Editorial: Sensible move
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty has announced he is selling his infamous ute for charity.
“The time has come to upgrade,” he said in a tweet this morning.
The red 1997 Mazda B2500 ute was a feature of McAnulty’s 2020 campaign for the Wairarapa parliamentary seat.
The ute became the subject of minor controversy after McAnulty won the Wairarapa seat, with National MP Chris Bishop calling for McAnulty to give it up after the announcement of a Climate Change Emergency in December 2020.
I am selling my ute for charity.
— Kieran McAnulty MP (@Kieran_McAnulty) September 19, 2021
The time has come to upgrade.
437,000kms. It is pretty slow these days. It hasn't had a back door for years.
All proceeds going to the Rural Support Trusts in Wairarapa, Tararua District and Central Hawke's Bay.https://t.co/Gg71Y5C0WY pic.twitter.com/uWQxQRIiY8
The ute became controversial again after the Government announced its Clean Car Discount Scheme – dubbed by many as the ‘ute tax’ – when photos of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern driving the ute during the 2020 election campaign resurfaced.
The ute is being sold on Trade Me with an opening bid of $2,000 already placed.
In his tweet, McAnulty said that all proceeds from the sale of the ute will go to Rural Support Trusts in the Wairarapa, Tararua District and Central Hawke’s Bay.
New Zealand farming is riding a high, with strong prices, full feed covers and improving confidence lining up at the same time.
Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford says the district sees itself as the agribusiness capital of the lower North Island.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is looking forward to connecting with farmers, rural professionals and community members at this year's Central District Field Days.
Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins has announced a reshuffle of the party's caucus portfolios.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says a series of rural resilienced set to be rolled out next week will help farmers and growers better prepared for adverse weather events.
The head of Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment, Professor Paul Kenyon, says the outlook for the primary sector is positive with record numbers of students enrolling for Massey's range of undergraduate courses in the primary sector.

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