By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON - Rural voter anger at New Zealand's environmental policies to tackle climate change and reduce carbon emissions may contribute to a return of right-wing partiesBy Lucy Craymer
Warning that livelihoods are at stake, farmers are looking to conservative candidates who will unwind or delay these Labour policies. Farmers in New Zealand have staged several protests in the past two years against growing regulations and agricultural emission schemes. Similar farmer protests in the Netherlands against government environmental polices saw their protest party in March win sufficient support to shake up the country' senate.
Labour legislated a number of regulations over the past three years including new rules around water usage and protection of waterways, changing leases on high country ranches and making it easier for sheep and beef farms to be turned into pine plantations to offset carbon and to reduce the number of methane producing animals in New Zealand.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the country needed to continue to push forward with emission reduction policies including those related to farming, as not doing so was a credibility issue for the country.Green Party co-leader James Shaw said New Zealand had to continue to reduce agriculture emissions because its"future economic security depends on our sustainability credentials".