Scrapping the Climate Change Commission would cut red tape and government waste that ultimately comes out of farmers’ pockets, ACT party candidate Paul Henry says.

ACT would disestablish the commission and fold its functions into the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport, which Henry says already carries out almost all of the same work.

“Farmers know about red tape more than a lot of sections of the community. So the more of it we can cut, the more money we can save,” he says.

He says the commission writes reports that are never acted on, holding up farmers and businesses.

“It’s much more than the $14 or $15 million a year in direct costs that we save.”

He says every dollar the government spends is a dollar taken from farmers and businesses, and opposes the commission’s recommendation to cut the dairy herd.

“Wellington needs to create a platform on which people can thrive and grow, and then get out of people’s way and let them do it.”

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.