Policy should be ‘ditched’

Act has reiterated its position for the clean car standard (CCS) to be “abolished entirely” while – at the same time – welcoming the government’s moves to reduce charges imposed under the scheme.

Cameron Luxton, the party’s transport spokesman, says: “We’ve already scrapped the ute tax, which hit buyers at the dealership. Now the government is tackling the other half of the problem by cutting penalties that hit vehicle importers.

“Lower charges on importers mean lower prices for the families, farmers and tradies who need a vehicle that does the job.

“The CCS has seen importers pay, in some cases, thousands of dollars more for popular, practical vehicles. Those costs were always going to be passed straight to buyers. Cutting charges by nearly 80 per cent is the right thing to do when households are feeling the pinch.”

Luxton describes next year’s wider review of the scheme as a “good sign”, which shows the government “knows the CCS is broken and unaffordable”.

He adds: “Act’s position is clear. We are the only party to have consistently opposed the CCS and the scheme should be ditched entirely. It adds cost without benefit, strips people of choice and treats Kiwis as if Wellington knows better than they do. 

“The CCS has never made environmental sense. Taxes on so-called dirty vehicles do not reduce New Zealand’s total emissions. 

“Transport emissions are already accounted for under the emissions trading scheme, which caps and reduces emissions with levies on fuel. New Zealanders deserve transport that’s affordable and based on personal choice, not the nanny state.”