Opposing parties reiterate plans to scrap Clean Car Discount

With the election fast approaching, two opposing political parties have taken to the Motor Trade Association’s (MTA) debate earlier this week to reiterate their plans to scrap the Clean Car Discount scheme.

Simeon Brown and Simon Court, National and ACT’s respective transport spokespeople, took to the debate to address a variety of topics that concern New Zealand motorists, mainly relating to MTA’s recently released Driving New Zealand Forward publication.

The document covers subjects such as climate change, Warrant of Fitness (WoF) inspections, and how the Association wants the next Government to phase out the clean car scheme.

When Brown and Court were pressed about the matter, they both said that if their parties were elected into power that they would remove the Clean Car Discount for new and used vehicles.

“Let’s cancel the Clean Car Discount and Clean Car Standard,” Court said, reports AutoTalk. National’s Brown agreed with the opposing party member.

On the other side of the coin, Helen White (Labour) and Julie Anne Genter (Green) said they still fully support the scheme.

When it came time to address WoFs, all parties agreed that changes needed to be made as to how the country’s fleet of vehicles is inspected.

Brown stated that the 12-month WoF timeline for vehicles registered beyond 2000 needed review, as well as the $200 fine given to owners who drive their cars without a current WoF.

White and Genter both showed their support for how our current vehicle testing regime needed to incorporate emissions testing, an activity MTA suggested the country’s next Government put into action.

Court on the other hand said that more of New Zealand’s motorists needed “money in their pocket” so that they could maintain their vehicles to a safe standard.