United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne, says average New Zealand families will be the main losers from the government's
plans to limit the age of imported used cars, which will push the price of cars up by about $2000.
Mr Dunne says the moves are being promoted as a safety measure but are really more about rationing the supply of used
imports.
"This will hit average Kiwi families hard."
"One of the consequences of cheaper used imports over the years has been that many families have had the opportunity to
buy a much newer car than they might otherwise have been able to afford."
"As a result, the age of New Zealand's vehicle fleet has fallen dramatically, and we no longer some of the oldest cars
in the world driving regularly on our roads."
"Also, teenagers have been able to afford better cars instead of old bombs or bigger and more dangerous motorbikes,
which has contributed to keeping the road toll down."
"But all that is likely to change as a result of this latest policy shift."
"The government seems determined to take those choices away from New Zealand families through what is in reality just
another tax on motorists."
"I well recall Jim Anderton telling a meeting in Oamaru in 1996 that Japanese imports were cheap junk and we were stupid
to be importing them."
"Once more the government's ideology is flying in the face of common sense, and once more New Zealand families will be
the losers," Mr Dunne says.
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