Be afraid
OPINION: Your old mate hears some of the recent uptick in farmer confidence has slipped since the political polls started leading a bit to the left, away from the current coalition of National, Act and NZ First.
Just when we think they've kicked an unpopular policy to touch, they repackage it and try to sneak it past the goalkeeper in a different form.
The current mob tried with its climate change taxation of the rural sector and are at it again with 'Ute Tax 2.0'.
Fed Farmers wants Revenue Minister Simon Watts to urgently rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that will apply to utes and could cost farmers thousands of dollars, ongoing.
Feds say the previous Ute Tax was bad enough, but at least it was a one-off cost.
These new FBT charges would be annual and cost farmers an arm and a leg each year.
With their polls cratering, National need to put the IRD back on the chain.
