The Environment Ministry increased its own carbon emissions despite running a programme to get them reduced, Environment Minister Nick Smith said today.
Dr Smith said the previous government had committed $10.4 million to the Carbon Neutral Public Service Programme, of which the Environment Ministry was the lead agency.
"Emissions from the ministry though have increased from 656 tonnes to 766 tonnes since the programme was launched," Dr Smith said.
He attacked the programme as a "touchy-feely, PC" waste of money.
In response Labour attacked the recent announcement of job cuts at the ministry, saying the Government had contracted out analysis of the emissions trading scheme to the private sector.
More than 80 positions are being disestablished at the ministry in response to a funding cut and the scrapping of some of its programmes.
Most staff will move to other jobs in the ministry, but some will go.
Prime Minister John Key said he understood there would be "less than two dozen" actual job losses.
Although the previous government reduced the ministry's funding, Labour's state services spokesman Grant Robertson accused National of cutting important services and breaking its promise to cap but not cut public service jobs.
"We heard from National many times that they would seek to shift resources to the frontline," he said.
"Yet here they are cutting the jobs of people who work to protect New Zealand's most precious resource, our environment."
The ministry's restructuring began last year and separate to that 18 jobs are affected by a Cabinet decision yesterday to scrap the Bioethics Council and cut three recycling and carbon reduction programmes.
Dr Smith issued a statement tonight explaining why he had discontinued or scaled back five programmes led by the ministry.
He said the previous government left a $26 million hole in its budget.
"This government has been forced to take a close look at all the work the ministry is leading and ensure it makes a real difference to our environment," he said.
"Work on climate change, freshwater management, biodiversity, waste management and air quality are the Government's priorities."
