“The repeal of the ute tax is a victory for choice, fairness, and rational policymaking,” says ACT Transport spokesman Cameron Luxton.

“Scrapping this legislation was a commitment secured in ACT’s coalition agreement with National, and we’re delighted to be part of a new Government that trusts New Zealanders over politicians to decide which cars are best suited for our work, family, and recreation.”

“The ute tax was always virtue signalling nonsense that punished farmers, tradies, and large families with higher costs amid a cost-of-living crisis. Meanwhile the benefits fell on those buying shiny new Teslas and overseas car makers. It didn’t make any sense as a wealth redistribution scheme, and it wouldn’t have cut New Zealand’s overall emissions because transport emissions are covered by the Emissions Trading Scheme.”

“ACT is determined to be a voice of honesty within the Government when it comes to dopey green subsidies. That means acknowledging incentives to switch from petrol or diesel to electric are already in place at the pump through ETS levies – currently around 16 cents on a litre of petrol. Politicians just don’t like talking about the ETS because it operates silently, with prices set by the market instead of by flashy political announcements.”

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