Govt has ‘head in the sand’ on electric vehicles

The government has its head in the sand on electric vehicles, says New Zealand First.

“National is blind to the glare of opportunity in the electric vehicle industry,” says New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Winston Peters.

“It is refusing to concede that electric vehicles will reduce emissions, save New Zealand a fortune on oil imports and will protect our green image,” he says.

“In its ignorance it denies electric vehicle entrepreneurs in New Zealand a vital lift to move ahead quickly,” says Peters.

“Climate Change Minister Tim Groser claimed today National does not do subsidies, just as Transport Minister Simon Bridges told the industry recently – ‘go it alone’. This is to ignore the positive alternatives blatantly,” he says.

“Mr Groser’s pearler was delivered unchallenged on TV One’s Q&A programme this morning in discussions on the forthcoming Climate Change Conference in Paris,” says Peters.

“National has had no problem dishing out taxpayer money previously: $67 million to Warner Bros, $30m to Rio Tinto, $800m to South Canterbury Finance, and a sweetheart deal over TVNZ land, extra pokies and the new convention centre for SkyCity,” he says.

“New Zealand has a hydro-electric generation on tap, as Norway does, and its forged ahead with its EV industry. Norway has more than 70,000 electric vehicles already. In contrast, NZ only has about 800,” says Peters.

“All we need is a government to stop talking ideological platitudes and to start supporting practical policies,” he says.