Hon David Carter MP
National Party Agriculture Spokesman

27 August 2007

Access report another case of ‘told you so’

National’s Agriculture spokesman, David Carter, says it’s an absolute disgrace the Government has frittered away more than $600,000 to confirm that the status quo on land access should remain.

Mr Carter is responding to news that the Government has finally decided to accept the recommendations of an independent panel which was set up to address walking access issues.

“This issue has been a no-brainer from the start. National has always said that Labour’s moves to shift the goal posts would draw huge criticism from farmers.

“It was a failed concept roundly rejected by landowners as well as city-dwellers who rightly viewed it as an assault on private property rights.

“But Labour chose to put the blinkers on and waste over $600,000 on a protracted consultation process which was always going to find that the status quo was the best model.

“It’s an insult to rural New Zealand that their views fell on deaf ears, and that now, farmers and all other taxpayers are being hit in the hip pocket to fund yet another Labour talk-fest which has come up with no new answers.

“It’s a case of ‘I told you so’, and yet another example of the Labour Government being too arrogant to listen to the voice of reason.

“Helen Clark’s agenda was always to let people trample through farmers’ properties. This is another humiliating defeat for a government hell-bent on foisting its views on the people.”

ENDS

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