The 2010 Yale and Columbia University Environmental Performance Index ranked New Zealand second only to Iceland for world water quality.

Today, the National Party released proposals relating to new clean water regulations, after the Greens organised a petition to clean up rivers and farm waterways. Always dancing to the tune of the Green Left media, and too stupified and dull and ideologically bankrupt to mount any resistance, the Nats once again go for the surrender option.

The Government has set a target of making 90 per cent of New Zealand’s rivers and streams safe for swimming by 2040. New regulations will force farmers to construct 56,000 km of fences. Enough to go round the world one and a half times. The cost to government, farmers and councils is estimated at $2 billion.

Its going to cost far more of course, as NZ farmers and others are diverted from productive activities to this feel good nonsense. Its going to make farm products, meat, milk, butter, etc more expensive at the supermarket, or to overseas purchasers. Its going to make council rates more expensive. $2 billion is just the tip of the iceberg.

Who in the National Party cares about the productive sector? The Nat’s voting precinct is the FITH urban and city liberals, who funnily enough will mostly never swim in a farm stream in their miserable Prius-driving or pedal pushing lives.

This will get the Nats a few votes from Progressives, but impose further costs on the productive sector. That is what National are all about today. They are owned and controlled by the Green Party.

NZ’s major economic problem is low productivity. Why then are the Nats always doing things to make productivity even worse?

Remember that when you cast your vote at the upcoming election.