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Picking electric winners too simple, Simon

Picking electric winners too simple, Simon

Press release: ACT New Zealand
May 5, 2016. 3:25pm

“It’s disappointing to see National picking winners for political benefits rather than environmental ones,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “They’ve distorted practically every government department’s treatment of vehicles to favour one type of technology over others.

“Creating new exemptions, working groups, and slush funds is better for bureaucrats than the environment. The focus should be on creating a simple, fair regulatory environment that allows all technologies to compete on their own merits.

“If National were truly ambitious for the environment they would be making ride-sharing easier, whereas it currently costs $1000 to get into ride-sharing legally.

“If they were more ambitious for the environment, they would take the lead of Stockholm, Singapore and London and replace petrol taxes with congestion charges.

“They should take a leaf from Paul Callaghan when he said: “Here is the risk. Politicians latch on to fashions, and the latest fashion is Clean Technology. Ten years ago it was Biotechnology. There is a huge danger in the application of political bias to the ‘smart economy’.”

“It seems poor Simon Bridges has fallen into the same trap with changing the law to pick winners.”

ENDS

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