The government's latest climate change bill has scraped through its second reading amid opposition complaints that measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions are so weak they won't make any difference.
The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading and Other Matters) Amendment Bill changes the emissions trading scheme (ETS), delaying the introduction of some industry sectors to the polluter-pays regime and giving agriculture an indefinite reprieve.
The Maori Party supported the bill on its first reading in August but on Wednesday said it had changed its mind and would vote against it on the second reading.
The bill went through on a 61-59 vote that would have been 61-60 if Labour had delivered a full slate.
United Future leader Peter Dunne ignored opposition appeals to turn against the bill and ACT continued to support it.
The government says other countries aren't making much progress with climate change and it isn't going to get ahead of the game by unnecessarily burdening businesses and consumers.
Opposition parties say it has given up on climate change control and New Zealand's emissions are going to increase rather than decrease.
"The government is determined to push through changes which will render the ETS utterly useless," the Green's Kennedy Graham said.
"It is undermining our clean, green image."
Labour's Moana Mackey said proper implementation of the ETS was critical if New Zealand was to have any hope of meeting its international obligations.
She is appealing to Mr Dunne to support amendments to the bill that Labour will put up when the legislation reaches its committee stage.
