David Carter MP
National Party Agriculture Spokesman

8 November 2007

MAF shows gross negligence towards farmers

National's Agriculture spokesman, David Carter, is very concerned that the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has no idea how Labour's emissions trading scheme will impact financially on farmers.

"Director-General Murray Sherwin has today admitted to the Primary Production Select Committee that MAF hasn't done the research because there are too many uncertainties around the detail of the scheme.

"His excuse was that the details of the scheme need to be further developed before financial impacts can be established.

"Mr Sherwin, taking his lead from the Labour Government, has lumped farmers in the too hard basket - again.

"This is disgraceful. The fundamental role of MAF is to advise the Government on the effects of proposed policy on New Zealand farmers. To not do so is gross negligence.

"My worry has always been the international competitiveness of the New Zealand farmer versus the Australian farmer.

"If Labour imposes a significant cost on the New Zealand farmer that the Australian farmer doesn't incur, we are gifting a substantial economic benefit to Australia.

"Mr Sherwin and his ministry better get cracking. They owe it to farmers."

ENDS

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