National would repeal 'flatulence' tax

A National Government would look to repeal any 'flatulence' tax imposed on farmers by the Labour Government, says National Party Agriculture spokesman David Carter.

"Farmers begged the Government not to prematurely ratify the Kyoto Protocol because they knew they would be the ones footing the bill, even when the Government gave them assurances they would not.

"Earlier promises by Jim Sutton and Pete Hodgson that agriculture would be exempt have proved worthless - now our farmers are facing costs that no competitors in the Southern hemisphere have to consider," says Mr Carter.

"The 'flatulence' tax is yet another example of how Labour is no friend to the farming sector.

"The Government's refusing to rule out a new 10 c a litre petrol tax to pay for regional roads, it's closing rural schools and it has failed to negotiate free trade access with the US, when others who joined the queue at the same time as us are close to success.

"And what's worse is that the Government's adding insult to injury," Mr Carter notes.

"On Monday last week Jim Sutton accused farmers of being 'whingers', by Friday Pete Hodgson was doing the same.

"Labour has forgotten that the best economic conditions in a generation would not have been possible without the hard work and sweat from our agricultural sector.

"Farmers won't easily forget this latest Labour betrayal," says Mr Carter.

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