Climate change is being used by the British government to push through draconian policies restricting people’s lives, Northern Ireland’s environment minister claimed today.
Sammy Wilson, of the Democratic Unionist Party, ridiculed ideas such as a carbon credit card and other moves focusing on emissions. He clashed with Whitehall earlier this year after objecting to a climate change advert from London which mentioned carbon.
He said: “I can understand why it is important that the message be gotten over by a government which has now so many policies, so many intrusive policies. “I can understand why they want to get the subliminal message over. That’s the only way the (British) government is going to succeed in getting people to accept the draconian increases.”
He said these increases included taxation and challenges to people’s ability to travel.
Mr Wilson was appearing before the Stormont Environment Committee which recently passed a vote of no confidence in him over the climate change adverts row.
He dismissed part of it as "insidious" government propaganda and questioned the idea that turning off a light could save the world.
In 2006 the then British environment secretary David Miliband suggested carbon credit cards could be issued as part of a nationwide carbon rationing scheme.
An annual allowance would be allocated, with the card being swiped on various items such as travel, energy or food.
Mr Miliband said people who used less than their allowance could sell any surplus to those who wanted more.
Mr Wilson alleged: "Those are the kind of policies which are being put forward to get people to accept that, then you have got to persuade them that there's some drastic things coming down the road." The minister has faced criticism from environmental groups and members of the committee.
However, the Democratic Unionist Assembly member for East Antrim put in a pugilistic performance today in defending his attitude to the climate change adverts.
He added: "When a minister from Westminster says it doesn't matter what the view of the devolved administrations across the UK are, we have decided on this, we are not even prepared to enter into a discussion ... I think I was probably standing up for the rights of the devolved administration." He said he believed in improving energy efficiency because it made "common sense" to do so and dismissed any calls for him to go.
"I have done the job to the best of my ability, I have done it diligently. Do I always get it right? Probably not, because I am not infallible.
"If it came to votes of no confidence I can dispense with them because if I thought I was not doing my job right I would resign."
PA