Eckhoff Tables Fart Tax Petition

Tuesday 9 Sep 2003 Gerry Eckhoff Press Releases -- Rural

ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff today tabled a petition to Parliament calling on the Government to scrap its proposed `Flatulence Tax'.

"Last Thursday - at the Federated Farmers' march on Parliament - I was delighted to receive the petition from Federated Farmers President Tom Lambie. The success of the petition was beyond my wildest dreams," Mr Eckhoff said.

"When I launched this petition six weeks ago, I never dreamed we would collect more than 65,000 signatures. This is a huge achievement that shows the level of anger over this ridiculous tax, and I am pleased so many urban New Zealanders have also signed the petition.

"This reflects the long-held view of fair-minded Kiwis that what is good for rural New Zealand is good for the country. It also shows the enormous ill-feeling manifesting itself throughout New Zealand towards this mean-spirited Labour Government.

"If nothing else, I give Labour full marks for honesty. They have not pretended to give a fig about farmers from day one. They are more interested in pressing charges for a tractor stunt than they are of finding other means to fund research into gas emissions.

"I would like thank farmers for standing up against this Government. Labour forgets all too quickly that farmers are still the backbone of the New Zealand economy. ACT does not. We pledge to continue the fight until Ministers' Pete Hodgson and Jim Sutton back down and abandon plans to implement this absurd tax," Mr Eckhoff said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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