What's Your Preference - Lethal Injection, Electric Chair or Firing Squad?
How does the Government expect farmers to respond to an ultimatum to pay for Agricultural Emissions Research when the
Government has hijacked all of the sink credits from trees planted on our land, asks Charlie Pedersen, Federated Farmers
of New Zealand (Inc) National Vice President.
"I would have thought $500 million worth of sink credits was a reasonable contribution to New Zealand's Kyoto
obligations from the agricultural sector, said Mr Pedersen.
"Farmers have been condemned to pay an agricultural emissions research tax. Having completed its consultation charade
last week farmers are rightfully angry that the Government has told them to stop whinging and pay up.
"Farmers attending the four consultation meetings over the past week have clearly said this is an abuse of Government
power and have told Government to fund the public good research from the public purse.
"The Government obviously hasn't talked to as many farmers as Federated Farmers has. I doubt 1 percent of farmers
believe the Government is right, let alone the 99% of farmers the Minister for Climate Change insists agree with the
Government's Kyoto initiatives.
"Farmers feel aggrieved that their saleable carbon credits from pasture and forestry have been claimed by the Government
as theirs to sell and yet they want to charge farmers for methane emission research.
"The Agricultural Emissions Research 'tax' sets a dangerous precedent for future Government policy that should make all
New Zealanders be very afraid of what could come next."