David Carter
National Party Agriculture Spokesman

21 May 2006
Anderton fails farmers twice in a week

After failing to vote in the interest of farmers in the dog microchipping debate last week, Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton then failed to get agriculture mentioned in the Budget address, says National Party spokesman, David Carter.

“And then, the day after the Budget, he tells Auckland Provincial Federated Farmers that ‘we need solutions that enhance your businesses, not saddle you with greater compliance costs.’

“That is really something coming from a Minister who had just voted to load farmers up with even more compliance costs by voting for their dogs to be microchipped.

“The vote was 61-60, so it was Jim Anderton’s vote that ensured microchipping would proceed.

“Farming continues to be served very badly by this Minister and this Labour Government.

“When Labour Ministers put out a flurry of press releases on Thursday and Friday, trying very hard to extol the virtues of Budget 2006, Mr Anderton’s silence was deafening, and it’s easy to see why.

“There was nothing for agriculture in the Budget. In fact, less is budgeted in Vote Agriculture and Forestry in this Budget than in the last.

“Labour continues to show its true colours when it comes to the primary production sector.”

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