Federated Farmers too weak to stand up to National
John Ormond, Act Candidate and spokesperson for Agriculture
Thursday 6 November 2008
For Immediate Release.
"When I attended Federated Farmers’ election manifesto launch in Wellington a few days ago I was disappointed to find
that Federated Farmers was wishy washy on the ETS", said John Ormond ACT spokesperson for Agriculture.
"They did not even mention the ETS in their press release."
"Maybe", said Mr Ormond, " they did not wish to upset the National Party."
"After all we can now confidently expect a new National/ACT coalition government on Saturday.
Who would want to upset the next government?
Well that strategy is a mistake. Federated Farmers know the frightening costs that farmers will bear under the scheme."
"Yet in their Manifesto they do not call for repeal of the scheme.
I suppose they hope that a National government will simply remove farm animals from the scheme.
Will the rest of the community stand by and accept that", asked Mr Ormond?
Does National have the resolve to actually get rid of this scheme?
"Farmers will recall past National governments that have often been unhelpful for Agriculture.
Let us remember that it was National who introduced both Kyoto and the RMA.
Given their record on these two issues how can we rely on them to deliver the opportunity for
farmers and small business owners to generate the wealth New Zealand needs to lift our wage rates and get us back on par
with our international competitors?
Farmers have so much to lose from the effects of the ETS that if they are logical and want real results then they need
to give their party vote to ACT and provide a new National/ACT government with the backbone to repeal it.
We must stop the Emissions Trading Scheme in its tracks. ACT is the only parliamentary party totally opposed to this
crazy legislation.
If Federated Farmers and its members seriously want the new government to implement their manifesto they will need a
good dose of ACT MPs in the new coalition.
To dump the ETS farmers must party vote ACT and vote for National in their electorate.
This will deliver a strong government that deals to the issues dumped on them by nine years of Labour led coalitions."
ENDS
A background paper is available on the ACTmedia Site
http://www.actmedia.co.nz/ETS/etsbackground.pdf