Jacinda Ardern is dancing on the head of a gear stick with her absurd claim that she couldn’t “operationalise” an exemption for farmers and tradies from Labour’s car tax, Leader of the Opposition Judith Collins says.

“If the Prime Minister doesn’t have the power to step in and demand that farmers and tradespeople be spared from Labour’s unfair car tax then who can?”

It is also unclear where Jacinda Ardern got the idea that only farmers and tradies can ‘legitimately’ drive utes, Ms Collins says.

“There are plenty of other New Zealanders who have jobs or lifestyles that require more than what an electric vehicle can offer them. It’s not for the Government to dictate what is and is not ‘legitimate’ car use.

The Prime Minister’s admission that her Government kicked around the idea of a car tax exemption before putting it in the too hard basket will be cold comfort for all the farmers and tradespeople who are about to be stung to the tune of thousands of dollars, Ms Collins says.

“The Ardern Government’s kindness clearly doesn’t apply to all New Zealanders.

“National will repeal Labour’s car tax. We don’t think it’s fair to punish farmers, tradies and low-income earners for whom electric vehicles will still be too expensive or unsuitable.

“We also don’t think it’s fair that Labour made a point of removing the car tax from its policy manifesto pre-election, then started working on it the second it was re-elected.

"This is another underhanded broken promise from Labour on tax.”