Is it something in the water in Wellington? The below press article from NewsTalkZB's site it entirely, sadly, predictable, all except the last paragraph, which is monstrous. Words leave me, utterly. Can someone send this fool Finny some philosophy, please.

United Future suspects the government will use its carbon emissions trading scheme to side step tax cuts.

Businesses will pay for the amount of carbon they add to the atmosphere and the expense will be passed on to consumers. Domestic power bills will rise by around 10 percent and up to six cents a litre will be added to fuel from 2009 if the scheme is implemented. The agriculture sector will not be included in the scheme until 2013.

The government is promising to help low income households meet the price increases but United Future leader Peter Dunne says that should not come at the expense of tax cuts.

"My real worry here is the government should be under no illusion that it can get away with giving compensation to households and then not giving them tax cuts. This cannot be seen as an excuse for giving away tax cuts."

The Wellington business community in in favour of the scheme. Chamber of Commerce spokesman Charles Finny says it will force businesses to start doing things in a smarter and more efficient way. He is encouraging businesses to start thinking about what the changes will mean for them.

In fact, I'm going to find his postal address and send him a copy of Atlas Shrugged. But the 'Wellington business community in favour': so business in NZ now supports its own executioner. What a bereft country we've become.

I really do lose my good humour on mornings like this.