“Carmel Sepuloni arrogantly lecturing Aucklanders that they don’t need utes shows the Labour Party can’t help themselves when it comes to telling people how to live their lives”, says ACT Leader David Seymour.
“This is Jacinda Ardern’s ‘legitimate use’ gaffe all over again.
“The Deputy Prime Minister has revealed that the real reason for the ute tax is to force people out of certain kinds of vehicle.
“Sepuloni said this morning that some New Zealanders were buying utes when they didn’t need them: ‘There are… a number of New Zealanders who are driving around with utes in Auckland where they’re not always needed for practical reasons and hopefully this will persuade them to move to an EV.’
“Jacinda Ardern infamously asked whether some people were using utes for ‘legitimate use’.
“She said: ‘A large number of those buyers of those vehicles are not using them for the legitimate use as those who work in the primary sector and the trades.’
“This is an out of touch and arrogant Labour Government. Far beyond reducing emissions, they believe it is their job to tell New Zealanders what the legitimate use of a ute is.
“ACT was the only party to vote against the Zero Carbon Act. We did because we knew it was a pathway to endless micromanagement of the economy and people’s lives.”