*Labour Joins National In Farmer-Bashing*

Libertarianz leader Richard McGrath has called for rural folk should lodge a protest vote with his party this year. He says both National and Labour are only interested in taxing them in order to bribe left-leaning city dwellers.

In the wake of Phil Goff’s call to squeeze $800 million out of farmers to fatten the wallets of researchers, Dr McGrath said: “Both major parties are competing to see who can carve the most meat off the golden goose without completely killing it.”

“Goff wants to fleece farmers, based on the increasingly shaky hypothesis that industrial and agricultural production of water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane has more effect on global temperature than the sun and volcanic activity.”

“I would love to know whether he or his National counterpart would cancel the ETS if all the Research and Development that farmers will be forced to fund shows - as I suspect will be the case - that human-driven production of greenhouse gases is a negligible factor in driving temperature change.”

Dr McGrath said that if elected he would push for repeal of the ETS. “Schemes like the ETS are just another tax under a new name. It’s time the government stopped picking on farmers.”

“The National Party no longer represent the interests of the rural sector. Their policies are no different to those of Labour, and farmers should deliver a clear message to them at the coming election.”

Dr McGrath has entered the race for the Wairarapa electorate in November, against sitting National Party MP John Hayes.

*ENDS*

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