Letter to the Marlborough Express from Geoff Evans, President, Marlborough Federated Farmers

Dear Editor ,

        On  July 1st  the launch of the Emissions Trading Scheme (or tax) will take place.
MP  Colin King and  Agriculture Minister, David Carter, are holding a public meeting at Meadowbank Station to discuss this legislation on Thursday,  April 22nd at 3.15 pm
 Every body who can should attend.
 Some suggested questions to ask include:
How will this tax impact on people with  low and fixed incomes.?
 How are we all to pay the 5% increase in electricity charges and the 4cents / litre rise in fuel charges- not to mention the increase in inflation generated by these taxes?
 What will be the impact on the very fragile NZ economy?
 Why has this Government decided to continue with this act when most of the world has not? Australia, Canada, China, India and the US are just some countries who have not implemented a carbon tax.
  France has just dropped their emission tax because of the adverse effect on their citizens and economy.  
 Has the NZ Government heard of the shady trading presently disrupting the European Carbon Credit markets?
 Why have they included agriculture when nowhere else in the world has it been included?
Why does New Zealand have to lead the world in emissions trading when we have one of the lowest emissions profiles in the world?
Is it true that this tax gained from NZ citizens will be given to the UN to assist developing countries to develop and allow those countries to create even more carbon emissions?
 Has any one actually seen a tonne of CO2?
 Yes, I am a farmer, but this extreme new tax will cost every man, woman and child in this country dearly and you must be aware of what is happening.   
 Geoff Evans
President,
Marlborough Federated Farmers.
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