Under the emissions trading scheme, about 800 greenhouse gas-emitting firms are in line for taxpayer subsidies. The Opposition MPs stated that these taxpayers must be told about the amount of money to be paid by them in subsidies.

Greens co-leader Russel Norman shared that subsidies have added to the budget deficit and added that they made the climate change worse.

Dr. Norman said, “At the moment (Climate Change Minister Nick Smith) only has to report figures in aggregate. This leaves doubt in the minds of those footing the bill: the people of New Zealand. There is a case for limited help for a small number of trade exposed firms, but it really needs to be a transparent process open to public scrutiny”.

It will be very honest on the part of the political people to allow public to witness that why some emitters were being helped and others not, he stated. He called for the revelation of the political donations so any associations could be found out.

Charles Chauvel, Labour's climate change issues spokesperson asserted that the changes which are made by the National Party to the original ETS were "unaffordable, ineffective and unsustainable”.

Chauvel further added that the Government has failed to adopt, across the board, an "intensity" model for calculating a firm's accountability for emissions.