furnace subsidy announced yesterday, that makes a total $289 m + $140 m = $ 429 million. Including the subsidies obtained in 2020-21 would likely push the total NZ Steel has received to over HALF a BILLION dollars!
To summarize, a single company has been given (& continues to be given) in excess of $289 million to pollute more, supported by the Greens & Labour, and now is being given $140 million extra to install a technology to pollute less. And Chris Luxon is accused of being engaged in "insidious climate denialism" for trying to question the madness?
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