The Restore Passenger Rail group appear to be as pointless as their vandalism. They are either crooks or have not realised that, even if the Government caved in to their ridiculous demands to cover the nation in passenger rail, not a single tonne of emissions will be saved.

Responding to this morning’s news about the vandalism of MPs offices, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

“Restore Passenger Rail’s website claims that ‘restoring passenger rail in NZ is an achievable campaign that will directly help to lower our emissions’. That is demonstrably false. New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme is a cap and trade model. Even if the Government were to shut highways and put everyone on rail, any reduced emissions in transport would be available elsewhere.”

“These people claim to be environmental heroes, but can’t even be bothered to understand the ETS. Instead of vandalism, they should work to promote measures that would actually serve to reduce emissions. They are either woefully ignorant or trying to mischievously hoodwink the public by lying that there are environmental gains from their rail demands. Not only are they trashing MP’s offices, they’re trashing the quality of public debate with their outright lies.”

“Train-spotters are a weird bunch, but this is an even weirder rabbit hole. What looks to be going on here is that the same old rail enthusiast crowd have figured out that climate change could be a vehicle for their 1800’s-style iron horse fantasy. Someone needs to buy these people a model railway set.”

“At the Taxpayers’ Union, we love trains, but love the environment more. These people don’t speak for environmentalists, and certainly don’t speak for taxpayers.”

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