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Winston Peters: Farmers should be calm about Clean Car Discount

Author
Newstalk ZB ,
Publish Date
Wed, 10 Jul 2019, 3:07PM
Winston Peters says that the move to e-vehicles would be beneficial for farmers as well. (Photo / NZ Herald)

Winston Peters: Farmers should be calm about Clean Car Discount

Author
Newstalk ZB ,
Publish Date
Wed, 10 Jul 2019, 3:07PM

The Acting Prime Minister denies that the Government will be penalising farmers with their e-vehicle plan.

The Government wants to crack down on people driving gas-guzzling cars and reward those going green with a new Clean Car Standard. 

It would require importers to reduce average emissions on vehicles like cars, utes and vans.

Electric, hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles could cost up to $8,000 less under a Clean Car Discount, funded by fees on the highest polluting vehicles.

Peters told The Country that there are 400,000 utes around New Zealand which will be exempt because they are already here.

He says the desire is to bring in vehicles that are more efficient, that will benefit farmers as well. 

"The costs will be pretty painless, when you think about it, and a great utility or efficiency on vehicles has the potential to save $6,000 to $8,000 on running costs over the lifetime of that vehicles. 

Peters says that they should be calm about this they would see this works in their favour.

He says that they need to meet their climate change goals, which the National Party signed the country up to. 

He also says not to panic over plummeting log prices.

New Zealand logs are piling up on Chinese wharves as demand drops, to make way for cheaper timber from Russia and Scandinavia.

The Deputy Prime Minister says there have been price drops in the past.

"What we've got to do is ensure we keep the workforce going as much as we can by having alternatives and value enterprise for people to be engaged in."

 

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